I.

INTRODUCTION

I will try to echo and reflect the scenario of the Philippine education when the COVID 19
pandemic came about. The Commission on Higher education (CHED) did not take
control or exercise its power of “reasonable regulation and supervision” to issue
directives among higher educational institutions. Rather, the CHED left the decision on
what to do and how to do it with the universities and colleges. Specifically, CHED said it
would be up to universities and colleges to decide whether to implement mass
promotion of students during the pandemic. Also, CHED announced that colleges and
universities were free to adjust their respective academic calendars, which basically
meant for schools to decide whether to end the school calendar sooner than scheduled.

Schools, academicians, students, parents and all stakeholders in the educational

community responded differently.

Within this scenario, I have attached some articles and a dozen of comments/opinions –
all of them arguing for or against mass promotion during the pandemic. One of the
opinions sought is that of our Dean, Atty. Ulpiano “Ulan. P. Sarmiento. We all know his
position. The SBCA School of Law continued and finished the semester and students
will be assessed based on their submitted works and/or examinations.

The beauty of philosophy and of law, is that both fields teach us that a healthy
discussion take the form of opposing sides and is focused mainly on issues. No one
except God omniscient. I would like to know your thoughts after you went though and
was made to finish the semester or if you were among those that for one reason of
another could not complete the requirements or if you had a choice – what is your
position about education within the context of COVID 19 pandemic.

While there is no right or wrong answer, your paper will be assessed on your ability to
present and argue your position.

Submit a photo or scanned copy of your handwritten paper on or before July 6, 2020 at
sbcasol.sophia@gmail.com . This shall serve as your FINAL EXAMINATION
II. OPIONIONS

“I say mass promotion now, credit what students have done, period. I have emails from
graduate students about life in quarantine and the plight of the poor and the middle
class and I tell them the emails are as good as term papers.

I know of students making masks, face shields, even isolation tents while others have
helped to get donations and put together food packs. All that is part of learning too.

As good as passed is my position, especially for graduating students. Then move

forward to help faculty and students to catch up. Work out bridging programs, even
allowing students to re-enroll in certain core courses for free.

Walang iwanan especially this pandemic isn’t going to end anytime soon.”

Michael Tan
UPD Chancellor (2014-2020)
Professor of Anthropology, College of Social Sciences, UP Diliman
Clinical Professor, College of Medicine, UP Manila
National Academician, National Academy of Science and Technology

Students have handed in and accomplished partial requirements. I will not add more,
instead I will 1) send out materials for unfinished lectures for 2 #SEA30, classes no
more requirements; 2)Distribute COVID19-related resources for Global Studies; 3) Send
out materials on the situation in Palestine, esp Palestinian prisoners for #SocSci1
lectures on Social Research;4) do mass promotion now.

All our classes at the Center for International Studies are team-taught. I happen to have
finished my lectures save for 3 more meetings in two SEA 30 sections. But I would have
planned the same way if I were teaching several classes for the whole semester
because student welfare is of primary importance, especially in these dark times; and I
have always been invested in their success. Certainly, now, I want to contribute to their
physical and mental health as we all face this crushing global pandemic. I don't consider
myself a model for anything (okay, I think my TikToks are nice). But I do hope that with
the support that the UP Administration has extended to the faculty so far, colleagues are
also inspired to spread the love and practice academic freedom (with all its rights and
duties) as we all provide enabling conditions for students and staff to end the semester
in the name of a relevant sense of honor, excellence and solidarity."

- Sarah Raymundo, Center for International Studies

"I have a student positive for COVID. What do we do with that as a University? Hayaan
dahil sagipin ang mga healthy to fulfill academic requirements? Di ba napaka inhuman
ng Unibersidad natin na habang nagkakasakit ang mga students at faculty natin, tayo
naman ay business as usual mode na para bang ang yayabang natin na under pressure
we can still deliver? Why are we punishing ourselves? Stop this self-lacerating
draconian academic policies. We’re not invincible.

Twenty years from now, UP will not be remembered by the courses it offered for 2nd
semester 2020-2021. UP will not be remembered by how many laudes it produced
during this academic year. It will be remembered by how it responded humanely to the
pandemic, how it treated its students, faculty, and non-teaching staff. Will UP’s
response to be recorded in the annals of history something we can be proud of 20 years
from now? How we frantically pushed our system to continue despite the pandemic? Or,
shall we be remembered as a University that truly cared for its members by mass
promoting students, providing economic relief for non-teaching staff, and maximizing the
use of our resources to flatten the curve? And will our students 20 years from now thank
us for forcing them to pursue their studies in the shadow of social panic, economic
depression, and untold anxieties? Our alumni hold our future. We are accountable to
our nation and the world!"

- Gerardo Lanuza, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy

"Mandato ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, bilang pamantasan ng bayan, na pumanig

kapakanan ng taumbayan. Buhat ng pandemic at ng matamlay na tugon ng gobyerno
dito, kaligtasan ang nasa unahan ng ating kamalayan.

Freeze, online class, o mass promotion man, hinihingi ng panahon ang tahasang
pagbabago sa kurikulum at porma ng pagtuturo sa mga paaralan. Gayunman, tanging
ang pagpasa ng lahat ng mag-aaral sa pamantasan ang tunay na sumasangguni sa
kapakanan hindi lamang ng mga mag-aaral, kundi ng mga magulang, guro, at kawani.

Hindi ito ang oras para gumawa ng mga class requirements, grades, o kung anuman.
Sinsinin natin ang mga pagkakataon upang makasama ang ating mga pamilya,
makatulong sa komunidad, at maningil ng serbisyong panlipunan mula sa gobyerno."

- Jose Monfred Sy, Save Our Schools Network

"Ending the semester without mass promotion is like milk tea without tapioca pearls or
Money Heist without Bella Ciao. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth and prolongs the
agony of the mind.

The lockdown is not an occasion for all students to go to the nearest Starbucks or watch
the latest shows on Netflix. While there are privileged students who are currently having
the time of their life, there are cash-strapped ones who fear for their life. These are the
students who stress over how and where to get food and other essentials in their
homes. Their anxiety is also evident as the COVID-19 pandemic remains a mystery and
they don’t even know if they are infected already.

