Text by Martin R. Racza
Photo by Joseph A. Bautista
When University of the Philippines (UP) Manila Assistant Professor Carl Marc Ramota learned of his selection as the 27th Faculty Regent (FR) of the UP system, his immediate reaction was that of happiness and gratitude.
“I felt happy to be given the opportunity to serve and represent more than 4,000 faculty members in the Board of Regents (BOR), the highest policy making body of the university,” Regent Ramota said. “I was also very grateful for the overwhelming support and mandate given to me by colleagues across the UP System, and the record voter turnout then for a Faculty Regent selection process.”
Championing academic freedom and staff welfare
The Hon. Ramota, who served as FR from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024, encountered multiple challenges during his term, two of which were in the center of his advocacies.
“The two biggest challenges are ensuring that welfare needs are met, and protecting the university community from threats to academic freedom and university autonomy amid the worsening political climate,” he said.
“Our common pandemic experience reminded us of the growing mental health challenges facing various university sectors, including faculty members. The urgent need to address these multifaceted welfare concerns–health and wellbeing, academic concerns, and economic security–led to the policy proposal for the establishment of Faculty Welfare Councils (FWC) both at the constituent university and UP system levels. FWCs will ensure that the university has programs and policies in place that look after the various dimensions of faculty welfare. The Office of the Faculty Regent (OFR) also launched the Kapakanan Faculty Welfare Forum series in 2024 as part of this system-wide campaign initiative.
“Another policy proposal from the OFR that gained system-wide support is the creation of the UP Committee on the Promotion and Protection of Academic Freedom and Human Rights (CAFHR). From 2023 to 2024, University Councils from UP Baguio to UP Mindanao passed resolutions supporting its creation in response to cases of terror-tagging and harassment against faculty members and university constituents after the abrogation of the UP-Department of National Defense Accord in 2021. Four Academic Freedom Committees have been established to date – in UP Los Baños, UP Cebu, UP Diliman, and UP Manila.”
Regent Ramota also addressed other challenges such as the lack of spaces for work and recreation, and the need for more plantilla positions remain the biggest challenges among UP Manila constituents.
“As FR and member of the BOR, we approved all requests for reprogramming of funds from UP Manila units, including the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), to augment funds for pending infrastructure projects, as well as push the [UP] system administration for more plantilla positions and additional incentives for employees.”
“I Went Above and Beyond What Is Expected of Me”
Regent Ramota assists in raising the Philippine flag during the 2024 UP Foundation Week opening ceremony.
When Regent Ramota was asked to encapsulate his term in a word, he chose “pioneering.”
“True to my program of action and oath of office, I’d like to believe that I went above and beyond what is traditionally expected of a Faculty Regent,” he stated.
“In two years’ time, we have accomplished so much together. The OFR became a center for policy initiatives and a national campaign center, a model of good university governance, and a staunch defender of academic freedom. Our proposals for the creation of the UP CAFHR and FWC were widely supported across the university.
“We have increased in the BOR the amount of eHOPE and its coverage, adjusted the rates for lecturers, and gave recognition to more eligible faculty members in the One UP professorial chair and faculty grant, among others.
“Three inaugural systemwide gatherings were launched by the OFR in 2024 – the UP Basic Education Summit, the UP Public Service Summit, and the Academic Freedom and Human Rights Conference that brought together scholars and advocates from UP and other schools. The recommendations in the UP Basic Education and Public Service Summits were incorporated into the guidelines of the upcoming Faculty Merit Promotion, recognizing alternative pathways in career development.
“We also launched the OFR’s official newsletter, UP Kalipunan (Kaguruan, Lipunan, at Pamantasan), official website (https://facultyregent.up.edu.ph), systemwide programs (Tipunan-systemwide assembly; Ugnayan or Usapang Guro at Pamayanan – CU/campus consultative meetings; and Talakayan or Talastasang Akademiko at Bayan – fora, discussions), and increased the staff complement and internal operating budget of the office.”
However, Regent Ramota refused to take sole credit for all these achievements, stating that “all of these were made possible because of the support of colleagues across the system.”
Passing On The Legacy
When asked if what one message or piece of advice he would leave for his successor, Prof. Early Sol Gadong, or a piece of advice, Regent Ramota answered, “I mentioned this during her oath taking ceremony on January 6: ‘Never lose sight of your purpose and the nature of the office that you represent.’
“Being one of the few elected members of the Board, the position of the Faculty Regent has a clear line of accountability. We do not simply represent ourselves, but serve to articulate and advocate the preference and aspirations of our sector, the greater university community, and the Filipino people as a whole.”
To read the full end-of-term report of Regent Ramota, please follow this link:
