Note: except for The Varsitarian Letter to the Editor, all the entries are the original unedited versions that I have submitted. My apologies for any typographical or grammatical errors.
Letter to the UPLB Perspective
Official Bi-monthly Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Los Baños
published 22 May 2003, Volume XXIX Summer Issue 02
Wrong Assumptions
Official Bi-monthly Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Los Baños
published 22 May 2003, Volume XXIX Summer Issue 02
Wrong Assumptions
I would like to clarify my reply letter to the University Student Council (USC) published in the UPLB Perspective dated April 2003 (Vol. 29 No. 17).
First and foremost, I do not (as well as my colleagues in the paper) claim that we are perfect creatures living in an ivory tower that do not commit mistakes. There is nothing wrong in correcting our report. It is a good indication that the UPLB Perspective is being read by its readers. There is a known saying in Filipino that goes: "bago mo sitahin ang kapwa mo, tignan mo muna ang sarili mo."
Next, is the "grand issue" about the business report for the preceding semester, in particular, the increased rates for the honoraria of the staff and editors. Again, let me put this section into three points:
1. There is nothing wrong in asking for consultations. However, what I would like to say is that it is illogical to say that since the students pay the publication fee, then they must be the one who would decide the rates (I don't know how the USC would consolidate the students and arrive at rates in consensus or at a majority votation for that matter). With that logic, may I ask: so taxpayers must also be consulted as to how much government employees would be paid?
2. It is true that the Philippine Collegian is different in many aspects from the Perspective. What I said in my reply was that the increased rates in the Perspective are likely the same to the rates in the Philippine Collegian. Sir, the words likely and same are two different descriptive words, isn't it? (I suppose you took English 1 as your GE course in the Arts and Humanities Cluster)
3. You said in your reaction letter that I mentioned about peso devaluation. Again, you misconstrued two economic concepts: your peso devaluation, and my inflationary behavior of prices. I would suggest that you ask one of our professors in the Department of Economics so that you would be clarified about this (or better yet, take Economics 101: Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory). In addition, you said that "para sa akin, ang tunay na serbisyo sa anumang estudyante ay walang anumang kapalit." For your information again, the payment of honoraria is "in recognition" only of the efforts, not in exchange of services or labor hours (again you equated two different concepts). If you're saying that we asked an increase just because we are facing increased prices or increased expenditures, or because we want something in return, we could have asked Chancellor David to change the honoraria to daily wages, or better yet ask salaries equal to regular employees of the University.
I never said or even equated in my letter transparency of fund expenditures with just plainly publishing business reports. Again, I would like to inform you that the basic responsibility of the UPLB Perspective to the UPLB studentry is to keep them updated by publishing regularly its financial statements (I just informed everyone that the past terms did not even fulfilled this basic responsibility, and telling the truth does not automatically mean that I am degrading the image of the past terms). I would like to inform you that if I did that then I'm also degrading myself, to tell you that I'm a part of Perspective (whatever ideology it had) over the past four years.
I would like to reiterate the justification for the increase: that it was still in 1994 that the honoraria rates were changed. If you feel (as well as the USC) that this justification is not acceptable (whatever the reasons you may have), feel free to go to A.G. Samonte Hall (a.k.a. Administration Building), at Rm. 200, Office of the Chancellor.
Another saying in Filipino goes like this: "batu-bato sa langit, ang tamaan huwag magagalit; ang pikon ay laging talo." When I was composing my reply letter to USC, what was on my mind was to clarify everything and share to the readers what I know about the matter. No more, no less.
Thank you very much for this healthy debate with you. Thank you for making me a part of your college history in UPLB.
In the spirit of clarity of concepts in economics and financial management,
(SGD.) LUISITO CAGANDAHAN ABUEG
Business Manager, UPLB Perspective 2002-03
BS Economics, cum laude
Major in Development Economics
1999-64898
UPLB Perspective
University of the Philippines Los Baños
First and foremost, I do not (as well as my colleagues in the paper) claim that we are perfect creatures living in an ivory tower that do not commit mistakes. There is nothing wrong in correcting our report. It is a good indication that the UPLB Perspective is being read by its readers. There is a known saying in Filipino that goes: "bago mo sitahin ang kapwa mo, tignan mo muna ang sarili mo."
Next, is the "grand issue" about the business report for the preceding semester, in particular, the increased rates for the honoraria of the staff and editors. Again, let me put this section into three points:
1. There is nothing wrong in asking for consultations. However, what I would like to say is that it is illogical to say that since the students pay the publication fee, then they must be the one who would decide the rates (I don't know how the USC would consolidate the students and arrive at rates in consensus or at a majority votation for that matter). With that logic, may I ask: so taxpayers must also be consulted as to how much government employees would be paid?
2. It is true that the Philippine Collegian is different in many aspects from the Perspective. What I said in my reply was that the increased rates in the Perspective are likely the same to the rates in the Philippine Collegian. Sir, the words likely and same are two different descriptive words, isn't it? (I suppose you took English 1 as your GE course in the Arts and Humanities Cluster)
3. You said in your reaction letter that I mentioned about peso devaluation. Again, you misconstrued two economic concepts: your peso devaluation, and my inflationary behavior of prices. I would suggest that you ask one of our professors in the Department of Economics so that you would be clarified about this (or better yet, take Economics 101: Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory). In addition, you said that "para sa akin, ang tunay na serbisyo sa anumang estudyante ay walang anumang kapalit." For your information again, the payment of honoraria is "in recognition" only of the efforts, not in exchange of services or labor hours (again you equated two different concepts). If you're saying that we asked an increase just because we are facing increased prices or increased expenditures, or because we want something in return, we could have asked Chancellor David to change the honoraria to daily wages, or better yet ask salaries equal to regular employees of the University.
I never said or even equated in my letter transparency of fund expenditures with just plainly publishing business reports. Again, I would like to inform you that the basic responsibility of the UPLB Perspective to the UPLB studentry is to keep them updated by publishing regularly its financial statements (I just informed everyone that the past terms did not even fulfilled this basic responsibility, and telling the truth does not automatically mean that I am degrading the image of the past terms). I would like to inform you that if I did that then I'm also degrading myself, to tell you that I'm a part of Perspective (whatever ideology it had) over the past four years.
I would like to reiterate the justification for the increase: that it was still in 1994 that the honoraria rates were changed. If you feel (as well as the USC) that this justification is not acceptable (whatever the reasons you may have), feel free to go to A.G. Samonte Hall (a.k.a. Administration Building), at Rm. 200, Office of the Chancellor.
Another saying in Filipino goes like this: "batu-bato sa langit, ang tamaan huwag magagalit; ang pikon ay laging talo." When I was composing my reply letter to USC, what was on my mind was to clarify everything and share to the readers what I know about the matter. No more, no less.
Thank you very much for this healthy debate with you. Thank you for making me a part of your college history in UPLB.
In the spirit of clarity of concepts in economics and financial management,
(SGD.) LUISITO CAGANDAHAN ABUEG
Business Manager, UPLB Perspective 2002-03
BS Economics, cum laude
Major in Development Economics
1999-64898
UPLB Perspective
University of the Philippines Los Baños
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