The call for a seemingly better curriculum began in July 2000 by the GE Council . The council proposed an overhaul of the current program for they believed that UP students need to cope with the fast changing ways of the world. Since then, many criticisms have been thrown to them. But even with the attacks and all, there was no stopping for the first draft of RGEP was already passed last May 2001and the University Council of Diliman voted 248-105 in favor of the RGEP.

The draft presented many changes that seem to imply that Filipinization and Nationalism are passe. Many questioned the program because of its false equivalencies,weaknesses,and of the problems that may arise. But what is the RGEP all about? What will the changes be? Many actually. RGEP as presented is a semi-structured approach and learner customized. From the 42 units required in the program, students would now be required to get 45 units. Students have to choose 15 units each from the three(3) major disciplines: Arts and Humanities,Social Sciences, and Math and Natural Sciences.

The proposal of the requirement of six units of Philippines 'from any of the clusters' of the 45 units is also included. This however is a problem because History,Filipino and any other Philippine Literature subjects are not specifically required. Students who don't want anything to do with history can do so. They simply need to choose subjects that interest them, that makes the RGEP as learner customized. Students can choose the courses they believe would be very helpful to them. This is another problem the program has. It is now possible for students to complete the GE program without taking History,Filipino, or Math subjects. Freedom is given to students but their future might suffer. It is also said that GE program is to inspire students to learn because they will respond more to courses they choose than those they have to take but are not interested in. It is a good thing but students still need to be guided by the university.

It is UP's responsibility to instill the proper values and knowledge to students,but if the RGEP is implemented, how will that happen? The proper inculcation of values will not happen because students may possibly take courses that will only be of convenience to them and not be able to teach them values and knowledge. This is a threat to "Tatak UP". Future UP students would never be like the present scholars because of the difference in knowledge and values that will be inculcated.

RGEP also fails to promote nationalism that elevates the interests of the marginalized sectors of the society because some courses that will be offered promote globalization.

Raised by the UP General Education Movement(UP GEM),the group opposing RGEP, is another criticism about the program's false equivalencies among subjects. There will be competition among the courses.Subjects will be pitted against each other. This competition would also have an effect on faculty rights and welfare. The program does not clearly say about the tenure system and displacement of junior faculty. What might happen is rivalry among the colleges and teachers. There will be no equality among the departments that would offer GE subjects because there will always be an issue of what courses are better.

The RGEP is said to be patterned after the GE program of the American universities but this is another weakness for the trend now among the Ivy League schools is to adopt core courses in their GE program. The framework of the proposed RGEP uses a framework that is now discarded by the American universities because there are studies that show the nonsuccess of the program. There is however no scientific study that the present GE program is not effective, so why change it? Pro-RGEP people argue that since nations call for globalization, it's about time that the university answer to it by offering courses that would promote globalization. Because of this, it is an obvious implication that Filipinization and Nationalism are no longer important. This would also result to the weakening of UP's Filipino Language Policy. The program does not have specific features that would strengthen the Filipino language as medium of instruction.

RGEP is supposed to be a system-wide program, meaning that approval should also be system-wide. The problem now is that RGEP's approval is based on the acceptance of UP units. This only proves that the approval of the program is not intelligently being done. A democratic review according to UP GEM is what the program needs. There should be consultation and revision of the current GE program. Since this is all about the future of the students, it is only right that the faculty and students themselves participate in the process.

There have been many attempts to stop the imposition of RGEP but that would be near the impossible for more than two-thirds of the University Council voted in favor of RGEP. The 248 who voted for the program, according to the UP GEM, sold the university to neoliberal interests. UP GEM on the other hand claimed that the minority(105) who voted against the RGEP have the best interests of UP in mind.

UP GEM continues to appeal for democratic review and revision of the current GE program. It is to their belief that RGEP is not the answer but rather an intelligent change is what the university needs.