When Kenji Aquino took over as president of the UP Materials Science Society (MSS) prior to the academic year, he knew that there would come a time in the future when they would have to relocate from their tambayan in the first floor of Melchor Hall’s west wing.
MSS, along with the UP Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Association—commonly known as the 49ers—had been occupying the area on a temporary basis for a couple years since Aquino was an applicant himself. But by midsemester, the college told them they needed to give way.
The administration reasoned that the area occupied by the orgs is under the jurisdiction of the college's canteen, which they only lent while awaiting a concessionaire.
“Spinecify nila na overstay na kami ng welcome diyan (sa dating tambayan),” Aquino told the Collegian.
While a long overdue move of their tambayan had been in the books since the pandemic came to pass, the timing of the news still came as a surprise. The associate dean for student affairs only dropped by their tambayan late September to call for a meeting on short notice.
The area that originally housed the “temporary” tambayans which MSS and the 49ers occupied has since been barricaded with wood. (John Gabriel Mercado/Philippine Collegian)
The consultations took place solely between the orgs and the associate dean, without much representation from the Engineering Student Council except for the last meeting. By November, they were instructed to vacate the area, but where the orgs would go remained uncertain.
As orgs in the Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering, MSS and the 49ers are supposed to be located in their home department—which is on the other side of campus and approximately a kilometer away—while college-wide orgs or those that cannot be accommodated will be retained at Melchor.
The original plan was for MSS, 49ers, and the UP Mining Engineering Society to move into their department building, as was the case pre-pandemic. But the admin did not have time to clean the space allotted to them, which had become a dumping ground for old machines and equipment, forcing them to look elsewhere.
“Masyado syang maliit. … Tapos sobrang late niya,” Aquino said. “‘Yon pa rin naman yung plan currently, magkakaroon kami ng permanent tambayan doon, shared with the three orgs.”
The orgs will also carry the financial burden of building their permanent tambayans, with each amounting to an estimated P450,000, excluding labor.
With regards to plans for the original space, engineering fraternity Tau Alpha reportedly donated an unknown sum for a supposed cafe to be built there, said MSS’s executive committee. According to them, the college said it had to “seize the opportunity.”
“Nagmukhang secondary kami, parang second thought,” Aquino said. “Parang, ‘Okay, papaalisin natin sila. Ngayon, it’s time for us to find a place to put them in.’”
The Collegian reached out to the associate deans for administration and student affairs seeking details regarding the canteen concessionaire and any contributions from student orgs. Neither office returned requests for follow-up.
For now, both MSS and 49ers are currently housed at opposite ends of Melchor Hall’s fourth floor, with the 49ers staying in the west wing while MSS is sharing a room with the UP Geodetic Engineering (GE) Club. UP GE Club had been situated at its tambayan by itself since its formation, but the club was compelled to share the space due to a college rule stipulating that a tambayan can only be a maximum of 18 square meters.
After the ordeal, the orgs urged the college administration to adhere to fair procedures and engage in proper consultations, instead of treating them as an afterthought in the name of the college’s financial needs.
“Dapat hindi pina-prioritize ang opportunities over student spaces, student rights,” Mela Murillo, MSS secretary, told the Collegian. “Pinaalis na lang kami doon for the opportunity na they had to seize.” ●