Mass promotion is the most practical solution to somewhat relieve our students of the
burden of surviving in this already cruel world, made crueler by a draconian government
oblivious to the plight of many, and made even cruelest by an imposed educational
system that demands honor and excellence without any room for compassion.

While it is good that the UP administration believes in ending the semester, it should
also be convinced that mass promotion is the way to go. May we all see eye to eye on
this issue so that we can all move forward and fight the pandemic hand-in-hand."

- Danilo Arao, College of Mass Communication

"Ipapasa ko ang lahat ng estudyante ko ngayong semestre. Higit sa grades at

requirements, mas mahalaga sa akin ang malaman kung ligtas, maayos at malusog ang
mga estudyante ko. Gayundin para sa lahat ng estudyante, REPS, administratibong
kawani, guwardiya, guro, janitor, JOs, COS, residente, administrador, at mamamayan.
Hindi ginagraduhan at sinusukat ang buhay. Ang buhay, kalusugan at kapakanan ay
inaalagaan at ipinaglalaban. Hindi dapat mahirap para sa UP ang magmalasakit at
maging makatao."

- Prop. Mykel Andrada, PhD, College of Arts and Letters

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wala nang intro-intro: ipapasa ko ang lahat ng estudyante ko ngayong sem (Pan Pil
101, Pan Pil 181, PI 100).

Nasusukat ang integridad ng isang institusyon sa paraan ng pagtugon nito sa mga

pinakamatinding krisis ng panahon at sa pagpapahalaga nito sa kapakanan ng
kaniyang mga kasapi. Ayokong maalala ang UP bilang isang institusyong
sangktimonyong nangunyapit sa konsepto ng husay, samantalang malinaw na hinihingi
ng sitwasyon ang isang mas makataong solusyon. Wag ganun. Hindi dapat mahirap
ang desisyong ito."

- Arlo Mendoza, College of Arts and Letters

"May estudyanteng nag-email sa akin dahil na rin sa kaba sa kahihinatnan ng semestre

sa unibersidad. Nagkuwento kung paano pinaplano ng pamilya niya na makapaluto
nang walang mantika dahil naubusan na ng pambili. At kung paano ang pinakamalaking
prayoridad niya ngayon ay makahanap ng trabaho pagkatapos nitong ECQ.
Palagay ko'y kailangan na munang buwagin itong mga tore nating nakapundar sa
katurungang sinusukat sa numero at metrika. Ang pinakinakailangan ngayon ay maging
makatao. Mass promotion ang pinakamakataong solusyon."

- Rex Nepomuceno, College of Arts and Letters

"One of the first things I took to heart upon setting foot on the university is about not
letting schooling interfere with learning. I'm sure there more ways for us to teach and
study without imposing additional class requirements and other burdens as we all cope
with the Duterte regime's criminally incompetent response to the coronavirus pandemic.

What we need most amidst the worsening health and social crisis is more
understanding and humanity. We have never been complacent about being insatiable
learners and tireless teachers. Right now, solidarity and compassion may be the most
important lesson that can help ourselves, our loved ones and the Filipino people get
through this crisis. "

- Karlo Mongaya, College of Arts and Letters

"To all my current PI100 students:

I hope all of you are doing well, despite this horrible crisis. You may have heard or read
various news about how this semester will resume (or will end). Right now, we are still
waiting for final decision by the BOR (tentatively, tomorrow 16 April). Please rest
assured that no matter what the decision will be, your PI100 class will not add additional
burden to you. I will give all of you passing marks in the soonest possible time. I will do
my very best to come up with the most basic competencies of the course, prepare
materials you can watch or read at your convenient time (and yes, even after I've
already given you a passing mark). As you may already know, true learning is not and
should not be limited to classrooms/webrooms. The only requirement I will ask of you is
that you use your energy and time to help yourself, your family, your friends, your
neighbors, your fellow Filipinos (in any order of preference) get through the crisis.

Sekondaryo ang pormal na edukasyon sa panahong ito. Kung gusto pa ninyong mag-
aral (classroom style) kahit matanda na kayo, daan lang kayo sa klase ko. Mag-sit in.
Pero sa ngayon, unahin ang mas mahahalaga. Sabi nga ni Rizal, ialay ang
pinakamaningning ninyong sandali sa kabutihan ng bayan."

- Gonzalo Campoamor II, College of Arts and Letters, OIC - Office of the Vice
Chancellor for Research and Development

"The sem has to end. I miss my classes, I miss teaching, and I know there’s still so
much my students and I have to learn from each other. But the sem has to end.

The pandemic has called us all to rise up to incredible challenges in so many manners
and on so many levels. The rupture in our class momentum has been, not just temporal,
but mental, psychological, even spiritual — there’s no easy “picking up where we left
off” after a rupture like this.

We must be reminded that, precisely, it was bad prioritization, gross opportunism,

rampant neglect of real needs, and unreasonable fixation on administrative metrics
(rather than actual addressing of real issues) that got us here in the first place — caught
completely unprepared in the middle of a global pandemic, losing the best among us to
the virus. We must not teach the same to our students.

Our students must participate in the world as it shifts in shape, and we must do our best
to trust that, in this difficult time, they will recall and take to heart what we should have
taught them from day 1: that learning is not confined to the four corners of the
classroom, that the privilege of studying in UP means a responsibility to more than
grades, that our honor and excellence is in our compassion and service to the people. 

- Loujaye Sonido, College of Arts and Letters

"The sem has to end. I miss my classes, I miss teaching, and I know there’s still so
much my students and I have to learn from each other. But the sem has to end.

The pandemic has called us all to rise up to incredible challenges in so many manners
and on so many levels. The rupture in our class momentum has been, not just temporal,
but mental, psychological, even spiritual — there’s no easy “picking up where we left
off” after a rupture like this.

