his paper is a self-reflection on the state of openness of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). An exploratory and descriptive study, it aims not only to define the elements of openness of UPOU, but also to unravel the causes and solutions to the issues and concerns that limit its options to becoming a truly open university. It is based on four parameters of openness, which are widely universal in the literature, e.g., open admissions, open curricula, distance education at scale, and the co-creation, sharing and use of open educational resources (OER). It draws from the perception survey among peers, which the author conducted in UPOU in July and August 2012. It also relies on relevant secondary materials on the subject. What if you could revisit and download the questions you took during the UPCAT (University of the Philippines College Admission Test)? I received information that this will soon be a possibility. It’s not yet official though. For some people, including yours truly, this is the same set of questions that made and unmade dreams. Not all UPCAT takers make it. Only a small fraction pass the test. Some of the passers see it as a blessing. Some see it as fuel, firing their desire to keep working harder. Some see it as an entitlement — instant membership to an elite group. Whatever its worth, the UPCAT is the entryway to the University of the Philippines, a scholastic community with a unique and celebrated tradition spanning more than a century. But take heed — none of its legacy would have been possible if not for the hard work of Filipino taxpayers. The UP Administration will provide more details about their new plans for the UPCAT during the last few days of July. By that time, UP President Alfredo Pascual would be back after an official trip to the United States of America. Expect a press conference. Expect also that UP officials will face a lot of questions, some of them more difficult to answer than those found in the UPCAT. Purple Haze While UP President Pascual was away, the university was shrouded in a veil of mystery involving an unreported hazing incident. For more than a week, the newscast State of the Nation with Jessica Soho assigned me to work on a lead about a student of UP Diliman who almost died after sustaining serious injuries from initiation rites. Details were elusive, but one thing we knew was that the victim was a minor. In deference to our sources, we could not reveal the name of the victim, the fraternity involved, and even the hospital where he was confined for a week to recover from near-fatal injuries. We needed to get direct confirmation from the parties involved, but no one would talk. For a while, it began to look like an urban legend. There were reports that the hazing incident in UP Diliman happened before Guillo Cesar Servando, a freshman student of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, died from injuries sustained in fraternity hazing rites. Affidavits from witnesses tagged members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity as those behind the incident. A family member of the UP Diliman student told one of our sources that the untimely demise of Servando could have been avoided if news about this earlier hazing incident found its way into mainstream media. But why did it remain unreported? For one, it was difficult to do the story because there was no official police report. It is supposed to be the protocol for hospitals to report any suspicious injuries or casualties to government authorities, but the Quezon City Police Department received nothing. The family of the victim did not want to talk too. They wanted privacy; they may also have been afraid. One of my sources asked me: was there a cover-up? On July 4, 2014, we finally received confirmation that the hazing incident was not the product of our imagination. The family had decided to cooperate with the authorities. UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan released an official statement confirming the involvement of Upsilon Sigma Phi – the same fraternity that counts President Ferdinand Marcos and Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. among its members. “The family of the victim has authorized me to divulge the name of the fraternity and to say they will be taking formal legal action next week. They reiterate a request for privacy.” - UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan In my news report, Popoy de Vera, a top-ranking UP official, made assurances that an investigation would take place. He acknowledged that UP President Pascual is a member the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity, but De Vera said this will not affect the outcome of the case. The next day, the University Student Council enforced preventive suspension on three of their members who also happened to be Upsilonians. In an interview, USC Chair Arjay Mercado explained that this move was not meant as a penalty, but only a means to ensure the impartiality of their institution. If the family decides not to push through with their legal action, the USC can file a criminal case as a representative of the students. Despite three days of follow-up reports, the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity did not release any statement. To this day, they have remained silent. On July 8, 2014, UP President Alfredo Pascual broke his own silence with an online statement: “Incidents of violence, done even for the noblest of reasons, have no place in UP. I hope this will be the last time that we shall hear of acts of violence that endanger the lives of our students and produce a climate of fear among the members of the university community and their families.” - UP President Alfredo Pascual I don’t know how it feels like to belong in a fraternity. I’m not in a position to criticize or judge organizations with Greek letter names. I can speak for myself though. When I was an undergraduate student of BA Broadcast Communication, my fratman professor invited me for dinner. It was a subtle recruitment pitch. I seriously considered joining a fraternity. The mere invitation somehow made me feel important. Ultimately, I declined the dinner invitation. Later, I learned that one of my blockmates had joined another fraternity. After his hazing, his legs were so violet it would have made Barney insecure. Hazing would have happened to me too if I joined. Who are we kidding here? Some may scorn me for being afraid of pain, but I couldn’t understand why I would have to let strangers harm me. For what? If I had to endure all that pain to protect my son perhaps, I would do it willingly. But as it is, pain is the premium membership fee I would have had to pay to join an exclusive club. No. The problem with UP is that its prestigious fraternities, sororities, and organizations could start a trend by completely removing hazing out of the equation — but it’s not happening yet. I’m hoping it does, sooner than later. Change can only come from within. Bracket A Because of the hazing story, I recently spent quite of a bit of time at Quezon Hall and Vinzons Hall — two buildings on opposite ends of the UP Academic Oval. One is for the administration, the other for the student organizations. When I was a student I never ventured in these parts, nor did I participate actively in school issues. I did attend a rally once, but it was my first and last. In 2003, my freshman year, our sociology professor encouraged me to participate in a student protest in front of the Senate. It was against another budget cut for UP. I believed in the cause so I marched with them. One of the street leaders then was Atom Araullo. It didn’t end well. The police dispersed us quite violently. Back in 2003, my tuition was 300 pesos per unit. That’s about 6,000 pesos every semester, more or less. Still, the activists demanded more state subsidy and support for students. Fast forward to 2014. The tuition is now 1,000 or 1,500 pesos per unit. Every semester, this amounts to at least 20,000 pesos or higher. If some students would stage a similar protest rally today and the administration gave them our old 2003 rate, I bet some of the new students will feel they scored a major victory. But it’s not enough. I would always hear my activist friends say this: “Education is a right, not a privilege.” I just discovered that the STFAP (Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program) has been retired. In its place is the new STS or Socialized Tuition System. This new program aims to improve scholarship applications using digital technology. Before the start of a semester, every student must now fill out two online forms (instead of 14 printed documents during STFAP). The system assesses the answers and assigns the student to an income bracket, depending on his or her financial status. Bracket E is the lowest category. Students who end up here will not pay any tuition. They will also get a monthly stipend. Bracket A is for students with above average family income. They will get no tuition discount. There are varying degrees of tuition discount in the middle brackets. If you don’t answer the online forms, you are automatically put in a bracket, which is likely Bracket A. A student can appeal the assigned bracket. But in social media, many UP students expressed frustration about their bracket results.