(Editor's note: These were quotes directly copied from President Pascual's comments in a post about the STFAP

where our Senior Web Editor Sam Sanchez mentioned him in his Facebook status)

On the alleged STFAP restructuring

Alfredo E. Pascual In response to the Pinoy Weekly (3 June 2011) article about the STFAP, UP President Alfredo Pascual claried about the alleged STFAP restructuring during the meeting with the Oce of the Student Regent, UP DIliman USC and Philippine Collegian, about the same time the article was published online. "This Pinoy Weekly article was 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, Phliippine 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 classied 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 socioeconomic 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 Aairs issued a memo dated 6 June to make the following clarications. 1. 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 eect. 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.

2. 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. 3. 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 Certication (copy of sample Form attached), which is not required to be notarized. 4. Students who have applied for Bracket B assignment shall submit not later than 16 September 2011 the following documents to support the bracket assignment. 4.1. 4.2. 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 oce has not yet been contacted by anyone from Pinoy Weekly."