We must be reminded that, precisely, it was bad prioritization, gross opportunism,

rampant neglect of real needs, and unreasonable fixation on administrative metrics
(rather than actual addressing of real issues) that got us here in the first place — caught
completely unprepared in the middle of a global pandemic, losing the best among us to
the virus. We must not teach the same to our students.

Our students must participate in the world as it shifts in shape, and we must do our best
to trust that, in this difficult time, they will recall and take to heart what we should have
taught them from day 1: that learning is not confined to the four corners of the
classroom, that the privilege of studying in UP means a responsibility to more than
grades, that our honor and excellence is in our compassion and service to the people.

- Loujaye Sonido, College of Arts and Letters

"Mass promotion of students will end the semester, but never the learning. As a teacher,
I have always felt that I’m a facilitator of learning, never the source. And I am telling you,
to facilitate learning is easier if students are free of anxiety brought by this pandemic.

There are many creative ways to facilitate learning. What I propose: PASS all students
AND provide them with the detailed materials that will guide them to achieve the
learning objectives of the course, on their own time, with self-assessment & not time
bound."

- Christian Orozco, College of Engineering

"Para sa mga estudyante ko ngayong semestre, mas dapat bigyan ng tuon ang
kalusugan at kapanatagan ng loob ninyo sa panahong ito ng pandemya. Hindi
extension ng deadline sa pagpasa ng requirements ang kailangan ngayon. Ipapasa ko
ang lahat ng mga estudyante ko ngayong semestre dahil bakit nga ba hindi? Kaligtasan
muna bago grado."

- Deidre Morales, College of Arts and Letters

"Hatid ng pandemya ang malalang pangamba at takot sa taumbayan dahil sa

kakulangan ng aksyon mula sa gobyerno. Hindi maitatanggi na kasali ang ating mga
estudyante sa nakaramdam nito. Kalakhan pa rin sa kanila ang gutom at nakaasa
lamang sa ibababa na ayuda dahil sa kawalan ng trabaho ng kanilang mga magulang.
Mayroong porsyento pa rin ang hindi nakakaaccess ng internet para makinig sa mga
anunsyo at para tapusin ang online requirements.

Lubhang nababahala na ang mga estudyante ngayon kung mayroon pa ba silang

kinakailangang requirements dahil sa walang kasiguraduhan kung paano magtatapos
ang semestre. Patong-patong na mga alalahanin na ang iniisip ngayon ng mga
estudyante bago pa man matapos ang quarantine kaya sadyang makatao lamang na
alisin ang pangamba sa kanilang isip sa pamamagitan ng mass promotion.

Huwag na sana nating dagdagan pa ang psychological at mental burden ng mga

estudyante sa pagtatapos ng term na ito. Bigyan natin sila ng panahon na
makapagpahinga mula sa pangangamba, panahon para makapiling ang pamilya at
panahon upang masinsin ang pag-aaral nang sarilinan."

- Jayson Cubero, College of Science

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"Giving a grade of Pass to students seems like the most considerate thing a teacher can
do, after a disrupted semester of formal teaching and learning. But it’s the least I can do
after I realized that what I taught my students may pale in comparison with what they
can learn, on their own, in the time of Covid-19: lessons of compassion, selflessness,
justice and solidarity. I wish them well!"

- Diosa Labiste, College of Mass Communication

"Bago pa tayo bulabugin ng pandemya, hindi na patas ang playing field sa unibersidad.
Ang sinumang estudyante, staff, o propesor na hindi balisa ngayon, malamang kahit
papaano'y may tinatamasang pribilehiyo. Tumingkad ang disadvantage ng mga dati
nang bulnerable sa kombinasyon ng covid19 at inutil na pagtugon dito ng pamahalaan.
Bukod sa virus, may pagkabahalang dala rin ang curfew at quarantine measures.
Paano kung kailangan pang umarkila ng estudyante ng computer sa labas? Wala ring
akses sa aklatan. Kahit kaming mga guro, hindi maakses ang lahat ng mga
sangguniang kailangan para sa pagtuturo at sa pananaliksik. Wala pa rito sa kwenta
ang anxiedad na dulot ng simpleng pagtawid sa pang-araw-araw.

Bago pa itong quarantine at suspension ng lahat ng klase, malinaw na sa aking may

mga agrabyado sa tangkang pag-angkop o pag-migrate tungong online platforms dahil
sa karanasan nahirapan ang klase kahit asynchronous ang inisyal na itinakdang moda
ng pagkatuto: message boards. Kumpara sa mga estratehiyang synchronous tulad ng
lekturang birtuwal, mas workable (sana) ang discussion via threads pero marami pa ring
natagalang makalahok (yung iba, hindi na nakajoin). Kaya kapag may nagtatanong
about class requirements, relaxed lang ang sagot ko: yung makakasabay, sumabay at
yung hindi, usap tayo after (dahil kailangan ng malawak na pag-unawa at
konsiderasyon sa kasalukuyang sitwasyon). Kaso, matagal pa itong "after" dahil
inefficient, to say the least, ang rehimeng Duterte.

Nang suspindihin ng chancellor ang online classes, at dama ang anxiety sa email ng
students (may masikhay na nagtatanong pa rin hinggil sa readings na parang mas
mahalaga ito kaysa buhay nila), ang sasabihin ko na lang: kung naeenjoy mo itong
paksa, kaswal natin itong paguusapan na para bang common interest natin ito, at hindi
bilang guro at estudyante kundi bilang hobbyists o geeks (sa madaling sabi, for fun sa
gitna ng un-fun times aka some kinda coping); kung "klase" pa rin ang turing mo rito,
'wag na lang tayong mag-usap hinggil sa readings at mainam unahin ang seguridad.
Medyo hesitant siguro ako dahil iniisip na baka maaring gumawa ng flyer o something
ang students bago ako magbigay ng "P." Maybe, e-polyeto, one-page back-to-back, na
nag-uugnay sa subject namin at sa coronavirus? Kapag may mga estudyanteng
nagpahayag na hindi nila kaya, maniniwala ako at bibigyan pa rin sila ng "P."
Iimbestigahan ko pa ba kung drama lang at tinatamad, o totoo ang claim? Guro ako,
hindi pulis. Problema lang, kung may hindi talaga kinayang makipag-ugnayan dahil
hindi biro ang pagtiyak sa akses sa internet. Kung kaming mga guro nga, hirap
umangkop sa "new normal" na ito, paano pa ang mga estudyante? Sa dami nang sinabi
ritong nakabatay sa tangkang handling ng mga klase at sa konsensya bilang tao at
gurong karamay ng akademya sa krisis pangkalusugan, pakikiisa sa panawagan ng
mga rehenteng sektoral (student, staff, faculty) ng UP: hindi (ext)end the semester,
kundi end the semester. Mass promotion.

