Press Release
January 28, 2008

PASSAGE OF NEW U.P. CHARTER WILL HASTEN COMPETITIVENESS OF U.P. DEGREE-HOLDERS --- KIKO PANGILINAN

Senate Majority Leader and Independent senator Kiko Pangilinan is optimistic that the new University of the Philippines (UP) Charter will finally be signed into law after the Bicameral Conference committee on Monday substantially agreed on and drafted a merged version.

Pangilinan has been a staunch proponent to amend the century-old UP Charter through three Congresses (12th, 13th and the current 14th), or for almost seven years. He is the principal author of Senate Bill 1964, the Senate version of the New UP Charter.

"In the same year of its centennial, the University of the Philippines will hopefully have its new charter, to keep up with the times. As I have said, several problems of UP are borne out of a small budget to reform and improve many of its services. With the UP Charter Act being passed in the Bicameral Conference committee, the University will finally be able to generate income through the use of its resources and assets, which could be used to improve its curricula and salary system. The Act also institutes provisions on tax incentives on donations to the University as a means to raise more resources from the private sector. After almost 12 years in the legislative mills and our vigorous effort to pass the UP Charter Bill, we are glad that this landmark piece of legislation will finally become a law," Kiko said.

Kiko furthers that the passage of the UP Charter will certainly hasten the competitiveness of UP degree-holders and its already world-class research.

"It is sad that two or three decades ago, other Asian national universities looked up to UP as the center of learning and information in Asia. Today, UP is lagging behind. The new UP Charter will help raise the bar of excellence of the school, my beloved alma mater," Kiko ended.

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