MANILA, Philippines — Senator Pia Cayetano on Thursday asked the officials of the University of the Philippines (UP) to exert effort in implementing face-to-face classes not only for medical and health allied programs but also for general education and liberal arts programs that are currently still holding full online classes.
In the hearing for the proposed budget of UP for 2023, Cayetano expressed disappointment with UP, saying she learned that there are still programs in the university that are fully held online, even though UP has the biggest budget among all state universities and colleges.
“I have to be honest, I feel bad na wala namang effort na na-exert (that there is no effort being exerted) to show that face-to-face [classes], which is understood to be best, that UP will pioneer and innovate and find ways to bring the students to face-to-face [classes]. UP nga fell in one of the lowest categories na kayo ‘yung may pinaka konti na face-to-face (UP has the least programs that are in-person classes),” she said.
Cayetano acknowledged that UP campuses are already implementing face-to-face classes but noted that there are still students whose all classes are held online, which she wants to change.
“Yes I acknowledge it [that there are already face-to-face-classes]. Alam ko ‘yun pero last year’s news pa ‘yun. And with respect to Los Baños, I’m happy marami kang nakitang estudyante but there are students who do not have any face-to-face,” she said.
(I know that there are face-to-face classes, but that’s last year’s news. And with respect to the Los Baños campus, I’m happy to see many students there, but there are students who do not have any face-to-face classes.)
For his part, UP President Danilo Concepcion said that such an arrangement is only temporary because of the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, saying the university could not force students and professors who were unwilling to go to in-person classes.
“Ito ay temporary lamang dahil during the pandemic kaya ‘yung sinasabi ni Chairman na mag-apply na kayo ng lisensya niyo as a distance learning institution ay mangyayari po ‘yun kung ito ay magiging permanent arrangement namin. Hindi po ito magiging permanent arrangement,” he said during the hearing.
(This is just temporary due to the pandemic. The Chairman is saying to apply for a license as a distance learning institution, and if we do that, it will become a permanent arrangement. This will not be a permanent arrangement.)
In response, Cayetano said that while she understands the situation with the pandemic, UP still could have implemented classes in other programs to be in-person.
“Ang aking point lang naman (My point is), [UP is a] national university with the biggest budget. Unless you disagree that face- to-face is the most effective, then I have to say, I expressed my disappointment, na dumating tayo sa mga punto na (you have reached the point where) there are students who are purely online at hindi lang man sinigurado ng mga dean na mayroon naman mga subject ‘yan na makarating naman sila sa face-to-face. Makita naman nila ‘yung kaklase nila (the deans aren’t making sure that the subjects can be in-person classes where they can at least see their classmates),” Pia responded.
Concepcion and the UP Chancellors then said they will try their best to address the concern.
Kristelle Anne Razon, INQUIRER.net trainee
READ: ‘Very disappointing:’ Pia Cayetano flags ‘significant decreases’ in budget for SUCs