- Tilde Acuña, College of Arts and Letters

"Hangga't maaari, ayaw ko na silang (mag-aaral) bigyan pa ng anumang pasanin sa

gitna ng trahedyang pare-pareho nating nararanasan. Kaya nakiisa ako sa pagsulong
ng mass promotion para sa kapakanan na rin ng lahat. Kung ipapasa ang mga mag-
aaral at tatapusin na ang semestre, bawas abalahin. Kaso heto na nga. Iba ang
tunguhin ng mga administrador. Parang hindi ako matunawan sa mga estratehiyang
inilalatag. Pwedeng ipasa, o i-blanko ang grade, o i-deffer, o kaya naman i-incomplete
depende sa akademikong sitwasyon ng mag-aaral. Pakiramdam ko tuloy, mas lalo
akong nahirapan at nalito. Bukod sa andami pang tagubilin tulad ng i-adjust ang silabus,
patuloy na kumunekta sa mga kapwa guro at mag-aaral, lumikha ng mga alternatibong
paraan ng pagtuturo at iba pa. Kaya naman namin iyon, pero hindi sa ganitong
pagkakataon.

Batid ko naman na para ito sa kapakanan ng mga guro't mag-aaral. Nagkaroon lang
ako ng problema dahil mas kumplikado ang inilalatag na solusyon. Limitado kami sa
akses at resources na sana'y biyaya noon ng eUP na hindi ko alam kung saan napunta.
Pinag-aadjust at pinagagawa kami ng alternatibong solusyon. Kaso wala ang aming
mga libro, nasa aming mga opisina. Batayang problema nga na wala kaming matibay
na internet koneksyon, paano kami kukunekta kahit gusto namin? At kung meron man,
parang naghihingalong kabayo na nakikipagkarera ang internet connection.
Nauunawaan ko ang gustong mangyari ng mga administrador na para ito kapakanan ng
mga guro't mag-aaral. Pero parang may mali. Maganda ang naging paraan ng survey
para makakuha ng datos. Kung ang kinalabasan ng datos ay siyang pinaghanguan ng
plano, baka nga maaaring subukan. Subalit hindi ko lang tiyak kung lapat ang plano sa
ngayon. Katunayan, walang tiyak sa ngayon. Lahat tayo'y parang nakalutang at
nangangapa sa dilim.

Pero UP tayo e. Hindi papatalo. Dapat honor and excellence pa rin kahit may covid19.
Sa lahat ng ito, sa tingin ko, magbabago na ang konsepto natin ng academic
excellence. Dagdag na pakahulugan dito na kayang tapatan ang mga pagbabago sa
realidad na direktang may epekto sa ating buhay-akademiko. Maging lapat sa lupa at
tumatagos sa mga kongkretong kalagayan. Oo naman, ang daming mga memo,
pabatid, gabay at iba pa. Okay ito. Katunayan sa dami nga, nalilito na rin ako. Pero
kailangang basahin, ulit-uliting ipaalala sa sarili na pa bang walang namamatay sa
paligid at hindi dumadarami ang mga nagkakasakit. Na para bang madali ngayon
mamili o maghanap ng pagkain, na hindi tumataas ang presyo ng mga bilihin at
gastusin, na hindi hikahos ang ibang kasama natin sa komunidad.

Tama nga, wala dapat iwanan, pero sa tingin ko, may tiyak na maiiwan sa tinatahak na
daan ng UP kung paano haharapin ang hamon na ito. Kailangan lang tiyakin na kung
may naiwan, balikan, kung may nahuhuli, akayin at tulungan. Kung may maaaring
ayusin, ayusin, baguhin ang dapat baguhin. Kung sinasabing simpleng solusyon ang
mass promotion, sa akin tingin, maaari pa namang subukan bago maubos nang tuluyan
ang ating enerhiya sa pagpapanatili ng isang istruktura at prosesong nakasanayan
natin. Pero bukas naman ako sa pagwawasto, kung mali ako, tatanggapin ko. Sanay
naman tayo sa mga puna at pagpuna sa sarili. Iyan ang isa sa mga natutunan ko sa
UP."

- Rommel Rodriguez, College of Arts and Letters

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“For me, it is simply about compassion during the time of crisis. The point of UP
education is to develop students’ empathy towards others especially those in the
margins. What a brilliant way to teach that valuable lesson by ending the semester and
mass promotion as institutional acts of compassion.”

- John Andrew “Andoy” G. Evangelista, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy

"With the extension of the enhanced community quarantine over Luzon, and in
consideration of the current situation, I would like to manifest my support to the call to
end the semester and give all our students passing or “P” marks.

I express my support to the statement of the UP Diliman University Student Council,

which underscored the need for “pro-student and inclusive action” in these extraordinary
times.

We should lift from our students the burden of having to think about the requirements
that they have to fulfill, and instead allow them to focus on ensuring their welfare and
that of their families.
It would also enable them to direct their attention to other activities that could contribute
in the efforts to respond to this pandemic.

I understand that the primary concern on mass promotion is its would-be impact on the
learning processes of our students.
Like most of us, I am also concerned that the disruption in the semester could result in
missed competencies.

However, giving them additional requirements, even with an extended period for
compliance, is not necessarily the best recourse as it would mean additional burden for
them in the succeeding semesters.

Instead, we should focus our attention on developing alternative options such as

bridging programs to fill in the gaps caused by the present situation.

