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PART II: ROCKING NEMENZONE
The Nemenzo administration turned two-years old last August 6 sans any fun fare. It was, instead, marked by the many controversies that erupted one after the other along the way.
For the former UP Visayas Chancellor who was touted to be a done deal even before he was elected president, steering UP according to his vision proved to be a lot harder than the race for the highest position in the university.
What went wrong, Dodong?
PRESSURIZED MOVES
Barely two months after Nemenzo said that there would be no tuition increase, the Philippine Collegian's July 10, 2001 banner screamed another story. Nemenzo was now considering a tuition hike in the undergraduate level for next year, successfully contradicting his earlier statement. The move, however, has to be put into context, taking into account the many problems this embattled president had to face.
Presently, the university is operating on last year's budget that has already suffered a significant P155 million slash. Some legislators, such as Sen. John Osme�a, are also pressuring UP to generate its own income and increase its tuition and other fees. Moreover, with the 2001 budget yet to be approved by the Senate, here comes the government's brilliant plan of freezing 20 per cent of it.
Nemenzo tried to resist all these pressures for some time, though. At least, that much can be said of the several brave statements he issued to the press.
First, he stressed that a tuition increase would not significantly reduce the budget deficit, calling it "the most unimaginative way to generate income." And as if in a complete act of defiance, he said that he had no intention of "making Mr. Osme�a a dictator" by giving in to the senator's suggestion. Likewise, in past interviews, Nemenzo hammed it up with the media with his famous quote, "We do not crave for lollipops. We strive for academic excellence."
However, all these courageous remarks proved to be in vain in the end. They were mere fearless words that remained like that- all words but lacking in action. It seemed that Nemenzo had no other recourse but to reconsider his earlier hard stance, if he really ever had one.
University Student Council Vice-Chair Michael Francis Andrada, meanwhile, lambasted Nemenzo for being an "anti-student President," following the latter's recent statements.
Andrada then mentioned Nemenzo's adoption of former UP Pres. Emil Javier's UP Plan 2008. Under the said plan, the university will shoulder 80 per cent of the budget while only 20 per cent will come from the government. This is a far cry from the 80 per cent being shouldered by the national government as of present.
R.C. Asa, a former secretary-general of the Center for Nationalist Studies, supported Andrada's view, claiming that Nemenzo is allowing the government to turn its back on its obligation to fund state universities.
Nemenzo, for his part though, has continuously expressed his agreement that UP should indeed generate its own income. In an interview with this reporter last month, he said that this would free the university from external pressures being applied by the very legislators who approve UP's budget.
He also clarified that he did not say that there will "never" be a tuition increase.
But Andrada remained unconvinced, recalling that Nemenzo had also shown the same complacency when UP sustained last year's budget slash.
"Tuta lang siya ng gobyerno. President Nemenzo is an appendage of the stronger and reactionary force," Andrada lamented.
It appears that UP would have to content itself with whatever "lollipops" the Arroyo administration could provide for the time being. That is, unless Nemenzo is able to come up with a plan less unimaginative, or if he decides to contradict himself once again by dismissing the idea of tuition hike.
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