Atty. Belaro, a contender for President of the University of the Philippines, shares his vision for the school and its path toward becoming a Filipino Global University.
University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA) and Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) awardee, Atty. Salvador Belaro Jr., is vying for the position of president at UP.
Should the UP Board of Regents choose him to lead the state university after incumbent UP President Danny Concepcion steps down, the lawyer promises to provide caring, compassionate, and collaborative leadership.
Belaro was recognized by FAMAS back in 2018 for his exemplary public service in the field of education. In that same year, UPAA also recognized him as the 2018 Outstanding Alumnus of the UP for Good Governance and Public Service.
He was also a graduate from the UP College of Law in 1995.
These qualities make him one of the six contenders for the post.
Vision for his alma mater
Belaro mentioned in his vision paper that accessible and relevant school services can improve the current curriculum of various courses. All students, faculty, and staff members who are experiencing difficulties can be offered assistance, as mental health is still an issue, particularly considering the recent pandemic and the transition between online and onsite classes.
UP Manila actually conducted notable programs that would help with mental health such as free counseling and LiftUp, a live chat app between students and qualified guidance counselors.
“Given the sheer size of the UP population, it is but necessary that the University’s health professions alumni, coordinated by the UP Health Service, conduct health and wellness checks.” Belaro added.
A Malasakit Center on each campus would be the key to gaining access to affordable health care and referrals to the nearest government hospitals as we move toward a new normalcy in which everyone must look after each other.
Student dormitories are also part of Belaro’s vision as he wants to build a more sustainable and safe living space for the students while also being able to receive timely and free medical assistance and services from UP’s infirmaries as well the Philippine General Hospital.
There would also be a pronounce policy on availing student loans and assistantships in all offices of the university.
For Belaro’s immediate concern, it would be transitioning out of the Covid-19 pandemic in which their defenses against both the Omicron and older variants of the coronavirus can be fortified by securing ample supplies of the United States – Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) newly-approved bivalent vaccines of Moderna and Pfizer for the UP community.
For the affected education caused by the pandemic, Belaro said that assessments are required to determine the dimensions of the impact of more than two years of online, modular, and blended learning methods used by UP students in particular. Interventions must be prepared to address the repercussions.
The upgrading and updating of curricula that the pandemic put on hold must be resumed. The same is true for shelved-funded research, industry-academic collaboration, and extension and outreach.
For the faculty, Belaro envisioned a review and improvement of the housing program and policies for availment of medical services at UP’s infirmaries and the Philippine General Hospital. This way, UP’s faculty will be given free and/or discounted rates for medical services thus ensuring their health is secure.
Their compensation and retirement plans must also be reviewed to ensure competitiveness and higher teaching progress, which will help students learn more under their supervision.
“It is about time we have an official policy that strengthens the acceptance of consultancies by our Professors so that they could apply in the private sector what they are teaching in the classroom and so as to ensure a healthy academe-practice balance that results to a more financially viable working arrangement to ensure faculty longevity and retention.” Belaro said.
Belaro also wants UP to find and reach out to the over 42,000 barangays with no or few homegrown or hometown UP students and graduates, which can be done by studying the UP’s enrollment and demographic databases. “We can only hope for 10 UP students in each barangay.” Belaro said.
Stakeholder relationships can be boosted further with frequent external services and immersion into host communities, as well as improved interaction with Feeder Schools and Adopted Communities.
A student’s decision on applying for admission has been based on the sterling reputation of the university for decades.
Being hailed as the country's national university, UP has already received thousands of applications from students eager to enroll and be dubbed "Iskolar ng Bayan."
Many people, particularly parents, are especially proud when their children pass the UPCAT, the entrance exam that determines whether a student is qualified to enroll.
With this, Belaro explained that “it is about time expectations and aspirations are made accessible, easily downloadable, detailed information about every subject they will take, every faculty member and their academic qualifications and work experience in the academe and outside academe, and the electronic learning resources they can access to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for books.”
The UP System can also establish an Alumni Assist Program with microfinance and health management components.
These initiatives will result in the establishment of a strong and global UP alumni network that will be a strong partner in implementing the university's mandates.
“Through the UPAA, Philippine General Hospital and a PGH Partner Hospitals Network, Alumni in distress needing health interventions for themselves and their dependents can be served. Costs of operating this service could be worked out with the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, PhilHealth, and probably an HMO-like solution that pays for itself or relieves or lessens the government financing burden.” Belaro concluded.
The position of president, particularly at one of the country's most prestigious schools, carries significant responsibilities, and a student's future can be determined based on the curriculum, internal affairs, and extended assistance by the university.
As a result, it is not an easy task; it must be followed by actions rather than just words or a vision for the school. Here's to hoping that qualified candidates like Atty. Belaro will be able to successfully lead UP to its goal of becoming a Filipino Global University.
Tags: #UP, #Vision, #Education, #President