Discussions — not just among faculty members, but also with our present and former
students — are important. We have to take into consideration, for instance, the needs of
those fulfilling their requirements for graduation.

Faculty members and students alike would need the support of the administration to
ensure that these “catch-up” activities are properly implemented. We should take into
account the workload, capacity, and mental health of those involved.

Clearly, giving all our students “pass” marks does not mean that we would renege on
our duty to equip them with the competencies that they need to learn from the subjects
that we teach.

I know that UP students would be more than willing to continue learning even after they
have already passed their subjects.

As always, but most especially in these trying times, I hope that our leadership would
take into account all of the concerns raised by the different members of the university
community.

Honor and excellence, after all, should always be grounded on compassion and
understanding."

- Jan Victor Mateo, College of Mass Communication

"I have a cousin who studies in UP Los Banos. He’s a dormer and hasn’t been to his
home province, Mindoro, since the Luzon-wide enhanced quarantine. He relies on
Internet cafes to do his schoolwork, all of which are closed. All the nearby carinderias
are closed. There are few to no jeepneys passing by his dorm. And this was in March.

Mass promotion. End the semester. Utak at Puso."

- Marikit A. Uychoco, College of Arts and Letters

“Mass promotion will enable students to fully move forward and be spared to any form
of burden this crisis has given them. As far as academic rigor, as an educator, it will be
my responsibility to usher them towards resources that will augment the missed learning
outcome for the "traditional" classroom does not have a monopoly on learning."
- Dan Anthony Dorado, School of Library and Information Studies

I worry about my students’ wellbeing and health. I know that not all of them live in
comfort and abundance—when classes shifted online, some of them told me that they
would have trouble accessing the internet. Many of our students have taken the
initiative to contribute to alleviating the crisis, through outreach, research, online
activism, and fundraising, among others, but many are also gripped by anxiety, fear,
and confusion. All of them are, at the moment, trying their best to protect themselves
and their families from the virus, and have been helping their parents procure food and
necessities in the five excruciating weeks when incomes have become precarious.

My full support for the call for mass promotions for all, and the immediate ending of the
semester comes from the recognition of the extraordinary challenges our students,
faculty, and staff are facing. In my view, the excellence we stand for and strive to pursue
in UP is not only gauged by soaring grades or academic rigor in the classroom. I teach
literature and the humanities, and this semester, I and my students began to study, in
the confines of the classroom, how texts tell us about human emancipation and social
justice. During this lockdown, I actually see before my eyes, unfolding, the fruits of the
few weeks my students have spent in the classroom: I witness theory being put into
praxis as they call for accountability from powerful institutions, defend and aid the most
vulnerable in society, process information, and contribute their knowledge and skills to
the collective action in fighting this pandemic. All our students deserve to be safe, and
they also deserve to be empowered even in isolation by the confidence UP bestows on
them. End the semester now!"

- Francezca Kwe, College of Arts and Letter

"Experts are predicting not only a 2nd but a 3rd or 4th wave of infection. The world will
be fundamentally different when we all go back to our workplaces. When my students
return to the university (perhaps August 2020?), I'd like them to focus on how they'd
adjust to this changed environment. And I will free them and myself of the burden of
having to fulfil class requirements this semester. I will be kind to them and to myself.
Our mental health as we all negotiate this new normal will be my priority."

- Willy V. Alangui, College of Science, UP Baguio

"In an earlier email I quoted Lady Gaga who said "I want to honor that that woman is not
in the same fight that I’m in, and I want to help her fight that fight" with regards to the
varied contexts that affect the way our struggles are played out in this quarantine.

I applied a similar approach to my classes because I understand that there are a whole
host of factors affecting the lives of both students and faculty right know - economic,
social, emotional. I also understand that the ground upon which these lives are being
played out right now remains uneven, that they are contested by a number of limiting
forces.

Some students are in the province where internet is terrible. Some students don't have
the necessary devices. Some students have to look after the old, the sick, the weak.
Some students are struggling with the very real possibility that they're going to suffer
from a shift in socioeconomic class. This is just to name a few of the very real and very
difficult consequences of this pandemic.
I cannot in good conscience be teaching socioeconomic inequality, the importance of
their own lives, and context without recognizing these issues. I am calling for an end to
the sem and I am also reviewing my own class policies because there are more
pressing issues that need to be dealt with. This is my means of not only honoring and
helping them with their own fights but honoring their very lives as well. Let us uphold
Honor and Excellence through Compassion and Empathy. "

- Thomas Leonard Shaw, College of Arts and Letters

"I will do mass promotion in my Math 197 and Math 299. I am passing all of my students
in those classes. For Math 54 (prerequisite to several courses), only those whose class
standing before the ECQ are failing will be given a completion requirement --- the only
requirement is to complete a Bridging Course in Math 54 --- everyone else will PASS.

To all students: Stay physically and psychologically"

- Paul Samuel Ignacio, College of Science, UP Baguio

"There are other things we need to do right now: stay alive and safe and healthy, care
and provide for our loved ones, participate in efforts to care and provide for the many
others who are suffering and going hungry, and compel the government to do its job.
Our education (both students and teachers) is certainly ongoing, though not in the form
supervised by the university. Now is not the time to demand "academic productivity,"
especially when it induces more anxiety among the already anxious and competes with
the work we are already doing to survive and take care of others. Now is not the time for
more convoluted language, which "ends the term" yet extends it, or implements a grade
of "Pass" yet restates a la pre-pandemic requirements to "deserve" this pandemic-era
grade. Mass promotion now is the compassionate option, and this compassion is surely
forged by, among others, the critical thinking that the university says it values."

- Conchitina Cruz, College of Arts and Letters

"Bukod sa pagiging usaping pang kalusugan--usaping ekonomiko, politikal, at

sikolohikal din ang krisis na hatid ng pananalanta ng pandemya.

Usaping ekomoniko dahil malinaw nating nakikita at nararanasan ang agwat sa pagitan
ng may kaya at wala, ng nakikinabang na uri sa hindi, at ang talaban ng iilan at
nakararami.

