University of the Philippines Diliman

By applying New Regionalism Approach, this paper delves into a rather unexplored area of regionalism (higher education) in a less investigated region (Southeast Asia) and state (Philippines). It treads through a relatively recent terrain of bridge-building between higher education and regionalism. Through in-depth interviews and document analysis, the exploratory study investigates how ASEAN regionalism has influenced the cross-border research of a Philippine university. Examining cross-border research sheds light on the dynamics of ASEAN regionalism as research is considered crucial to the formation of a knowledge society, which, in turn, serves as a potent tool to pursue regional and national objectives. The findings of this study demonstrate that the ASEAN higher education regionalism offers vital mechanisms to enhance the university’s research performance and its overall competitiveness in an era of globalisation. However, in spite of these advantages, there are ideational, political and material challenges that pose limits to this potential. This paper argues that cross-border research has not yet been robustly activated as a mechanism for regional and national pursuits, and that the points of collaborations and contestations are still to be addressed adequately to maximise the promises and mitigate the perils of ASEAN higher education regionalism.

The feeding behavior, digestive efficiency, growth, and survival of post-larval abalone Haliotis asinina fed with 5 species of locally isolated benthic diatom strains (Navicula mollis, N. ramosissima, Stauroneis sp., Pleurosigma sp., and Cocconeis sp.) were examined in the laboratory. Two 15-day feeding trials using 1 mm post-larvae were conducted. No significant differences were observed in sizes of post-larval abalone after 15 days in all diatom treatments (P>0.05). However, in both trials, Cocconeis sp. resulted in high survival rates (88.9±5.6% and 80.0±20.0% for Trials 1 and 2, respectively). Cocconeis sp. was efficiently digested by post-larval abalone, with most of the cells being ruptured during ingestion and/or passage through the gut. One diatom strain, Pleurosigma sp., resulted to a high survival but produced the slowest growth rate (<10 ìm.d-1 SL). It was probably not ingested easily during the experiment due to its large size or mobility. For the other diatom strains, N. mollis and N. ramosissima, most cells passed through the gut with the cells left intact. Stauroneis sp. is highly digestible, but did not result to high survival, although the remaining live post-larval abalone fed on this diatom as well as on N. mollis grew faster during the second week of both feeding trials. N. ramosissima resulted to poorest survival rate (<10%) due to its poor digestibility. Only Cocconeis sp. showed a fairly high growth rate, digestion efficiency, and survival rate. N. mollis which gave a fairly high survival rate and Stauroneis may be added towards the later stages of post-larval rearing as well as other large diatoms. The digestion efficiency of diatom strains is considered an important factor determining its dietary value, but other factors may also be important such as volume contents, biochemical composition, and other physical characteristics.

In early February 1971, students at UP Diliman erected barricades, fought off the military, and briefly established the “Diliman Commune.” Using material produced by the “communards” themselves, along with contemporary press reports, I reconstruct the dramatic narrative of the commune and debunk two prominent myths: that it was a spontaneous uprising and that it was an isolated event. The commune was a part of a widely coordinated set of barricades raised by the radical groups Kabataang Makabayan (KM) and Samahan ng Demokratikong Kabataan (SDK) in service, in the final analysis, to the political interests of their ruling class allies in an election year.

Taong 1962 nang nilagdaan ni Pangulong Diosdado Macapagal ang Proklamasyon Blg. 28 na nagbigay-daan sa pagpapalit ng araw ng kasarinlan ng Pilipinas mula Hulyo 4 tungong Hunyo 12. Ang ganitong makabansang hakbang ng dating pangulo ay itinuring ng marami bilang paggiit sa soberanya ng ating bansa sa pagbabalik sa orihinal na petsa na idineklara si Heneral Emilio Aguinaldo, pangulo ng pinakamatandang republika sa Asya, na noo’y buhay pa. Samakatuwid, kinilala ang pangyayaring ito bilang isang radikal na pagtatangka natin na kumawala sa pagiging neo-kolonya ng Estados Unidos, ang dati nating mananakop.

Gayunpaman, isang nakakalungkot na katotohanang tila hindi nabigyan ng lubos na pagkilala at halos nalilimot na ang totoong indibidwal na siyang may orihinal na pakana sa pagsasabatas na ito - si Prop. Gabriel F. Fabella, ang tinaguriang ‘Ama ng Hunyo 12.”

Sino ba si Fabella? Higit pa sa pagiging historyador at guro ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, siya rin ay naging mandudula, mamamahayag, abugado, pulitiko, tagapagtatag ng ilang samahan at mga paaralan, manunulat at Rizalista. Bagama’t produkto ng edukasyong kolonyal ng mga Amerikano, siya ay isang halimbawa ng isang natatanging indibidwal na matagumpay na bumangon mula sa kahirapan at nagdulot ng ibayong mga ambag at dangal sa kanyang mga kababayang Pilipino, laluna sa mga taga-Romblon.

Ang papel na ito ay isang pagtatampok sa talambuhay at mga pamana ni Fabella sa bansa. Bilang paggunita sa limampung taong anibersaryo ng nabanggit na kaganapan, susubukan ng papel na ito na patunayang hindi lamang nag-aaral, nagtuturo at nagsusulat ng kasaysayan ang isang historyador. May kapangyarihan din siyang lumikha at magdulot ng kasaysayan na may pakinabang sa antas pambansa.