There has been a lot of
controversy surrounding the privatization of public land especially in the
University of the Philippines. Areas such as Techno Hub and UP Town Centre have
been in the middle of these debates. The question stands whether the commercial
use of such land is justifiable.
Some people argue that the use
of the land has allowed an increase of money in the University which is grave
need of more funding for facilities and salaries of staff. However, in order to
properly answer this question, on must first realize what the purpose of the
land is to begin with. This land was meant to develop the academic advancement
of the country.
Even though the land isn’t
currently being used, it can already be seen that such land still is an asset
to the entire campus. Areas like the science complex were only able to expand
with the availability of land. Other areas, like the Asian Institute of
Tourism, were built but their expansion has been hindered by the development of
commercial complexes within campus property. This shows a grave misuse of
public property. This land is meant to better the entire country by promoting
education. Instead, it has been used for the further expansion of consumerism.
Aside from this, there is also
the large issue of the movement and demolition of the public high school of the
University of the Philippines. The other cases previously stated have been
cases wherein future expansion of educational facilities has been impeded on.
However, this is case wherein education has taken a back seat to the expansion
of commercial facilities. Up to this point, there has been no replacement for
the facility demolished to build UP town centre.
Personally, as a future tax
paper, I am enraged by the misuse of public land. Aside from that as a current
student of the university, I am also disappointed on the way the administration
has been placing education as a secondary end compared to money.
[Raffy Tanpho]
Kapekonomiya: Probing the UP Land Use is a forum organized by the UP School of Economics Student Council and UP Economics Towards Consciousness last January 10, 2014 at the SE Auditorium, UP Diliman.
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