Polytechnic University of the Philippines

CSSD holds back-to-back Umpukan at Talastasan

Shiela Bacad, Yasmin Domingo, News, College of Social Sciences and Development

The College of Social Sciences and Development conducted another Interdisciplinary Forum last Tuesday and Wednesday, June 20–21, at the Claro M. Recto Hall, PUP Sta. Mesa. Gary Granada, a renowned Filipino musician, singer-songwriter, and Human Rights advocate, and Dr. Chris Magno, Chair & Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice & Social Work at Gannon University, served as resource speakers for the two-day session of the Umpukan at Talastasan.

Expanding our appreciation for human rights and peace education
“The goal is to present human rights in a way that’s easy to understand, easy to follow, but not shallow,” Granada shared during his lecture.

His first lecture reviewed the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights. On the second day of the Interdisciplinary Forum, Granada integrated human rights discussion with virtual tools to learn peace education.

Dr. Magno discussed From Drug War to Rights Crisis: The Extent of Philippines’ Killings concentrating on the Duterte Administration’s problematic “War on Drugs” in addressing the illicit drug trafficking, combating criminality and bureaucracy. His second lecture built on the war on drugs case study by expounding on spatial justice and criminalization of the poor.

The speakers and their team prepared charts, energizers, workshops, and surveys for more engaging sessions with the participants. Each lecture included an open forum where students and faculties are free to share their takeaways or ask questions about the topics.

Dr. Raul Roland R. Sebastian, Dean of CSSD, inaugurated the program. Lectures held on the first day was facilitated by Leonel A. Enriquez, faculty from the Department of Psychology; while Eula Jean L. Marayan-Permejo, faculty from the Department of History, facilitated the second day.

CSSD concluded the event by awarding certificates of appreciation to two guest speakers, followed by a photo opportunity, and ended with a closing remark by Assoc. Prof. John Paolo Dalupang, Chair of the Departments of Sociology and Anthropology, respectively. “Konsensya ng Bayan, Ngayon ay Lumalaban!” chanted by the Iskolar ng Bayan to mark the conclusion of the two-day event and to celebrate its success.

Finding the value of freedom amid disinformation
Earlier this month, CSSD also held a special interdisciplinary forum on the growing challenge of mis- and disinformation in the country. It was a timely discussion as the Philippines celebrated its 121st Independence Day. Speakers include Reginald Reginaldo from the Department of History, Richard Campos from the Department of Psychology, Richard Keith Simeon from the Department of Economics, and Rimando Felicia from the Department of Cooperatives and Social Development. Assoc. Prof. John Paolo Dalupang served as facilitator.

Much of the discussion recognized the complexity of mis- and disinformation campaigns across the country, as well as its widespread impact on critical thinking and broader decision-making. Speakers also agreed on the increasing role of academic institutions in combatting the challenge of mis- and disinformation. To a certain extent, current mechanisms to address this challenge could stifle our freedom of speech and expression, and as such, reforms are much needed. A more detailed discussion of the forum may be accessed in this story.

CSSD’s interdisciplinary pivot’
On both iterations, members of the CSSD faculty, staff, and students actively participated in these activities. Other participants include students and faculty from the rest of the PUP community. More topics are expected to be covered in succeeding episodes of Umpukan at Talastasan.

The College deliberately pivots its direction towards more interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to learning and knowledge production. Umpukan at Talastasan is just one of its efforts to encourage deeper engagement among its faculty members, students, and other stakeholders and look at pressing socio-economic issues in a broader light.