MANILA, Philippines – The University of the Philippines Board of Regents (BOR) has allowed unenrolled UP Los Baños students who have regularly attended classes and fulfilled the necessary requirements to be registered.
The Board of Regents (BOR) relayed its resolution on the late registration issue in a memorandum dated Thursday, March 28, addressed to all chancellors.
It said the coverage of the registration applies to students who were not able to officially enroll for the second semester of the current school year because they have not finish their requirements for Maximum Residency Rule extension, loan extension, or for "reasons other than academic delinquency but who have continuously attended their classes.".
The BOR said these students "shall be considered provisionally enrolled and their enrollment shall be formally regularized, provided, they are able to obtain the extension of the MRR, or of the maturity of their student loans, and the concerned faculty members have certified that they have been attending their classes, except students who are enrolled only for residency as certified by the College Secretary."
The BOR resolution also directed chancellors to conduct dialogues and consultations with their respective constituents.
Students' victory
The UP community had earlier expressed outrage over a memo that reiterated university rules on unenrolled UPLB students.
Students from the UP campuses in Diliman, Manila, and Los Baños had earlier help protest actions demanding a dialogue with UPLB Chancellor Fernando Sanchez Jr outside Vinzons Hall on March 28, the same day the BOR met to discuss the late registration issue.
On March 15, UPLB College of Arts and Sciences Dean Felino Lansigan issued a memo reminding instructors and professors to follow "university rules and policies regarding the matter." He issued the memo on instructions of Chancellor Sanchez.
UPLB University Student Councilor Patricia Mayor had presented 452 cases of unenrolled students to the BOR, some of them graduating this semester.
UP President Danilo Concepcion faced the students during the BOR meeting for a dialogue to address various concerns including the ban of unenrolled students in UPLB.
Fight continues
Although the BOR has approved late registration, Mayor said that the UPLB community should continue to hold Sanchez accountable after banning unenrolled students to go to their classes.
"Sa kabila ng tagumpay na ito, nariyan pa rin ang laban na masingil at mapanagot ang UPLB admnistration, patuloy natin igigiit sa ating administration na sila ay dapat maging accountable sa fiasco na dulot ng kanilang no late registration policy o ang patuloy na pagdidisaproba ni Chancellor Sanchez sa mga appeals for late registration,” Mayor said.
(Despite this victory, there is a continuint fight to hold the UPLB Administration accountable. We continue to insist on our administration that they should be accountable to this fiasco caused by the no late registration policy and Sachez's disapproval to the appeals for late registration.)
According to Student Regent Ivy Taroma, the sole student representative in the BOR, without the assertion of the students – from the protest action up to the dialogue with Concepcion – the acceptance of all unenrolled students would not have been possible.
"Sinasalubong natin ang desisyon at pinagpupugayan ang lahat na tumindig at lumaban para dito. Syempre patunay ulit ito na may mga nakakamit tayo sa sama-samang pagkilos," Taroma said.
(We welcomed the decision and we congratulate everyone who stood up and fought for it. This is a testament of what we can achieve through collective action.) – Rappler.com
Josiah Antonio is a Rappler intern. He is a 4th year student at the University of the Philippines Diliman taking BA Philippine Studies major in Journalism and Malikhaing Pagsulat sa Filipino.