Kristel was like a 'saling pusa' at UPM, her mother laments

Behavioral Sciences student Kristel Tejada was like a “saling pusa” at the University of the Philippines-Manila, attending her classes even when she had not yet paid her tuition fees in full. But she wanted to continue her UP education to become the doctor for the poor she once dreamed to be, her mother Blesilda Tejada said in an interview. Mrs. Tejada broke down in tears when she recalled that both she and her daughter both felt ashamed that Kristel had to go to UP like a “saling pusa,” as if she was not an “Iskolar ng Bayan” – the term for every UP student who enjoys an education subsidized by taxpayers' money. “Sa pagpasok niya, 'dun pa lang makikita mo na kahit siya napapahiya siya sa mga kaklase niya. 'Yun 'yung kinahihiya ko eh. Inaalam niya na mukha siyang ewan, mukha siyang tanga kasi wala siya sa master's list. Para bang yung sa kinder na parang saling pusa,” a choked-up and teary-eyed Mrs. Tejada said in a recorded interview provided to GMA News Online by Kabataan party-list. “Kasi gusto niyang mag-aral. Mahal niya 'yung pag-aaral. Pumapasok siya. Kahit na ang baba na ng moral na nararamdaman niya, tapos mas lalo siyang bumagsak nung nareject nung time na pwede kaming magbayad na [ng tuition],” she added.

For Mrs. Tejada, the culprit may just be a long-standing rule of the university of imposing a leave of absence (LOA) on students who fail to pay semestral fees in full upon enrolment. A LOA may also be advised for students who have to stop studying to work, go abroad, and other legitimate reasons. But for the Tejadas, it was their financial constraints that prevented them from paying fees in time that compelled the UP administration to advise a LOA. Mrs. Tejada sells shirts and her husband is a taxi driver. “'Yung policy ng UP Manila na 'yung no late payment, 'yun ang parang sa pananaw ko para namang nasasakal 'yung mga estudyante. Tapos dumating rin 'yung time na nakalikom na kami ng pambayad na full na 'yung second semester, hindi na kami in-allow mag-enrol. Kasi kahit may pera na kami that time hindi na, ayaw na nila,” the mother said. A memorandum by the Office of the Vice Chancellor on Academic Affairs issued last August 2012 states:“Please be informed that students who have not paid their tuition fees... are not considered officially enrolled for the current semester. Their names shall be removed from the classlists and they shall be advised for a leave of absence.” In Tejada's case, she failed to pay her second semestral fees as she was not able to secure a loan from the school, her mother said. 'Kung hindi ka nagbayad, hindi ka estudyante' Prospero De Vera III, UP Vice President for Public Affairs, defended the no-late payment policy, saying it is a legitimate provision in the University Code. Section 330 of the University Code states that “No person who has not duly matriculated may be admitted to the classes.” “It's a provision of the university code... Kasi pag sinabi mo naman 'yan na walang late policy at all, imagine the implications. What if somebody who is not deserving does not pay any tuition and for the whole semester attends classes. How do you want the university to treat it?” De Vera said. “Kasi kung hindi ka nagbayad, hindi ka estudyante. If you don't pay your tuition, how can you be credited?... You want UP to give everyone a free ride? No payment of tuition, is that what you want?” he added. De Vera added that a leave of absence is not “a bad thing,” adding that it is just a mechanism to assist the entry of students who want to be readmitted. “The LOA is to facilitate the entry of students who are enrolled. It's not something derogatory. It's not something bad. So I don't know why there is this forced LOA that is being said. Hindi masama mag-LOA. Kahit nga ako nag-LOA ako nung estudyante ako,” De Vera said. UP Student Regent Cleve Arguelles, however, slammed the policy as repressive for barring students their right to UP education. “As a state university, the policy has no place in the UP. Pag late ka nagbayad, maglo-LOA ka? That's very questionable, lalo na sa state university,” Arguelles said in a phone interview. The student regent added that it was an emotional burden on Kristel to be advised to file for a leave of absence. “Parang ang tingin namin dyan, binabaliktad ng UP administrasyon na student willingly filed for a LOA. Isa pong malaking kasinungalingan. Mabigat na mabigat ang kalooban na kailangang niya magreport ng LOA,” Arguelles said. Kristel's fault? UP Manila chancellor Manuel Agulto said that Kristel's parents may be partly to blame for their failure to submit the necessary requirements for the granting of a lower tuition fee. The UP system has a Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP), which determines the amount students pay for their classes based on their financial status. Kristel was assigned Bracket D in her first year, which means she had to pay P10,000 per semester for her education. Her family appealed to be reassigned to Bracket E2, which would have granted Kristel free tuition and a monthly stipend. In a powerpoint presentation shown at a press briefing Monday, Agulto said Kristel failed to submit supporting documents to be rebracketed to a lower tuition fee. Mrs. Tejada admitted their lapse in failing to submit their requirements, but insisted that they deserve a lower bracket of tuition in the first place. “Syempre dapat lang naman finollow na dapat kumpleto 'yung requirement. Wala akong reklamo 'dun. Ang ano ko lang, 'yung kinabagsakan 'nung bracketing,” Kristel's mother said. “Sana bracket E. Umaasa pa nga kami dahil talagang pag financial problem kami, kahit na E2 na kahit pati 'yung pambaon sana niya. 'Yun nga yung financial struggle nung time na yan,” Mrs. Tejada added. De Vera said it was not UP's fault Kristel failed to get free tuition. “She was put at Bracket D. She applied for Bracket E. She did not give the supporting documents, that's why the rebracketing was not acted upon. Is that the fault of the UP administration if somebody applying for rebracketing doesn't submit the necessary documents?” De Vera said at the sidelines of the press conference. “Rules have to apply. The family asked for an extension of the deadline. It was extended three times. That is going and bending way beyond what is normal. That is still not acceptable to you?” he added. But the vice chairperson of militant group Anakbayan National said the UP administration has resorted to blaming Kristel instead of addressing the issue. “Ang hinihingi lang namin, sagutin kung bakit ito nangyare. Ang gusto pa nila sisihin si [Tejada],” said Anton Dulce, who is now a UP law student. “We are really outraged na instead of fixing things, instead of trying to find a solution, the UP administration is trying to prove na ang may kasalanan nito 'yung mismong magulang at estudyante,” Arguelles added. A lanyard without an ID Due to the LOA, Kristel was compelled to give up her UP ID—the one thing Kristel held as a testament to her being a UP student. “Alam niyo po bang 'yung ID, saka yung UP lanyard, 'yan po ung unang niyang natanggap sa UP. Para po siyang batang nagtatalon sa tuwa,” Mrs. Tejada said. “Kasi parang 'Uy, UP nako, heto na ako. Totoo na ito. Hindi lang panaginip,'” Mrs. Tejada said. Kristel gave her UP ID on March 13 – two days before her death. "Pagdating ng college, sabi niya love niya ang UP, mahal na mahal niya ang UP, tapos nung time na ganun, ang ganda ng hinga tapos para siyang na-choke. 'Yun ang pakiramdam niya 'nung lumabas na 'yung LOA," her mother said. — BM, GMA News