D. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
VII. OTHER MATTERS (cont’d)
VII. OTHER MATTERS
(cont’d) . . .2. Additional Matters of Regent Victoria Canape Belegal: (cont’d) . . .
2.1 Grant of P20,000 Health Support Grant . . . (cont’d) . . .
2.1.3 President Concepcion assured the Board that he is already studying the matter. He expressed concern, however, that even the other BOR- approved benefits may be subjected to COA’s scrutiny if they will be augmented at this time. He added that even if they find a legal basis for the P20,000, the next problem would be the funding source because the grant of the aforesaid benefit will cost the University about P280M. The University may not have sufficient funding to support the benefit, especially since the UP’s budget for 2022 was reduced by about P800M, which means that such deficit will have to be covered by internal funds which, however, have already been earmarked for the various priority programs and projects of the University that are not funded by the national government, such as the conversion of non- UP contractuals to UP contractuals.
2.1.4 On the Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) Incentive, President Concepcion shared that in the 2020 CNA Incentive, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said that the savings of the University from the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) allotments have become available not as a result of cost- cutting measures undertaken collectively by the administration and the employees but due to the COVID-19 pandemic which affected many of the activities of the University. Fortunately, the DBM did not insist on this reason and still gave the necessary funding for the 2020 CNA Incentive.
2.1.5 With respect to any financial transaction, Regent Pagdanganan reminded everyone of the saying that prudence is the better part of valor. He believed that President Concepcion understood fully well the plight of the employees and hoped that COA will expedite its decision on the P20,000 Emergency Allowance. Until then however, he appealed to the body to exercise prudence.
Board Action: NOTED
26 . . .
2. Additional Matters of Regent Victoria Canape Belegal: (cont’d)
. . .
2.2. Merit Promotion for “Sagad” Employees or “Sagad” Award
2.2.1 Regent Belegal raised the sentiments of the administrative staff and REPS that the step increments for “Sagad” employees with
“Outstanding (O)” and “Very Satisfactory (VS)” performance ratings for the period CY 2014-2018, in the amounts of P2,000 and P1,000, respectively, are smaller than the across-the-board amount given in the past. She recommended studying the possibility of increasing the
“Sagad” Award for the benefit of the administrative staff and REPS.
2.2.2 President Concepcion said that he will have it studied but, in the meantime, the approved incremental rates for “Sagad” Award for administrative staff and REPS will be implemented.
Board Action: NOTED
2.3 Expansion of the Enhanced Hospitalization Programme (eHOPE)
2.3.1 President Concepcion informed Regent Belegal that he already referred the proposal on the expansion of the Enhanced Hospitalization Programme (eHOPE) to concerned offices for study.
He said that the proposal to allocate P20,000 of the P80,000 annual eHOPE budget for all kinds of illnesses even without hospitalization will require a budget of about P280M per year if all employees will avail of this benefit, which may not be sustainable. The representatives of the Unions then requested to apply it only to certain types of illnesses, including COVID-19, to which he agreed. He requested them to submit to the Office of the President the list of illnesses to be included in the coverage of eHOPE, which he will in turn submit to technical experts for review and recommendation.
2.3.2 Regent Belegal asked about the timeline for the study, to which President Concepcion replied that it will depend on how soon the Unions can submit the list of illnesses which they want included in the eHOPE coverage.
Board Action: NOTED
27
VII. OTHER MATTERS
(cont’d) . . .3. Board Resolution on the UP-DND Agreement
3.1 President Concepcion read into the record the proposed Board Resolution on the abrogation of the UP-DND Agreement, the dispositive portion of which states as follows:
“NOW, WHEREFORE, RESOLVED, as it is hereby resolved, that UP:
1. Commends and thanks the authors and members of the House of Representatives who heeded the calls of the UP community to defend academic freedom and who worked and fought for the approval of H.B. No. 10171.
2. Supports the move of Representatives Sarah Jane Elago, Isagani Zarate, France Castro, Ferdinand Gaite, Arlene Brosas, Eufemia Cullamat, and Jose Christopher Belmonte to declare as null and void the reconsideration of the approval on third reading of H.B. No. 10171 for being in violation of Section 106 of the Rules of the 18th Congress, and urges the House of Representatives to resolve this issue with dispatch.
3. Urgently calls on the Senate to undertake, with the same expediency, parallel efforts to approve the Senate counterpart of the said Bill.
