A University for the People: Strengthening the public service orientation of UP
Written by Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc
Volunteerism was how the University answered a recurring concern during the early post-dictatorship era. At that time, a survey of its students revealed that, after the overthrow of the Marcos regime, they seemed to have become complacent.[1]
It appeared that UP’s public service mandate鈥攑rimarily in the form of “nationalization of knowledge” and “scholarship to benefit fellow Filipinos,” as called for by UP President Carlos Romulo in 1966鈥攈ad concretized outreach and community-oriented activities as merely an extension of teaching and research functions. Questions started to be raised regarding the need for a more meaningful and comprehensive approach to public service.
UP responded to the concern, not by a statement, but through action. Members of the UP community proved that they were still willing to give an arm and a leg, not just scholarship, in the service of the marginalized and the underserved. The Ugnayan ng Pahinung贸d was instituted in 1993 as the volunteer service program of UP, becoming the office for coordinating volunteerism throughout the UP system. The Gurong Pahinungod, implemented in 1998, went full-blast in AY 1998-1999 with 47 teacher-volunteers deployed to 24 schools in 13 provinces, from the landlocked province of Abra in Northern Luzon down to the southernmost part of the country, Tawi-Tawi.
This was how the in-road to the Bangsamoro region was laid. A Gurong Pahinungod pioneer would end up becoming an official of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
In 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding and a Memorandum of Agreement between UP and the MBHTE would be signed, with the Pahinung贸d partnering with MBHTE in training teachers, deploying volunteer teachers, and implementing a junior scientist program. This partnership would ultimately inspire the University to seek partnership with the rest of the BARMM government to help its development.
In this case, it was clear scholarship still was the defining character of UP’s public service. But as the case also showed, scholarship needed to be more impactful and geared to the needs of the nation. This meant scholarly activities should be more coordinated and strategically directed toward responding to the country’s most pressing needs.
Expansion of Public Service Offices
In 2012, the UP Padayon Public Service Office under the Office of the Vice President for Public Affairs was established by President Alfredo Pascual. It has a 鈥渕uch broader parameter for public service [than Pahinungod]”, which meant it included initiatives of both volunteer and non-volunteer in nature. Non-volunteer initiatives cover research extension, secondment to state agencies, medical internships, training projects”, among others. Padayon鈥檚 central goal was to 鈥済enerate and mobilize expertise in the service of the nation鈥�, considered part of what is known in Asia as a 鈥渟cholarship of engagement.鈥�
It is now in charge of monitoring and collecting data for public service activities of all UP CUs for policy recommendations. The office is also in charge of disseminating the public service information in various platforms, capacitating faculty members, staff, and REPS in terms of public service activities, including merit promotions and grants, and raising public service funds in collaboration with other offices.
Before the administration of President Angelo Jimenez, the Ugnayan ng Pahinung贸d and the Padayon Public Service Office worked separately. With the prioritization of public service as a strategic thrust of the administration, the two UP System offices–Pahinungod under the Office of the President and Padayon under the Office of the Vice President for Public Affairs agree to work together. Padayon creates an enabling environment for Pahinungod to push for their activities and for the UP community to take part in all public service and volunteer-related activities.
Through the collaboration of the two offices, UP seeks to amplify its brand as a public service university. They are launching a System-wide calendar of public service and volunteering initiatives in both their websites and social media platforms. To consolidate all public service information in the University, they are promoting the facility already provided by University Information System (UIS) for reporting of all public service initiatives across CUs.
They are currently pursuing incentivization of public service and volunteerism, and assisting in democratizing access to UP education. Incentivization includes the establishment of a public service productivity award, and a System-based public service project grant and mobilization fund. They are currently in consultation with UP constituents in a push for higher percentage or weight for public service activities in merit promotions. Also up for System-wide implementation is giving extension load credits for public service.
Pahinungod activities will also be integrated to Padayon initiatives such as the Public Service Writing Fellowship (PSWF) and the Colleges and Universities Public Service Conference (CUPSCON), which capacitate University constituents in transforming their public service activities into research projects.
To help democratize access to UP education, the two will collaborate with other UP System offices such as the Office of Admissions, the Office of Alumni Relations, and the Office of Student Development Services in implementing the proposed Hatid Iskolar Program. The program will assist UPCAT passers whose enrollment in UP is jeopardized by their economic and geographic situation.
They will also embark on an active campaign to promote the Kaibigan ng Pahinungod Donation Portal, a way of supporting the cost of sending Gurong Pahinungod volunteers to far-flung areas and underserved areas in need of teachers.
Reference:
[1] Caruncho, Eric S. “Has UP lost its soul?” The Sunday Inquirer Magazine, June 6, 1993, p. 8.
More on UP’s Strategic Plan 2023-2029
Flagship Program 1: Academic Excellence
Flagship Program 2: Inclusive Admissions
Flagship Program 3: Research and Innovation
Flagship Program 4: Open and Distance e-Learning (ODeL)
Flagship Program 5: Archipelagic and Oceanic Virtual University (AOVU)
Flagship Program 6: Active and Collaborative Partnerships
Flagship Program 7: Arts and Culture
Flagship Program 8: Expansion of Public Service Offices
Flagship Program 9: Quality Management System (QMS) and Quality Assurance (QA)
Flagship Program 10: Digital Transformation