Usaping politikal dahil naipapadama nito sa atin ang kawalang tunguhin ng

kasalukuyang rehimen. Pandarahas at pananakot pa din ang patuloy na istratehiya ng
berdugo sa Malakanyang. Pagpaslang sa politikal pa din ang lantay na adyenda ng
estado.

Usaping sikolohikal sapagkat lahat tayo ay binabagabag ng ligalig ukol sa nangyayaring

ngayon at kung sa papaano haharapin ang walang katiyakang bukas.

Sa kabila ng lahat ng ito, ang naisip pang hakbangin ng UP kaugnay ng kalagayan ng

mga mag-aaral nito ay ang extensyon lamang sa palugit upang magkaroon ng grado.
Isang hakbanging imbis magbigay lunas sa sakit na dinaranas ng bawat isa at ng bansa
ay mas nakakadagdag pa sa pasakit na pasan pasan ng lahat sa atin.

Kung hindi iiral ang adminstrasyon ng UP upang maging kaagapay ng nakararami,

natitiyak kong maaalala natin sila at ng kasalukuyang henerasyon ng kabataan bilang
mga walang ginawa at hangal na nagdagdag ng bigat sa pinapangko nating paghihirap
sa yugto ng pandemya sa ilalim ng isang pasista't anti mamamayang rehimen ni
Duterte."

- Choy Pangilinan, College of Mass Communication

"To my students:

These past weeks were tough. My only wish is that each one of you is holding up well. I
don’t know the exact outcome yet, but know that we are all working to end the semester
in a way that is best for all.

This year I’ve tried to migrate school related correspondences off social media and keep
most things face to face. Now I find myself doing the opposite: trying to send over
remaining materials and useful resources for everyday life, and relieve you of the
burden of worrying whether you will pass or not.

Our classes are about art theory or the history of Philippine art, where we try to see how
the turn of the imagination is both a material condition of and subjective response to the
times.

Before the ECQ, we were talking about art in the time of global war or the era of colonial
expansion, all periods of collective trauma. But still I feel that nothing has fully braced us
to account for what we face today: a pandemic which swiftly sweeps so close to home
and to the heart

This will be a long-drawn situation where we will have to unlearn a lot. There is one
thing that I ask you to remember: never forget art’s power to help us survive, create
meaning amidst loss, help build our resistance against fear. The true test for all of us is
outside the classrooms on lockdown: in our homes and wherever the people are.

We will see each other again someday, I look forward to that. For the meantime, I am
proud to be part of a department which recognizes how this crisis teaches us all
valuable lessons in honor, solidarity, and humanity. And a university which weighs all
that in the balance, in the resolve to act for the common good.

- Lisa Ito, College of Fine Arts

Liham mula sa ilang miyembro ng Faculty ng Departamento ng Kasaysayan – UP

Dililman

"16 Abril 2020

Mga mahal naming mag-aaral sa mga klase sa Kasaysayan,

Nagdesisyon kaming kanselahin ang mga rekisito sa aming mga klase, at bigyan
kayong lahat ng markang Pass (P) ngayong semestre.

Aminin natin, mahihirapan tayong lahat maglatag ng komunikasyon at matuto sa

pamamagitan ng online/remote/distance learning mechanisms dahil ang mga ito ay
ginagamit sa “normal” na sitwasyon. Nasa gitna tayo ng krisis. Hindi ito posible.
Naniniwala rin kaming hindi niyo mabibigyan ng naaangkop na oras na bunuin at itawid
ang mga rekisito sa klase dahil mas mahalagang manatili kayong ligtas, malusog, at
handa ngayong nasa gitna tayo ng isang pandaigdigang pandemikong pangkalusugan.

Therefore, ganito ang ganap mga besh:

1. Magbabahagi kami ng mga videos, reading materials, or handouts na pwede niyong

basahin sa mga susunod na araw, linggo, o buwan. Sa oras ninyo, sa pace ninyo. Your
heart, you decide.

2. Kung mamarapatin ng procedure hinggil sa physical distancing. maaari kayong

magsit-in sa amin mga klase, sa parehong subject, sa susunod na semestre o
academic year. Kasi diba, iba pa rin ang pagkatuto sa isang lektura kaysa online. At
bilang kami ito, iba pa rin ang nakikinig kayo sa magaganda naming mga tinig.

Again, stay safe.

From your Sirs with love,

Kerby Alvarez (Kas 1, THQ1, THV2, at THX2 Kas 108 THR, at Kas 116 THY
Alvin Ancheta (Kas 1 WFR3 at Kas 2 WFU1, WFW1, WFX1, at WFW1
EJ Bolata (Kas 1 THR3, THV3, THW4, WFU2, at WFV1)
Jely Galang (Kas 113 WFU at Kas 204 WKLN)
Jio Guiang (Kas 1 THR4, THU1, THW1, at THX1, at Kas 100 WFU)
Diego Magallona (Kas 1 THV1, THW2, WFV3, a WFW4)
Francis Malban (Kas 1 WFQ1, WFR1, WFV2, WFW2, at WFX2)
Ruel Pagunsan (Kas 1 THU2, Kas 156 THV, at Kas 323 THKL)
Dondy Ramos (Kas 1 WFQ2, WFR2, WFU1, WFW1, at WFX1)
Nicholas Sy (Kas 1 THQ2, THR1, THU4, WFX3, at WFY1)
Aaron Viernes (Kas 2 THR1, THU1, THW1, at THX1)"

"Kung alam lang ng admin na may mga estudyanteng hindi na kayang kompletuhin ang
mga kahingian kahit pa isang taon ang palugit.

Dahil hindi na nila kayang bumalik pa sa UP. Mga kailangan nang magtrabaho. Mga
wala nang rekurso. Naubos ng krisis, ng di pantay na sistemang pinalalala ng mga
alalahanin sa pamantasan.

Tumitindig ako para sa naturang mga mag-aaral kabilang ang iba pang may pasaning
pinansiyal, sikolohikal at sosyal kaya ako'y para sa mass promotion.

Dahil may mga hindi na aabot sa Mayo 2021. Na pinagkaitan pang lalo ng mga nasa
itaas ng pag-asa't pagkakataon."

