Faculty Regent Carl Marc Ramota dialogued with members of the faculty and the Research, Extension, and Professional Staff (REPS) in UP Visayas during the two-day Ugnayan / Ikot Unyon: Usapang Guro at Pamayanan | Konsultasyon at Oryentasyon, which started on April 13 at the Iloilo City campus.
Dr. Philip Ian Padilla, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, welcomed Ramota in his brief opening message.
Ramota gave the faculty and REPS important updates on the direction that his office intends to take in his term as Faculty Regent during the UGNAYAN Talk.
The All UP Academic Employees Union (AUAEU) Iloilo Chapter presented the local chapter report through Prof. Hermie Cartagena, current PRO of the national chapter. His report was followed by an Ikot Unyon talk by Prof. Rommel Rodriguez, Vice President for Faculty of the national chapter. Updates from the Secretary General, Ms. Stephanie Andaya, were also given.
They likewise gave similar presentations during their consultation with the faculty and REPS at the UPV Miagao campus on April 14. Aside from attendees at the venue, there were also those who participated online through Zoom.
Several concerns of the faculty were raised during the open forum, which were duly noted by Ramota, Rodriguez, and Andaya. The dialogue focused on the overall well-being of faculty and REPS while serving in the University, the value of being in constant communication with union officers, and the additional benefits that they could enjoy in the future.
AUAEU Iloilo Chapter Acting President Ms. Shirley Miagao Golez thanked Ramota, Rodriguez, Andaya, and the attendees for making the activity enlightening. While much work remains to be done, she is confident that the support and cooperation of union members will make them easier to achieve.
According to Ramota, UGNAYAN is one of the programs launched this year by the Office of the Faculty Regent to “not just to know each other better, but to create this space where we can freely discuss concerns, issues, [and] even aspirations for our own units, for our professions.” The said program was launched in March.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Faculty Regent launched TIPUNAN, a systemwide assembly where gaps in terms of policies and mechanisms are identified, last February.
The Office also aims to launch the Talastasang Akademiko at Bayan or TALAKAYAN later this year to “provide more venues for our faculty and even other sectors to come together, exchange ideas – we have a number of our ideas, research, extension, and public service programs na pwede nating ibahagi across disciplines, across campuses, across units.”
