September 3, 2015, 11:03a.m. – THREE professors are
vying for the presidency of the UST Faculty Union (USTFU), all vowing to deal with
the problems posed by the coming K to 12 transition.
The candidates are Dr. George Lim of the Faculty of Medicine
and Surgery who is running for reelection, and from the Faculty of Arts and
Letters, Rene Luis Tadle and Jove Jim Aguas.
The K to 12 transition is turning out to be a major issue in
the campaign, as college teaching loads would be reduced beginning next year.
High school students will be spending two more years in senior high school or
grades 11 and 12, instead of graduating to college. Because of this, UST will
offer only 13 programs to freshmen next year.
The UST administration is proposing several measures to
cushion the impact, among them tapping displaced professors to teach in the
soon-to-be-opened UST Senior High School (SHS). Professors will also have the
option of doing office work, taking research loads or going in sabbatical or
study leaves.
The three presidential candidates agree that there must be
system of distributing teaching loads as well as protecting salary rates and
tenure.
Tadle said getting assigned to senior high school would not
guarantee that a faculty member’s salary would be the same as in in college.
“The salary rates of faculty members must be maintained because in the
first place it is just a [transition] period,” he said in an interview
with the Varsitarian.
Tadle maintained that UST could afford to maintain salary
rates given its financial standing.
Aguas said UST’s proposals need to be validated.
“Drastically, maaapektuhan [ang teaching load]. If before we’ve been
accepting 10,000 students, now [it will be] just around 5,000. Pagdating doon
sa distribution ng load, kailangan doon transparent, gaano kalaki yung
paghahati-hatian,” said Aguas.
Lim expressed his desire of not decreasing the professors’ salaries despite the K-12 transition. “Pagdating doon sa financial [aspect], retained yung salary scale
regardless kung saan siya mapunta; regardless kung mapunta siya sa kolehiyo o
sa SHS kasi itong mga tenured na ito, nagbigay na ng service sa University,”
Lim said in an interview.
Thirty-five other candidates are eyeing other positions in
the faculty union.
Running for executive vice president are Patrick Go and
Elvis Llanera; for internal vice president, Edilberto Gonzaga and Abegail
Nierras; and for external vice president, John Vincent Ignacio and Pablito
Marasigan.
Running for vice president for legal affairs are Aurora
Bermudez and lawyer Danielito Jimenez; for vice president for grievance and
complaints, Jonathan Cabero and Jose Ngo; and for vice president for labor
education and research, James Platon.
The candidates for secretary are Susan Petilla and Rouena
Villarama; the lone candidate for treasurer is Joyce Tan; for auditor, Marie
Anne Guanzon and Almanzor Sarip Macmod; for public relations officer, Arlene de
Leon and Elizabeth Kapulong; and for sergeant at arms, Rebecca Adri.
Battling for the 10 seats for director are Noel Asiones,
Geroge Chao, Mary Rose Coronel, Michelle Desierto, Benedicto Ducat, Mercurio
Elenzano, Moises Norman Garcia, Emerito Gonzales, Frederick Roy Manubay, James
Mark Nidea, Archie Resos, Beatriz Ribleza, Ramil Sasi, Claudine Say, Juanita
Subaldo and Revenendo Vargas.
USTFU will hold its elections on Sept. 28. Clarence
I. Hormachuelos