- Prof. Joanne Manzano, College of Arts and Letters

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Gaya ng katwiran sa pagsuspinde ng anumang uri ng pagtuturo at pag-aaral noong
nagsimula ang community quarantine, dapat unahin ang kapakanan at isaisip ang
kakayahan ng mga guro at mag-aaral.

Hindi makatwirang magpatuloy ang pagkaklase dahil hindi lahat may kakayahang
isagawa iyon. Hindi rin dapat ipagpaliban na ipasa ang lahat dahil alinmang paraan na
lihis doon ay katumbas na rin nang di pagtatapos ng semestre.
Higit na mahalagang tugunan ang pangkasalukuyang pangangailangang pinatindi ng
epidemya. May mga dati nang lugmok sa kahirapang lalong pinahirap ng sitwasyon
ngayon. Kabilang doon ang ilang mga mag-aaral na hindi kailanman dapat maiwan sa
larangan ng edukasyon.

- Cecile Ilagan, College of Mass Communication

"I am one with the call for Mass Promotion. In light of the crisis, I want to assure my
students that our class is the least of their concerns. Ending the semester and giving
them passing marks is not the end of their learning. As their teacher, it is my
responsibility to bridge the gap by providing resources and support -the burden is not on
them. More importantly, let us not forget that true learning happens outside the
classroom, when we recognize the uniqueness of our circumstances and make choices
that are on the right side of history

Looking forward to teach my students face-to-face again. For now, let us all attend to
more pressing concerns. Let this situation teach us that honor and excellence should be
tempered by compassion and our understanding of reality."

- Keisha Constantino, College of Home Economics

III. MASS PROMOTION — AN ACT OF COMPASSION?
AS A MATTER OF FACT - Sara Soliven De Guzman (The Philippine Star ) –
May 4, 2020 - 12:00am

COVID-19 has created an extremely difficult situation for the different sectors of society,
government policies, the global economy and the youth.

The current situation has challenged educational systems around the world. More than
110 countries have stopped school activities as part of their mitigating actions to stop
the spread of the virus. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organizations (UNESCO), overall effects of the pandemic include drastic
interruptions for learning, increases in dropout rates, along with the effect on nutrition. It
has deprived students learning opportunities.

Covid 19 came days before the closing of many schools in the country. Other private
schools are just about to conclude the schoolyear. Higher education institutions,
however, had to abruptly end the semester that just began (barely a month or so) when
the ECQ was enforced.

A point for discussion was the subject on ‘mass promotion’ of all students during the
crisis.  Having to make such decisions took a toll for many university heads and
professors. In a recent report, the presidents and heads of 75 local universities and
colleges in the country “discouraged” the mass promotion of students during the
coronavirus pandemic. In a joint advisory, the Association of Local Colleges and
Universities (ALCU) and the Commission on Accreditation for Local Colleges and
Universities (ALCUCOA), said that the move to discourage mass promotion seeks to
“preserve academic integrity of all courses particularly board based programs and OJT
(on-the-job training) where quality and content cannot be compromised.”

Instead, the group proposed the implementation of Seamless-Blended-Digital (SBD)

Program for the second semester and summer period of School Year (SY) 2019-2020.
Their proposal included funding for the procurement of IT equipment and other on-line
resources and funding for training of faculty members on on-line instruction, among
others.

According to Raymund Arcega, president and executive director of Alcucoa, the

proposed SBD program involved three teaching modes: ‘seamless mode’ – local
governments can help deliver physical learning materials to students, particularly those
who do not have access to the internet or any digital device; ‘blended’ learning is a
combination of online and traditional place-based classroom methods;  and ‘digital
mode’ – entails the transformation of digital media, such as videos into electronic books
and other electronic learning materials.

Prospero de Vera, Chair of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), noted that
mass promotion could result in academic problems, especially when there is lack of
requirements or basis for the students’ grades. Mass promotion in universities may be
disadvantageous for students in need of numeric grades, such as those maintaining
scholarships or aspiring for Latin honors.

Some schools have decided on mass promotion. One of them is Ateneo de Manila
University. The board of regents of the University of the Philippines faculty decided to
give all students a deferred grade and allow them to complete any additional
requirements to pass their courses within a year. Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
has also announced through its president Emmanuel Leyco that it would give its
students passing marks for the second semester “in recognition of the serious impact of
the coronavirus disease” on the academe. Leyco said that the university provided a
“compassionate” approach as students were dealing with the lockdown.

Will mass promotion be beneficial to the students? Is mass promotion a compassionate

act during these trying times? Or will it cause more harm than good to our students?

Renowned educational lawyer Atty. Ulan Sarmiento has this to say: As both a lawyer
specializing in education and a dean of a law school in the South, I do not support the
mass promotion of all students, whether enrolled in primary education, secondary,
tertiary or even professional schools.

From the point of view of an education lawyer, the promotion of students based on
academic performance is not a burden given to students but a right under the law. To
test, grade and therefore, decide whether a student should be promoted to the next
level or not is clear under Philippine education laws: Section 16 (5) of the Education Act
of 1982 (Batas Pambansa Blg. 232), as implemented by Section 44 of the Manual of
Regulation for Basic Education and the Manual of Regulation for Private Higher
Education, consistently state that the final rating or grading of a student should be
based solely on his or her scholastic performance, and only existing institutional
academic policies shall determine the appropriate grading system.

In times as unprecedented as these, however, dura lex sed lex (“the law is harsh, but it
is the law”) could be the worst thing to say to anyone and everyone – whether to the
school administrators, teachers, students, even the students’ parents. All laws are still
operational even during these tumultuous times, but should we not recognize that the
coronavirus pandemic is and should be the biggest exception to all of this? No one, not
even the authors of the education laws, could have foreseen such a universal and
colossal break in the education system. No one was prepared for this. I too question the
law: How can schools be most humane, most compassionate to its students, given the
opposing demands of the law and the pandemic?

