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NEWS | SKM confers with PUP admin on power outage, PUP-DND accord abrogation

Writer's picture: The CommunicatorThe Communicator

After conducting a noise barrage in front of PUP President Muhi’s office, the Sentral na Konseho ng Mag-aaral (SKM) was invited for an immediate dialogue with the university administration at Mateo Hall last Monday, March 17 in which contingency plans for the power outage were discussed along with the unilateral abrogation of the university's accord with the Department of National Defense (DND).





The PUP administration asserted their two prepared main solutions to continue face-to-face classes amid power outage in Mabini Campus: the utilization of generator sets where fuel purchases are yet to be approved by the Commission on Audit (COA); and the expansion of full-line Meralco power supply from PUP Laboratory High School (LHS) substation which is yet to be permitted by the Manila Local City Government.


College of Communication Student Council (COC SC) President Ronjay-C Mendiola joined SKM Vice President Benhur Queqquegan as student representatives in the dialogue discussing the ways-forward of PUP admin toward student dormers affected by the suspension of face-to-face classes and DND accord violations across PUP branches.


𝗨𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 "𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸-𝘂𝗽 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆" 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀


During the demolition of the North Wing in Mabini Campus, the administration found out that all electricity sources in the XYZ building (north, east, and west wings), including in classrooms, offices, and other tapping points were all entirely connected to the north wing power source that caused explosions during the rehabilitation.


PUP Chief Legal Counsel Atty. Joanna Liao explained that after the impacts of the north wing demolition in power supply were observed, the administration prepared several actions including a substation plan and back-up electricity from four available generator sets.


Due to prohibited hoarding and lack of fuel storage in the university, the problem with the generators, which require eight drums of fuel per day, is the direct procurement of fuels which are on an “on-the-need basis” for every operation.


Approval for the purchase of fuel is yet to be released by the COA which cannot be approved earlier as funds for fuel purchase will still be from the university income, pending approval from the Internal Operating Budget during the April 3 board meeting—the earliest available time for the fund to be used for procurement.


“Natatagalan kayo? Kami rin, natatagalan sapagkat ilang opisina rin natin ang apektado, diba? Hindi ito dahil sa poor planning ng administrasyon. Kami ay nag-o-operate sa kabila ng kakulangan ng mga dokumento, kumbaga minana namin itong problema,” said Liao.


Fuels for generators can be purchased by the university anytime now after a “go-signal” from COA with their desired mode of procurement mandating an everyday purchase from the “cheapest” fuel provider, which is still a costly operation of P100,000 per day for fuels alone.


Physical Planning and Development Office Director Architect Reynaldo Ventura then explained another solution with the awaited yellow card approvals of Manila Local City Government in the full-line power supply of Meralco to separate tapping points of power source from the Laboratory High School, Ninoy Aquino Library, and PUP Gymnasium.


Once the local government approves the supply of power to these tapping points, the development office will immediately expand the distribution of power supply to classrooms affected by power outage in Mabini Campus through a cabling system.


ITP Construction, Inc., the contractor of PUP LHS also said that there is already an undertaking from Manila City Hall that the yellow card will be released “within this week” despite being long-overdue pending since September 2022, when the administration already submitted the permits and required documents for the distribution.


Facilities Management Office Director Jean Paul Martirez also asserted that classrooms of academic buildings outside Main Campus, including the College of Communication, must be maximized while the construction is ongoing as it was all fully-prepared for face-to-face classes.


Martirez believes that the suspension of face-to-face classes due to power outage can be resolved “not later than midterms” or in mid-May once the City Hall approves the distribution permit and fuels are procured for the generator sets.


“Ang mga generator naman natin, naka-tap na yan. Ibig-sabihin, once na dumating ang krudo, gagana 'yan for eight hours a day… Kasama si procurement, kasama si budget, tingin ko, hindi aabot ng midterm,” said Martirez.


Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs Edelyn Mariano also reiterated that chairpersons are already in-talks for the maximization of face-to-face classes of the affected programs of power outage through borrowing classrooms from the Institute of Technology and other outside buildings, especially for major courses.


For further study of the transition, Office of the Student Services (OSS) Director Jimmy Fernando also requested data regarding the students renting in dormitories who are affected by the suspension of physical classes through the power outage sensing form of SKM released last Sunday, April 16.


“Hindi naman kami tumitigil sa mga continuity plans. 'Yung mga nangyayari, these are factors beyond, sometimes, our control pero tuloy-tuloy pa rin naman ang pag-iisip para masolusyonan. Kung gusto ninyo na mabalik na 'yung face-to-face, kami rin gusto rin namin na mag-full face-to-face tayo, kasi nga sa online parang nasa-sacrifice ‘yung ating standard,” said Vice President for Student Affairs and Services Tomas Testor.


Meanwhile, Mendiola urged the administration to release a comprehensive advisory regarding the causes of the power outages and related administrative efforts which is later resolved by the admin through a further issuance of an advisory by the Office of the Vice President for Administration (OVPA), while Queqquegan also demanded for another academic leniency memorandum which the admin rejected due to an “already existing” academic ease policy during online classes.



𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗨𝗣-𝗗𝗡𝗗 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱


Attorney Liao also confirmed the unilateral decision by DND to abrogate its 1990 Prudente-Ramos agreement with PUP in barring unauthorized entry of security forces to the university in January 2022.


After the accord of DND with the University of the Philippines (UP) was scrapped last year, Liao asserted that they already anticipated the junking of the PUP-DND accord as well, and they even requested for dialogues after the issuance of abrogation but the “middlemen” connecting them with the DND only reiterated that the junking of accord is mandated by the President and is beyond their control.


She added that there is a good relationship between DND and PUP as both parties have existing agreements, extension programs, and assistance coordinations, thus the university is protected without the agreement.


“Kami, naniniwala na with or without accord, we are protected kasi 'yung mga constitutional basis kung saan naman nakatuntong 'yang accord, it's still in line with the Constitution, diba? Freedom of speech, freedom of expression… With or without accord, we are still protected by the constitutional progressions,” said Liao.


The administration also committed to look into the “awareness campaign” conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) on April 11 in PUP Sto. Tomas, Batangas in which discussions about communist armed conflicts have been a blatant avenue for redtagging.




Article: Chris Burnet Ramos

Graphics: Aldreich Pascual


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