■ Megan Aglaua
Food stalls, fraternities, and organizations in the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP) will need to relocate to new tambayans and store locations as the college administration plans to build a mini theatre in their place by 2017.
The CSSP administration plans to demolish areas starting from the Antas store until the Haribon store, displacing a total of two stores, eight organization tambayans, and two fraternity tambayans, said Vice Chairperson Jamievee Bautista of the CSSP Student Council.
The college is said to turn Pilar Herrera Hall, initially used for CSSP classes and organizational meetings, into a mini theatre for students, Bautista said.
The CSSP administration has already started relocating five of the eight organizations in the CSSP basement while they have notified both the Antas store and Haribon store to evacuate the area for the demolition.
Ronnie Barbero, 52, would lose his only source of livelihood if the administration would fail to give them a relocation. Barbero has worked in UP for 28 years: 25 years in the now closed down UP Consumer’s Cooperative (COOP) beside Shopping Center and three years in Haribon.
CSSP Dean Grace Aguiling-Dalisay gave 10 days for Antas and Haribon to pack their things and leave their store through a letter of notice on October 28.
“Nagmakaawa ako kay Ma’am Dalisay na ‘wag muna kaming paalisin dahil una, hindi pa kami ready, at pangalawa, masyadong maikli yung oras na ibinigay sa amin para magligpit at umalis. Sabi ko kahit patapusin nalang itong semestre kasi ‘yung mga estudyante, walang mapupuntahang tindahan na malapit,” said Barbero.
UP COOP’s closure due to bankruptcy has deprived its former workers of the benefits they were supposed to receive, including Barbero’s retirement pension of almost half a million pesos. Prior to the cooperative’s closure, Barbero’s salary kept decreasing until he eventually received none.
The only way he gains income is through the casual funds worth P600 that COOP gives him every week, or only P2,400 per month.
“[B]asta huwag lang kami paalisin dito dahil sapat na sa akin ang makatulong sa mga estudyante. Pero kung kailangan talaga kaming paalisin, sana i-relocate man lang kami at huwag kaagad paalisin,” he said.
The CSSP administration granted Barbero’s request for extension and allowed Haribon to stay until the end of the first semester. Meanwhile, Antas store has already been relocated inside Palma Hall.
UP Haring Ibon, UP Aguman, UP Pre-Medical Society, UP DOST Scholars Association, and Youth for Christ UP Diliman have already been relocated to new tambayans in the CSSP basement. The tambayans of UP Samahan sa Agham Pampulitika (UP SAPUL) and UP Philosophy Society (UP PhiloSoc) will not be demolished but members are still asked to evacuate.
Meanwhile, the CSSP Student Council has already proposed to relocate Scintilla Juris fraternity and Alpha Phi Omega fraternity, but both are still waiting for the demolition’s official date before they leave their tambayans.
“Andami pa nilang pwedeng ayusin. Bakit ito kaagad ang gusto nilang ayusin? Mayroon pang Faculty Center, mayroon pang CASAA. Bakit kailangang i-demolish yung natitira sa amin? Hindi na kami tinantanan ng UP,” said Jenna Castro, a former employee of UP COOP and a co-employee of Barbero in the Haribon store.
Students and employees that will be affected by this demolition should be relocated and assisted by the administration, said Bautista. This shouldn’t be another profiteering scheme done by the university, he added. ■
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