From the point of view of a dean of a law school, a title and role I oftentimes equate to
being a father, this is my answer: I oppose the mass promotion of all students because
these students, our children, have the natural right to quality education, in whatever
circumstance, in all situations. To deny students of their right to quality education is to
be inhumane and to turn away from compassion. To be remiss in my duty as a dean
and as a father is to be remiss in my Constitutional duty as a member of my State to
“protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and x x x
take appropriate steps to make education accessible to all.” (Article XIV, Section 1 of
the 1987 Constitution)

As the great Constitutionalist Fr. Joaquin Bernas said, quality education is a

combination of many things – acquisition of information, development of critical thinking,
artistic talents, moral qualities and sensitivity to the needs of others – which the State
has the obligation to enforce in all school levels gradually. Quality education means that
the government is certain that the basic education of a student is solid, so he or she can
enroll in secondary education; that his or her secondary education is solid, so he or she
can enroll in college; that his or her college education is solid, so he or she can enroll in
professional education and pass its examination. (Records of the Constitutional
Commission, 1986) How can the government ascertain solid education per school
level? Proper evaluation. I oppose mass promotion because to promote students
without proper evaluation is to deny them of their inherent and natural right to quality
education.

“Education is a companion which no future can depress, no crime can destroy, no

enemy can alienate, and no nepotism can enslave” writer Ropo Oguntimehin perfectly
encapsulated. To apply to the present, may I add, “and no virus can cancel.” All
educational institutions must find ways to make quality education accesible to all. No
exceptions, not even the coronavirus pandemic.

This is the challenge brought to educators nowadays. As William Shakespeare wrote in

Hamlet’s soliloquy: To be, or not to be, that is the question!
IV. WHAT MAKES FOR 'COMPASSIONATE' EDUCATION
DURING THE PANDEMIC?

“Mass promotion as a strategy reflects a forecasting error and a pessimistic view of our
ability to survive, and thrive, in crisis.”

Divine Love Salvador

Published 3:11 PM, April 30, 2020

Updated 3:11 PM, April 30, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the landscape of learning all over the world, leaving
educational institutions grappling with the question of what it means to educate students
during this time, especially when many teachers and students are struggling with the
large scale negative impact of the pandemic on their daily lives and wellbeing.

In the face of such suffering, it is only natural to want for our pain to be taken away.
Perhaps this is why some universities have decided to mass promote their students. In
the University of the Philippines where I teach, the idea of mass promotion as
“compassionate” education in this time of COVID-19 has occupied the discourse of the
past few weeks.

As a mental health professional, I feel that it’s my responsibility to express my concerns

on the matter especially since arguments for mass promotion have hinged on a
potentially dangerous idea — that supporting our students’ mental health and well-being
is predicated primarily on avoidance of pain. For me, this kind of educational policy
could compromise long-run gains in mental health and well-being for its unfortunate
beneficiaries.

The pandemic is a global disaster, and we are only at the beginning of a process that
brings with it destabilization. Naturally, the immediate calls are for practical and
psychological “rescue.” Emotions and tensions run high, and people become liable to
making forecasting errors at the beginning of this process. It is normal for people to feel
consumed, overwhelmed in their confusion, anger, fear, loss of control. For many, this
could lead to a pessimistic view of the future and their own ability to live through tough
times.

Mass promotion as a strategy reflects a forecasting error and a pessimistic view of our
ability to survive, and thrive, in crisis. It assumes that our sense of destabilization will
not recede and that we do not have the capacity to make the best out of an admittedly
bad situation. It assumes that our situations will either not change or that they can only
change for the worse. It communicates an implicit message to our students that, even if
given time, they will never find pockets of hope and security, will never carve
opportunities to maintain a minimum sense of continuity in their lives and mastery in
their endeavors.
V. EDUCATION FOR COMPASSION: IN DEFENSE OF MASS
PROMOTING STUDENTS

'We are not being kind to our students and teachers by making them produce
schoolwork – we are exposing them to further psychological distress that school
administrators could have easily removed'

Rainier Astin R. Sindayen

Published 3:00 PM, May 12, 2020
Updated 3:00 PM, May 12, 2020

With due respect to Professor Divine Love Salvador, I believe her piece “What makes
for 'compassionate' education during the pandemic?” published 30 April 2020 reveals
more about what is wrong with the current framework of the educational system and
psychotherapeutic practice than policy proposals about mass promoting students. In her
piece she opines that we are "grappling with the question of what it means to educate
students during this time [...]" (Salvador, 2020), and I agree. However, where she took
the discussion is where we diverge.

She claims that mass promotion hinges on pain avoidance for the “unfortunate
beneficiaries” possibly losing the opportunity to be exposed to a life stressor that could
help them develop. On its surface, this claim appears to be proactive and helpful to
students. But one must ask the question, what sort of students did the good professor
have in mind? What type of challenges was the good professor pertaining?

Stress, as any introductory psychology student would find out is not necessarily a
detrimental experience. There are two types of stress. Distress is when you are
threatened by a situation and may think that you will no longer be able to get through it,
while eustress is the optimal level of stress you feel in order to keep you functioning well
with some level of caution. The distinction between the experience of either is based on
how we make sense of our power to control the situation (is the locus of control with
us?). It is easy to make the claim to the popular notion here of “what doesn’t kill you
makes you stronger” when you hinge your analysis on a vague notion of students and
teachers as well as causes of stress. (READ: Netizens debate mass promotion of
students amid coronavirus pandemic)

We need to understand that the COVID-19 pandemic is not something within the
exclusive personal control of the individual – not yet, since no vaccine or actual cure
has been found (in fact, knowledge about the virus and disease are emergent at best).
Why is that? While it is easy to think of personal protective measures that we can do –
frequent hand washing (and overall hygiene of course), social distancing, and
behavioral etiquette (covering of the mouth and nose with the crook of the elbow when
coughing or sneezing), those at best are measures to protect ourselves and not to
address the virus or disease itself. At best, the psychological effect of those measures
are emotion-focused coping – it helps give us the feeling of security we have no means
of a problem-focused strategy of actually addressing the main cause of stress which is
the pandemic.

==END==