I HAVE READ MANY BLOGS HERE ABOUT THE FEBFAIR ISSUE AND HERE'S MY STORY TO TELL. A TRUE STORY FOR THAT MATTER! I PROMISED MYSELF I WILL WRITE THIS DOWN AS SOON AS MATAPOS ANG FEBFAIR COZ I'VE BEEN A BUSY CONCESSIONAIRE SA FEBFAIR.
SA MGA ESTUDYANTE AT MGA ISKOLAR NG BAYAN, MAKINIG AT MAGBASA KAYO NG KATOTOHANAN....
I HAVE COPIES OF THE EXCHANGE OF LETTERS NG USC AT ADMIN THRU THE OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR....I'LL CHECK IF I CAN SCAN AND POST IT.
I BECAME INVOLVED, WITH SOME FRIENDS NA MAY BOOTH DIN SA FEBFAIR KASI CONCESSIONAIRES KAMI, AND WE HAD A DIALOGUE WITH THE CHANCELLOR AND OTHER TOP UPLB OFFICIALS. HINDI NAKAPUNTA ANG OTHER CONCESSIONAIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE ALREADY FED BY WRONG INFOS. BUT THE OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR ASKED FOR AN AUDIENCE FROM THEM...ONE BY ONE THE C.S.D.'s WENT TO THE BOOTHS TO ASK THEM FOR A DIALOGUE. SOME WERE THERE, SOME WERE NOT. WALANG CONTACT NUMBERS ANG ADMIN KASI LAHAT SA USC NAGBAYAD. KASI NGA "ACTIVITY NILA ITO."
THIS WAS ALREADY AFTERNOON OF THE FIRST DAY NG FEBFAIR, AND I WAS ALREADY WORRIED SICK BECAUSE I ALREADY BOUGHT THE THINGS I WILL SELL IN THE BOOTH. GUMASTOS NA KAMI. MAY MGA ANAK DIN NA NAG-AARAL AT BINIBIGYAN NG BAON ARAW ARAW...MGA ISKOLAR DIN NG BAYAN NATIN. AT AKO AY NAGING ISKOLAR DIN NG BAYAN! MAY MGA IPINAGLABAN DIN NA NAAAYON SA MGA VALUES NA PINANININDIGAN KO! SINASABI KO SA INYO KUNG KAYO AY ESTUDYANTE PALANG, HINDI GANITO ANG TOTOONG BUHAY PAGLABAS MO NG UNIBERSIDAD AT PAG NAGTRABAHO O NAGNEGOSYO KA NA......YES MAY MGA BATTLES KA SA LABAS PERO PWEDE MONG GAWIN SA MAAYOS NA PARAAN. HINDI YUNG PATIGASAN AT PAGREREBELDENG PARAAN!
ANG TOTOONG BUHAY PAG NAGTRABAHO AT NAGKAPAMILYA KA AY KAILANGAN NG MAAYOS AT TAMANG PAKIKIPAG USAP, MAHINAHON AT MAPAYAPA AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE PERO LAGI KANG "FIRM" SA MGA VALUES AT DESISYON MO. HINDI MO KAILANGAN LAGING NAKASIGAW AT NAKATAAS ANG MGA KAMAO NA TILA BA LAGI KANG MAKIKIPAGBAKBAKAN. HINDI. HINDI GANYAN ANG SA TOTONG BUHAY! I HATE TO BURST YOUR BUBBLE AND RAIN ON YOUR PARADE IF THIS IS HOW YOU SEE THINGS FOR NOW! ....
