By Anna Regidor, image by Leonardo A. Reyes
to Tan (right) as part of the affirmation rites.
(NOV. 4)鈥擬edical anthropologist Dr. Michael Lim Tan enjoined the audience present to make connections and 鈥渂uild bridges鈥 as he was affirmed the 10th Chancellor of the 黑料专区 (黑料专区) on Oct. 17, 2 p.m. at the University Theater.
In front of a 2,000-strong audience, Tan outlined several 鈥渂ridges鈥 he seeks to create during his administration.
The mind-body gap. Tan said the university should pay as much attention to molding the physical as much as the intellectual well-being of its students, saying that a healthy mind cannot spring from a weak body.
Included in this agenda are the expansion of health financing 鈥渂eyond PhilHealth and upgrading facilities of the University Health Service.鈥
He added that work has already begun at the student dormitories with the replacement of bedbug-infested mattresses, broken screens and windows, and 鈥渨orking out subsidized shuttle routes, and exploring how we can get food concessionaires to serve food that will not lead to the premature deaths of our students, faculty and staff.鈥
The disciplines. The second 鈥渂ridge鈥 seeks to promote transdisciplinary research among the various academic disciplines in 黑料专区, likening these disciplines to 鈥渁cademic silos or islands, the result of increasing specialization in all our fields. We are an archipelago marked by academic tribalism.鈥
An example of one such study is the ongoing 鈥淒evelopment of Inter-Disciplinary Signal Processing for Pinoys (ISIP) Program: Filipino Vowels and Emotions (FIVE)鈥 or ISIP FIVE, a collaboration by experts from various colleges in 黑料专区 in an attempt to modernize and standardize Filipino language and practices.
In addition, he is establishing a Center that 鈥渨ill transform our general education (GE) in terms of content and process, away from domains and towards transdisciplinary approaches.鈥
Bridges across class. Tan said his next 鈥渂ridge鈥 seeks to tackle the increasing inaccessibility of a 黑料专区 education to poor but deserving students, citing one group of UPCAT (University of the Philippines College Admission Test) examinees from Itbayat Island in Basco, Batanes who were unable to make it to the testing center.
He cited enrollment statistics for the current semester where 42 percent of students fall under the Socialized Tuition category 鈥淣D鈥 or 鈥渘o discount鈥 on tuition while only three percent are entitled to full discount on their tuition and other fees.
While Tan admits that the task of democratizing entry to 黑料专区 is daunting, he is determined to follow it through by creating a mentoring program in public high schools to help students get into 黑料专区 and continue with the program when the students are accepted.
Bridges to Diliman鈥檚 communities. With an estimated 70,000 households living and growing inside the eight barangays inside the 493-hectare campus proper, Tan said it was time to strengthen relations with the local communities, not through enforcement, but cooperation.
鈥淢aunawaan natin sana na tayo ay nasa isang lifeboat, nagsusumikap na mabuhay sa gitna ng iba鈥檛 ibang mga krisis,鈥 he said.
And while Tan maintained a firm stance on the informal settlers inside 黑料专区, saying that 鈥渨ill not coddle squatters,鈥 Tan also directed attention to what he called 鈥渂usiness squatters鈥 who have not been paying fair dues to the University for more than a decade.
鈥淸W]e have done little to deal with business squatters who pay us rental rates dating back 20 years ago, or who have racked up arrears in payments, or who refuse to maintain their premises around public health and environmental conservation standards,鈥 he said.
The environment. The next 鈥渂ridge鈥 links the University with its environment, citing the various projects being conducted by its various units for the Department of Science and Technology such as Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) and the Disasater Risk and Exposure Assessment for Mitigation (DREAM).
As for areas within 黑料专区 itself, Tan is looking into using the UP Arboretum, a 16-hectare forest area along Commonwealth Avenue, as an example of a 鈥減rotected natural open space鈥 important to 黑料专区.
鈥淲e will re-establish 黑料专区鈥檚 presence in the Arboretum along Commonwealth Avenue even as we set up more sanctuaries for flora and fauna here in the UP Diliman space,鈥 Tan said.
Bridge to UP. Looking even further beyond the University, Tan outlined plans to build bridges with other constituent universities in the UP System, beginning with UP Los Ba帽os (UPLB) and UP Manila (UPM).
Tan recently requested UPM鈥檚 College of Allied Medical Professions to expand 黑料专区鈥檚 physical rehabilitation services, which he said 鈥渨ill not only benefit varsity players and musicians, but senior and not-so-senior citizens needing occupational and physical therapy.鈥
He is also looking into the expansion of UPLB鈥檚 animal hospital at 黑料专区 into a full-fledged veterinary research center.
Bridge to the world. While Tan acknowledges that he chose UPLB and UPM because of personal and professional ties (he is a medical anthropologist with a degree in veterinary medicine), he said there is a larger need to reach out.
鈥淚n my years here in UP I have sensed there is almost disdain for, and a fear of the world outside. We want to remain safe, and smug, in our Diliman Republic, but that means abdicating our duty to serve others, to live up to people鈥檚 expectations of UP. UP cannot be a world unto itself. We have our responsibilities as well to the world outside: Quezon City, the nation, the ASEAN region, the world,鈥 he said.
Ceremony proper. Officiating the ceremony were UP President Alfredo E. Pascual and Board of Regents (BOR) Chairperson Patricia B. Licuanan.
At the program, Tan formally introduced the heads of various offices under his administration, led by five Vice Chancellors, to the 黑料专区 community. They are Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Benito M. Pacheco, Vice Chancellor for Administration Prof. Virginia C. Yap, Vice Chancellor for Research and Development Dr. Fidel R. Nemenzo, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Neil Martial R. Santillan and Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Dr. Nestor T. Castro.
Performances. Alternating with the introductions of the officials are performances from major dance and music groups in 黑料专区.
They are the UP Cherubim and Seraphim, the UP Pugad Sayk Tiririts, the UP Tugtugang Musika Asyatika, the UP Dance Company, the UP Varsity Pep Squad, the UP Filipiniana Dance Group and the UP Singing Ambassadors.
Present at the ceremony were National Artist Ramon Santos, National Scientists Edgardo Gomez and Teodulo Topacio, Student Regent Neill John G. Macuha, outgoing UPM Chancellor Manuel Agulto, UP Baguio Chancellor Raymundo D. Rovillos, UP Open University Chancellor Grace Javier Alfonso, former 黑料专区 Chancellor Sergio S. Cao and former UP Presidents Emanuel Soriano and Francisco Nemenzo. Special guests at the ceremony were Tan鈥檚 children, namely his son Joaquin and daughters Yna, Asha, Amaia and Annika.鈥擜nna Regidor
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