(EDITOR’S NOTE: Ang artikulong ito ay sagot ni University of the Philippines President Alfredo Pascual sa artikulo ng Pinoy Weekly Online na pinamagatang “Bagong taas-matrikula sa UP?” na ipinaskil noong Hunyo 3, 2011. Inilinaw ng Pinoy Weekly kay G. Pascual na sinikap naming hilingin ang kanyang panig sa usapin ng taas-matrikula sa UP para sa artikulong sinulat. Idinaan namin ang naturang rekwes noong hapon ng Hunyo 2 sa pamamagitan ng e-mail at text kay Prop. Danilo Arao, Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs at direktor ng System Information Office ng pamantasan.

Buo naming inilalabas ang tugon ni UP Pres. Pascual sa artikulo ng Pinoy Weekly. Gayunman, sa palagay nami’y walang anumang impormasyon at paglilinaw sa artikulong ito sa ibaba ang sumasalungat sa batayang datos na inilabas namin sa naunang artikulo.

Nagpapasalamat kami sa pagbibigay-panahon ni UP Pres. Pascual para tugunan ang aming artikulong hinggil sa isang napakahalagang isyung kinakaharap, hindi lamang ng pamantasan at mga estudyante nito, kundi ng bansa.)

“This Pinoy Weekly article was written on Friday, 3 June 2011, at probably about the time some members of my team and I were meeting the Student Regent, UP Diliman USC Chair, Philippine Collegian Editor-in-Chief and other student leaders to explain the recently introduced procedural change and the reasons behind it.

As explained to the student leaders, the change (which applies only to incoming freshmen and transferees) is being made to strengthen a weak rule and ensure the integrity of STFAP implementation. Before the change, a student would be placed under Bracket B (family income of P500,000 to P1 million) simply on the basis of a self-declaration of family income, with no documentary evidence required or investigation done. This resulted in a low number of students being classified under Bracket A (less than 9% of total undergrad students in UP Dliman based on updated data). The required submission of supporting documents under the new rule is expected to make students honest about their socio-economic standings. As of 3 June, out of about 1,700 freshmen enrollees in UP Diliman so far, some 900 (more than 50%) had already declared themselves in Bracket A – a big increase compared to last year’s data on all undergrad students.

Following the 3 June meeting, the VP for Academic Affairs issued a memo dated 6 June to make the following clarifications.

There is no change in the STFAP Bracket schedule and there is no tuition fee increase under the said Memorandum. The existing Bracket Schedule approved by the Board of Regents is still in force and effect. In accordance with the said Schedule, students assigned to Bracket A (declared annual family income of more than P1 million) still pay at P1,500 per unit in the constituent universities (CUs) of Diliman, Los Banos, and Manila, and P1,000 in the other CUs. Those assigned to Bracket B (declared annual family income of P1million or less) still pay at P1,000 per unit in Diliman, Los Banos and Manila, and P600 in the other CUs.

The annual family incomes for Brackets C, D, E1, and E2 schedule likewise remain unchanged and students assigned to these brackets continue to enjoy the same discounted or zero tuition rates as before.

The said Memorandum applies only to incoming Freshmen students, and transferees from other schools, who have applied to be assigned to Bracket B by submitting a Bracket B Certification (copy of sample Form attached), which is not required to be notarized.

Students who have applied for Bracket B assignment shall submit not later than 16 September 2011 the following documents to support the bracket assignment.

Income Tax Return for the previous year of their parents, or a copy of the employment contract of their parents if they are OFWs or if they have no ITRs vicinity map of the family residence.

5. The existing application process remains the same for assignment to STFAP Brackets C, D, E1, and E2.

Let us keep in mind that the caption of the subject Pinoy Weekly article ends with a question mark (?). In addition, the article says, “Sa kasalukuyan, sinisikap din ng Pinoy Weekly na kunin ang panig ng administrasyon ng UP.” Would it then be fair if a reader at once draws a conclusion based solely on the article? In any case, as far as I know, my office has not yet been contacted by anyone from Pinoy Weekly.”