THAT AFTERNOON, I REALLY WANTED TO TALK TO SOMEONE NA MAY KATINUAN AT ALAM ANG TOTOONG NANGYAYARI AT ANG TOTOTONG KWENTO! AND I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT A STORY MUST ALWAYS BE TWO-SIDED, NOT JUST ONE. MADAMI NA KASI AKONG NARINIG NA MGA EXPLANATIO9N AT SIGAW NUNG SIDE NG USC, SO I WANTED TO HEAR THE OTHER SIDE. HAPON NA ITO NG FIRST DAY! MY GOSH, I THOUGHT, THEY CAN'T DO THIS TO US! WE PAID TWO WEEKS BEFORE, THINKING OFFICIALLY APPROVED NA SILA TO DO THIS FEBFAIR THING. AND MY "ACTIVITY ORGANIZING" SENSE KICKED IN! (IN FAIRNESS, MAHIRAP TALAGA MAG ORGANIZE PAG HINDI KA ORGANIZED AT POOR ANG COORDINATION SKILLS MO...I USED TO WORK, I ORGANIZE BIG ACTIVITIES TOO! I ORGANIZE PARTIES AND CONCERTS AND COMPANY PARTIES AND OUTINGS OF UP TO 7OOO PEOPLE! AND IF PEOPLE INVOLVED HAVE MONEY AT STAKE, AN ORGANIZER CAN'T DO THIS TO THEM!)
AFTER A SITDOWN TALK WITH THE CHANCELLOR AND OTHER UPLB OFFICIALS IT WAS CLEAR TO ME. THIS IS HOW WE MUST DO IT, THIS IS JUST HOW THE ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO DO IT, A SITDOWN TALK AND MAKE THINGS WORK OUT FOR THE GOOD OF ALL INVOLVED! SO I LEFT THAT ROOM THINKING AM GONNA TALK TO SOME CONCESSIONAIRES THERE AND THE USC TOO - AT LEAST FOR THE SAKE OF THE CONCESSIONAIRES TOO!
WHAT ADMIN WANTED WAS TO DOCUMENT ALL PAYMENTS MADE BY THE CONCESSIONAIRES TO THE USC BECAUSE USC HAVE NOT SUBMITTED ANY OFFICIAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS! KAHIT ANONG SABIHIN NILA, DAPAT PA DIN NILANG I-REPORT YUN SA UPLB. GALIT NA GALIT SILA KASI AYAW NILANG MA-CONTROL SILA. UPLB OFFICIALS ARE NOT INTERESTED TO "GET" THE MONEY SO THEY COULD DO ANYTHING WITH IT, THIS MONEY MUST STILL BE ACCOUNTED FOR BY UPLB. YES THIS IS A USC ACTIVITY, BUT THE LEASE OF THE GROUNDS USED IN FEBFAIR MUST BE FOR UPLB...TAMA NAMAN YUN DI BA? SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? BAKIT AYAW MAKIPAG AYOS?
WHEN MY FRIEND AND I TRIED TO TALK TO SOME USC NEAR THE STAGE NG FEBFAIR, ANG DAMI NA NILANG NASABI NA REPRESSION ETC, I TOLD THEM WE DON'T NEED TO ARGUE ABOUT REPRESSION AND OPPRESSION ISSUES, NEED CLEAR AND IMMEDIATE ACTION HOW TO MAKE THE FEBFAIR WORK OUT AND START NA. I ALSO TOLD THEM NA WAG NA NILA KAMING LITANYAHAN NG MGA REPRESSION AT OPPRESSION EK-EK AT KAMI AY GRADUATE DIN NG UPLB, MGA TUNAY NA ISKOLAR DIN KAMI NG BAYAN! AT LOYAL HANGGANG NGAYON! AT DAPAT PAREPAREHO NAMING AYUSIN ANG GULO AT PAREPAREHO KAMING ISKOLAR NG BAYAN! SABI KO UPLB ANG NASISIRA SA MGA TAONG NANDUN NA DI NAMAN TAGA-U.P. O GRAD NG UPLB! AND THEN THEY TOLD US NA HINDI SILA NAG-I-IMAGE BUILDING NG UPLB KUNG DI NAG E-EXPOSE LANG DAW SILA NG TOTOONG NANGYAYARI.
