Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro) Announces 2013-2014 Executive Board

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Therese Franceazca Balagtas, Director of Communications, guest contributor

On August 28th, Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro) announced their newly elected executive board officers for 2013-2014. The new board will consist of Rachelle Ocampo as President, Iris Zalun as Vice President, Jonelyn Planillo as Treasurer, Kirklyn Escondo as Secretary, Randy Gonzales as Legal Counsel, and Suzette Briones as Board Chairperson.

This year’s election was held in Manhattan and was presided by Founder, Former Executive Director, and current Board of Trustee member Steven Raga.

In addition to the newly elected executive board, a newly appointed set of staff members were also introduced: Program Director of Staff Development: Iris Zalun, Head of HR: Marisa McCloskey, Program Director of Community Building: Kirklyn Escondo, Community Building Proxy: Carlo Limbog, Program Director of USAPAN: Mark Libatique, Director of Information Technology: Keith Guirao, Interim Director of Communications: Therese Franceazca Balagtas, Blog Director: Ryann Tanap, Summit Co-Chairs: Noel Aglubat and Jennifer Delos Santos, Grant Writing Chair: Randy Gonzales, and Fundraising Chair: Stephanie Chrispin.

Elected for a second term as UniPro’s president, Rachelle Ocampo states, "I cannot begin to express my appreciation that I was elected to be a part of this truly inspiring group of community leaders for another year. Last year was a wake-up call for our Executive Board that there is so much outreach, issues, and education that needs to be addressed. There were many challenges that drove the E-board to grow both as individuals and as community leaders. I cannot thank the ladies I worked with the past year enough for their persistence and motivation to keep going. I always joked around whenever someone mentions how well I am leading UniPro, but in reality- it was the extreme dedication and sacrifices of the E- Board- Iris, Jonelyn, & Meriden; the Program Directors, Kirklyn Escondo, Kristina Joyas, Gecile Fojas, Ivan Gonzales, Keith Guirao, and our incredible Staff & Interns that made each event and initiative a success. This year we have a huge responsibility to continue our collaborative efforts and break barriers in the Asian community- the time is now to educate, collaborate, and act!"

Kirklyn Escondo discusses her new role as the organization’s Secretary and talks about the goals of the organization. Ms. Escondo states, “I look forward to being of service to UniPro and the Filipino community in my new capacity as Secretary. I hope to contribute to UniPro's mission and vision by actively finding new, innovative ways for UniPro to work collaboratively with organizations and individuals who have the like-minded goal of promoting unity and progress in the Filipino community.”

UniPro is currently preparing for UniVote 2013, an initiative promoting civic engagement in the Filipino American community.

If you would like to join or contact UniPro, please forward your inquiries to Kirklyn Escondo at kirklyn.escondo@unipronow.org or feel free to attend our monthly staff meetings on the first Thursday of every month.

Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization made up primarily of Pilipino American students and young professionals. Our mission as an organization is to facilitate and encourage cooperation through coalition development among various Pilipino organizations, institutions, and programs. UniPro also engages in various projects that promote the Pilipino community in American society. For more information, visit www.unipronow.org.

A Speech on the Tragic Cost of Higher Education in the Philippines

Note from the Editor: Therese Franceazca Balagtas is one of UniPro’s interns for the summer. At our recent Staff Development Workshop, she delivered a speech on the “UniIssue” of education in the Philippines. Read on to see her thoughtful take on the controversial topic.- by Therese Franceazca Balagtas

Sixty thousand pesos – That is the average annual cost of tuition for a student entering college in the Philippines. You can expect a high school graduate entering his/her first year of college to shell out somewhere between thirty thousand to up to ninety thousand pesos just for tuition alone.

When you ask Filipino parents about their dreams for their children, an inevitable answer would be to be able to send them to school and finish their education. This isn’t surprising most especially because the Philippines is a nation that values education. For Filipinos, education is a prized possession and a college diploma is one’s ticket to a better life. So it should also come to no surprise that many Filipino parents go beyond their means in order to give their children a decent education.

Unfortunately, in the Philippines, higher education comes with a hefty price tag. Private schools are notorious for their constant increase in tuition costs mainly because they are profit driven institutions. But even state-run universities and colleges have a difficult time providing financial support to students due to the shrinking financial funding from the government. This makes the costs of higher education stiff for many Filipino households. You’re probably wondering, how about the public school system, isn’t that free and subsidized by the government? Yes that’s true, public schools are subsidized by the government and can be attained for free or at a very low cost. However, the public schooling system only applies to grade school through high school, which means that for a college education it is expected for the student and his/her family to bear the full cost.

Earlier this year, Kristel Tejada, a student from the University of the Philippines-Manila committed suicide after she could no longer fund her own education at the university and after being humiliated due to her incapacity to do so. It is unfortunate for a student to take her own life simply because she couldn’t afford her own education. It is even more upsetting because the University of the Philippines is a state university known for their “Iskolar ng Bayan” (national scholars), and their supposed higher sensitivity for aiding students from less advantaged sectors possessing academic merit and potential.

Regrettably, her suicide is just a symptom of a larger crisis affecting the country’s educational system. Many educational institutions are notorious for implementing a tuition installment plan, which strategically places payment due dates right before exam time. These plans delay and sometimes even prevent students from taking important exams because they are unable to pay their tuition on time. During the time I spent studying in the Philippines, I’ve seen parents and students alike ask for an extension come exam time because they simply couldn’t scrape together funds to be able to pay their tuition in time for exams.

The sad truth is, many Filipino students discover at some point in their college career that they are no longer able to afford tuition. That being said, they either end up transferring to a sub-par institution or drop out of college altogether. I think the youth should not be denied access to a college education simply because of financial constraints. The government should be able to invest more in student loan programs and full scholarships, which in turn give qualified recipients a clear shot at earning their degrees. They should also keep in mind compassion for deserving students from the bottom of the nation’s economic tiers. Consider the possibility of more young people who are better trained at skills and professions because they were given the opportunity to earn a college degree. Consider the possibility of parents less burdened by the high cost of education. Think about what that could possibly do to make our society better.