The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) Provisional Committee (ProvComm), established by the UPOU Office of Student Affairs (OSA), in collaboration with the UP Office of the Student Regent (OSR), successfully conducted the official university-wide referendum to ratify the drafted Student Constitution. This was held from 18 – 22nd April 2022 and extended until 30th April through the newly established student hub—Tagpuan. The new platform was created solely for student affairs in partnership with the UPOU Information and Communication Technology Development Office (ICTDO) and will be managed jointly with the University Student Council. The referendum serves as the flagship program on the new platform.
A promotional poster for TAGPUAN with Kits the official mascot
Learning from the past, the current ProvComm intensified and professionalized its efforts while maintaining a high level of transparency and openness on all major social media platforms and official channels such as the university news website and MyPortal. The referendum was also endorsed by the Student Regent, Hon. Renee Louise M. Co, who put out this call: “By consulting with its constituents, collaborating with university administrators, forwarding student calls, and participating in people’s campaigns, student councils not only directly improve the lives of UP students, but they also invite us to serve the people through their example.”
Official pubmat from the Office of the Student Regent
Despite having the fourth largest student population among the eight constituent universities (CU), UPOU is the only CU without a student council or student organizations. UPOU Students make up 7.8% of all UP students according to 2020-2021 enrollment data from the UP System Budget Office but do not have any representation in system-wide caucuses or alliances. Previous attempts to fight for genuine student representation have been unsuccessful, with the previous ProvComm and referendum being held in 2016 until the Student Regent declared a failure of elections.
The new referendum had an increase of 209.68% in voter turnout from the previous referendum, with a total of 672 ballots cast on the Tagpuan platform. The official list of votes cast was sent to the OSR and OSA for independent validation and auditing. The referendum results showed that 96.58% of the votes were in favor, while 3.42% were against the ratification of the Student Constitution. This is well more than the required majority vote in favor needed for the ratification under Article XV of the student constitution.
The official poll result of the referendum, as seen in the TAGPUAN platform
The results were certified by the ProvComm on 7 May 2022, and on the 23rd of May 2022, the OSR officially endorsed the referendum results to the Chancellor and the Office of Student Affairs. In the same endorsement letter, the OSR and the ProvComm requested a face-to-face dialogue with the UPOU Chancellor and other UPOU officials to discuss and formally submit the ratified Student Constitution, as per Article 434 of the UP System Code.
Certification of Constitutional Referendum Results submitted by ProvComm
Based on the provisions for general elections in the constitution, two elections will take place for the House of Undergraduate and the House of Graduate. The ProvComm expects the University Elections to be held at the start of the next academic year and has urged the immediate constitution of the Committee on Elections, a separate and independent committee with a different mandate from the ProvCom.
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