E BAKIT KAYA DI NILA INI-EXPOSE KUNG ANO NA NANGYARI SA FEBFAIR FUNDS 2 YEARS AGO PA? ANG NASA LETTER OF APPROVAL KASI NG CHANCELLOR STATES THAT "THE FAIR IS APPROVED SUBJECT TO EXISTING UNIVERSITY RULES AND REGULATIONS ON THE USE OF FACILITIES, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING OF FUNDS AND CONDUCT OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES AND THE RELEVANT ARTICLES OF THE 1984 USC CONSTITUTION, AND THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC CONDITIONS:..." (MAY MGA SPECIFIC CONDITIONS PANG NAKA STIPULATE SA LETTER.
E DI NGA NILA MAGAWA EH. KAYA DI SILA MAGING OFFICIAL ANG ACTIVITY!
IMAGINE, IF THERE ARE 100 CONCESSIONAIRES PLUS STUDENT BOOTHS PA - AND SMALL/MEDIUM SCALE CONCESSIONAIRES PAID EITHER P3500 OR P4500 EACH PLUS BOND OF P1000 EACH PA, THAT'S P4500. MAY NAG PAY NG P5500 PA, YUNG MAY MGA TINDA NA RICE MEALS.
WHEN I GOT BACK THERE, I PERSONALLY HEARD THE USC CHAIR ANNOUNCE PA SA MICROPHONE NA WAG PUMUNTA DUN SA BAKER HALL TO FILL-OUT THE PERMIT LETTER WHEN ALL THE ADMIN WANTED WAS TO MAKE EVERYTHING OFFICIAL... YES IT'S TRUE THAT FEBFAIR IS A STUDENT ACTIVITY, BUT THEY MUST REMEMBER THAT THEY BECAME USC OFFICERS & MEMBERS BECAUSE THEY ARE UPLB STUDENTS, AND THEY ARE STILL UNDER UPLB! AND FOR EVERYBODY'S INFO NA DIN, ADMIN MUST BE INVOLVED IN THIS BECAUSE LEASING OF THE FEBFAIR GROUNDS MUST GO THRU THE OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR AND THE BUSINESS AFFAIRS OFFICE, PERMIT FOR THE TAPPING OF ELECTRICITY MUST BE SECURED AHEAD OF TIME.
IN THIS CASE, THEY SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN AT LEAST DECEMBER 2008 PA KUNG FEB 2009 ANG ACTIVITY. THAT'S HOW YOU PROPERLY ORGANIZE AN ACTIVITY LIKE THIS! THEY SUBMITTED A LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 9! I HAVE A COPY. WE NEED TO INFORM AND EDUCATE THE PEOPLE AND THE STUDENTS ABOUT THE TRUTH OF WHAT TRULY HAPPENED AND THE UNDERLYING "ISSUES"...TRUTH DAPAT...HINDI INGAY AT GALIT LANG NA ONE-SIDED INFO ANG PINAPALABAS. MY FRIEND AND I WERE PERSONALLY ABLE TO TALK TO SOME USC INCLUDING THE CHAIRPERSON, AND THEY RAISED VOICES AT US BECAUSE WE WERE ASKING THEM WHY THEY ARE TELLING THE CONCESSIONAIRES THE WRONG INFO AND DELIBERATELY INSTRUCTING THEM NOT TO GO TO BAKER HALL AT THAT TIME...(ALL THE ADMIN WANTED WAS TO PUT THINGS IN ORDER AND IN BLACK AND WHITE THAT WE PAID SO AND SO AMOUNT TO USC FOR THE BOOTH).