4. Requests DND to revert to the ‘status quo ante’ and, together with the DILG, continue to observe and enforce the principles, objectives and guidelines of the 1989 UP-DND Accord and the 1992 UP-DILG Accord as an act of good faith in the light of the recent development in Congress seeking to enact them into law.”
3.2 Regent Laurel sought clarification of Item No. 2 of the Resolution which supports the move of the lawmakers to “declare as null and void the reconsideration of the approval on third reading of H.B. No. 10171 for being in violation of Section 106 of the Rules of the 18th Congress.” President Concepcion recounted that House Bill No. 10171 was unanimously approved by the House of Representatives on its third reading on 21 September 2021.
However, on 30 September 2021, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Jesus Crispin Remulla moved to reconsider the approval of the bill on third reading.
Seven authors of the Bill led by Rep. Sarah Jane Elago questioned the Motion for Reconsideration (MR) on the ground that it is in violation of Section 106 of the Rules of the 18th Congress which states that “[w]hen a measure, report or motion is approved, adopted or lost, a member who voted with the majority may move for its reconsideration on the same or succeeding session day."
28 . . .
3. Board Resolution on the UP-DND Agreement (cont’d)
. . .
Since the motion by Rep. Remulla was made several days after the deadline on 22 September 2021, the group of Rep. Elago objected on the ground that it is in violation of the aforementioned House rule.
3.3 Regent Laurel asked about the status of the MR and the Senate counterpart of the Bill. President Concepcion explained that there was no action on the MR yet as of date, but the Bill will be remanded to the House Committee on Rules for appropriate action. As for the counterpart Bill in the Senate, he said that no hearing has been scheduled for the purpose yet. He expressed concern that the Bill may not be acted before the 18th Congress ends on 30 June 2022.
3.4 Regent Co informed the Board that after the Bill was approved by the House on third reading on 21 September 2021, the Bill was transmitted to Senate for concurrence on 23 September 2021. If the House will rule to nullify the motion for reconsideration, then there is a greater chance that it may not be vacated after June 2022. Regent Co manifested that the Board Resolution would clearly show that the UP System heeded the calls of the students and the UP community to defend academic freedom.
3.5 After further deliberations, Regent Laurel moved for the approval of the Board Resolution as proposed. Regent Co seconded the motion. Having been moved and seconded, and there being no objections, the same was approved.
Board Action: NOTED
***********
Hon. J. PROSPERO E. DE VERA III Chair, Commission on Higher Education
Hon. DANILO L. CONCEPCIÓN, Co-Chair President, University of the Philippines
Hon. JOEL VILLANUEVA
Chair, Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture
Hon. MARK O. GO
Chair, House Committee on Higher and Technical Education
Hon. REYNALDO C. LASERNA President, UP Alumni Association
Hon. RAUL C. PAGDANGANAN Member
Hon. FRANCIS C. LAUREL Member
Hon. MARIA ARLISSA D. AGUILUZ Member
Hon. AIMEE LYNN BARRION-DUPO Faculty Regent
Hon. RENEE LOUISE CO Student Regent
Hon. VICTORIA CANAPEBELEGAL Staff Regent
The University of the Philippines
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is Published by the
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Quezon Hall, UP Diliman Campus, Quezon City
UP SYSTEM
Prof. DANILO L. CONCEPCIÓN President
Prof. MA. CYNTHIA ROSE B. BAUTISTA Vice President for Academic Affairs
Prof. LISA GRACE S. BERSALES Vice President for Planning and Finance
Prof. NESTOR G. YUNQUE Vice President for Administration
Prof. ELVIRA A. ZAMORA Vice President for Development
Prof. ELENA E. PERNIA Vice President for Public Affairs
Prof. HECTOR DANNY D. UY Vice President for Legal Affairs
Atty. ROBERTO M.J. LARA Secretary of the University and of the BOR
CONSTITUENT UNIVERSITIES Prof. FIDEL NEMENZO
Chancellor, UP Diliman
Prof. JOSE V. CAMACHO, JR.
Chancellor, UP Los Baños
Prof. CARMENCITA D. PADILLA Chancellor, UP Manila
Prof. CLEMENT C. CAMPOSANO Chancellor, UP Visayas
Prof. MELINDA dP. BANDALARIA Chancellor, UP Open University
Prof. LARRY N. DIGAL Chancellor, UP Mindanao
Prof. CORAZON L. ABANSI Chancellor, UP Baguio Prof. LIZA D. CORRO Chancellor, UP Cebu