APAT KAMI NUN NA UMATTEND NA NAKAKUHA NA NG OFFICIAL PERMIT FROM CHANCELLOR, AYAW NILA NG GULO THAT'S WHY THEY WANTED TO TALK TO THE CONCESSIONAIRES. UNFORTUNATELY, IBA NA ANG INFO NA NA-FEED SA CONCESSIONAIRES KAYA DI SILA PUMUNTA DUN, SOME TOLD US NA DI SILA PUPUNTA KASI SA USC SILA NAGBAYAD. BUT WE WANTED TO KNOW YUNG SIDE NG ADMIN, SO WE WENT THERE. AYUN, WHEN WE TOLD THE USC TO STOP TELLING THE CONCESSIONARES NOT TO GO TO BAKER TO GET OFFICIAL PERMIT PLUS WE ASKED THEM IF THEY REALLY AND HONOESTLY FOLLOWED THE POLICIES SET BY UPLB FOR THIS ACTIVITY...AND THEY CAN'T SAY STRAIGHT "YES" TO US...HINDI NAMAN DAW GANUN ANG NANGYAYAYARI BEFORE ETC ETC. THEN WE ASKED AGAIN AND AGAIN IF THEY "FOLLOWED" WHAT UPLB ADMIN PRESCRIBES FOR THIS ACTIVITY...AND WE DID NOT GET A "YES" ANSWER. INSTEAD, VOICES WERE RAISED AT US AND OTHER USC MEMBERS NA ANDUN SA SIDE SUMAMA NA DIN NA PARA BANG MAKIKIPAG-RUMBLE KAMI TO THE POINT THAT I ALSO RAISED MY VOICE AND TOLD THEM NOT TO RAISE THEIR VOICES AT US AND THAT THEY CAN'T DO THAT TO US! MY GOSH, WE ARE LIKE THEIR MOTHERS NA NOH! KUNG ANAK KO TONG MGA 'TO DISIPLINA ABOT SAKIN NITONG MGA TO! ALAM KAYA NG MGA MAGULANG NILA NA GANITO SILA UMASTA DITO?! I PITY THEM. AND THE USC CHAIR AND ONE OTHER GUY (SHORT, KAYUMANGGI) TURNED THEIR BACKS OIN US AND WALKED AWAY FROM US! WHATEVER HAPPENED TO RESPECTING PEOPLE...IS THIS THE KIND OF LEADERS WE HAVE NOW? I DON'T THINK SO! I THINK THERE ARE GREAT AND BETTER LEADERS OUT THERE. WAG LANG SANANG MA MISINFORM ANG MGA TAO AT MAGING APATHETIC, ESPECIALLY THE YOUTH OF TODAY.
IN THIS SAME "ENCOUNTER" WE WERE ASKING FOR OFFICIAL LETTERS THEY COULD SHOW US NA THEY ALREADY ASKED FOR THE PERMIT NA MAIKABIT NA ANG ELECTRICITY, NA AT THAT TIME I KNOW WALA PA SILA...KASI NGA I HAVE COPIES OF THE OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION LETTERS NILA. I KNEW WALA PA TALAGA.
THIS IS MY SIDE OF THE STORY, ANG STORY NILA ALAM NYO NA AT LAGI NGA SILANG NAGKUKWENTO AT NAG BU-BULLHORN ABOUT IT EH...ANDITO DIN ANG SIDE NG ADMIN. SANA MEDYO NALKINAWAN ANG KARAMIHAN SA INYO AT IKALAT NYO PA ITO KAHIT TAPOS NA ANG FEBFAIR. THE UNDERLYING ISSUE IS: WHY REBEL WHEN WE COULD PROPERLY SITDOWN AND TALK, WHY LEAD PEOPLE ON WITH THE WRONG INFO AT HAND? WHY NOT "EXPOSE" THE TRUTHS OF BOTH SIDES?
REBELLION AND RAGE WILL DO YOU NO GOOD! INIT NG ULO WILL LEAD TO ARGUMENT LANG AND PAKIKIPAG AWAY. DAPAT YOU PROMOTE PEACE AND UNITY AND HELP AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER IN THIS KIND OF ENDEAVOR. PAREPAREHO TAYONG ISKOLAR NG BAYAN...HINDI LANG IILAN!
