Sunday, December 16, 2018

UGAT Christmas Reunion 2018 - In Photos

UGAT CHRISTMAS REUNION 2018
16 December 2018

University of the Philippines - Diliman
Diliman, Quezon City

IN PHOTOS


  UGAT Generations - founders, pioneers, movers, and the current Board of Directors

   Raul Pertierra / Pons Bennagen

   Carol Sobritchea / Lerma de Lima-Yambot

   Eugenia Bennagen / Jaja Paulate /  Che Dominguez 

   Len Regpala / Mercy Fabros

   Che Dominguez / Jaja Paulate 

   Etoy Castro / Fras Abaya / Maria Mangahas 

   Maria Mangahas / Ike Oracion 

   Etoy Castro / Maria Mangahas 

   Len Regpala 


   Mercy Fabros 


   Jaja Paulate


   Etoy Castro


   Suyen Roldan / Pons Bennagen

  Suyen Roldan / Carol Sobritchea

  Suyen Roldan / Raul Pertierra 

  Leah Vidal


UGAT Board of Directors 2018-2019


All photographs by Anthony John R. Balisi

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Palawan’s (un)sustainable development

SECOND OPINION: Palawan’s (un)sustainable development
Philippine Daily Inquirer
22 November 2018

Gideon Lasco 
Columnist 

PUERTO PRINCESA — Having lived in Palawan for over a year and having come and gone over the past decade, I can attest to its natural beauty: from the spellbinding forests of Cleopatra’s Needle and Mount Mantalingahan to the stunning beaches of El Nido and Coron. Even while walking along Puerto Princesa’s acacia-lined streets, one cannot help but be charmed by the island’s relatively pristine state.

This beauty, however, is facing numerous threats, a fact raised by President Duterte — who visited recently. Calling the island’s attractions a “crown jewel,” he told Palawan officials: “Itong (lugar) ninyo, linisin ninyo. Huwag ninyong overload. Bantay kayo d’yan. (Clean up your place, don’t overload it. Guard it.)” He also called on the officials not to allow hotels to be built near beaches, and warned that “nobody can claim ownership” of the island’s coastlines.

While the President was being feted by local politicians, scholars were likewise discussing the environmental state of Palawan, in the annual conference of the Ugnayang Agham-Tao (Ugat) — the association of Philippine anthropologists. Held at the Palawan State University (PSU), its theme could not have been more apt: “Doing Anthropology in Times of Environmental Crisis.” Among the issues raised were the impact of environmental changes (and laws) on indigenous peoples and the accommodation of mining projects by moving Environmentally Critical Areas Network  zones.

Doubtless, many Palaweños have benefited from economic growth: PSU graduates are choosing to stay in Puerto Princesa, where the growing tourism and service sectors have opened up more career opportunities; or elsewhere on the island, with mining and other industries. The city’s amenities, meanwhile, have made it a more attractive place for professionals to settle in or retire.

But there are also questions about the price of this so-called “development.” With its population tripling over the past 25 years, Puerto Princesa is showing signs of urban congestion, from burgeoning informal settlements and worsening traffic to recurring power outages and rising cost of living. “The city is losing its character,” one of my friends laments, referencing the trees, now gone, that used to be part of the landscape. “Soon we will look like any other Philippine city.”

As the elections draw near, I would like to challenge Palawan’s local officials to put environmental conversation and long-term planning at the heart of their policies and programs. Alas, the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development has lacked the political support to implement its mandate, and local officials have been slow to act on environmental concerns.

For his part, President Duterte speaks of the need to protect Palawan, but he must realize that significant threats to the province include the island-building in Kalayaan and the illegal poaching by Chinese fishermen in the West Philippine Sea. Thus, in light of his subservience to China, he must also direct his challenge to himself. Moreover, given the potentially grave environmental consequences of dividing Palawan into three provinces, I urge him not to sign this move — which reeks of gerrymandering — into law.

As for my friends in Palawan and all Palaweños, I know it is too much to ask them to follow the footsteps of the late Dr. Gerry Ortega, whose murder in broad daylight is a continuing reminder of the risks involved in activism. But supporting environmental organizations, patronizing sustainable tourism initiatives, and voting for officials who genuinely have the island’s interest in mind can all make a big difference. So can academic work that affirms, to borrow from the Ugat conference theme, “our interconnectedness” with nature and documents the threats to our shared fate.

It is time to arrest Palawan’s unsustainable development before it’s too late to undo the damage wrought by human greed and irresponsibility—not to mention political complicity and neglect. Indeed, whether we are leaders, citizens, scholars or friends of Palawan, the legacy we should strive for is not that that we “developed” the island—but that we left it as beautiful as it once was.

Follow @gideonlasco on Twitter. Send feedback to glasco@inquirer.com.ph.


Reference: https://opinion.inquirer.net/117639/palawans-unsustainable-development

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Anthropology majors lack support, funds for field school



No funding nor assistance and not a word of support from their own department—for anthropology undergraduates, these have been the recent struggles they face trying to finish their field school.

Yearly, students head to a pre-selected site selected by the Department of Anthropology which is based in the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP).The activity, which is held in the mid-year semester before students graduate, has anthropology undergraduates produce reports of their communities through interviews and observations on the site.

Students are expected to shell out money for whatever expenses come up during their visit, while these costs typically hover around P10,000, said Edwin Valientes, this year's field school director for Mahatao, Batanes. These expenditures, meanwhile, include fees for accommodations, meals, and, in some instances, plane tickets for domestic or, sometimes even, travel abroad.

Raising money for the requirement usually involves much effort for students: holding income-generating projects, securing corporate sponsorships, grants, solicitations, and student cash-outs are just some of the options undergraduates count on to get by. But even with all the trouble, often these efforts can still come up short. Last year’s batch of field school participants, for example, held various projects over the course of eight months. The money those same projects earned, however, remained inadequate in funding their Batangas field school. This year’s batch of field schools in Mahatao and Pasig, similarly, found themselves still in need of money even after raising as much as P200,000.

Covering these fees without support was difficult, recalled Frances Sajor who went to the 2018 field school.

"The expenses had actually become heavy to the point that one of my classmates had to borrow money to attend the field school," Sajor recalled.

Forced Independence

Part of the struggle to raise money stems from the department not providing students with enough information to estimate their expenses on-site, remarked Kate Purnell, who spearheaded the fundraising projects for her batch.

“I really feel like things would have been easier if the department cared more about the welfare of its students,” she said, “Sabi nila ‘[kayong mga estudyante] na bahala mag-isip.’”

On the other hand, while some faculty members would buy the items students sell, the department as a unit does not offer any support, recalled 2017 batch head Dana Castillo.

Some students bound for field school last year, however, were able to secure P100,000 in reimbursements from the Office of the Chancellor after contacting corporations and non-government organizations had failed to yield results. Participants received the reimbursements later on after completing their field school. Castillo emphasized, however, that such cases are not typical.

The department should not be expected to subsidize the field school's fees as it is a course requirement, while students are oriented months before the activity itself, said Dr. Monica Santos, the director for this year’s field school in Pasig. Instances of reimbursements, on the other hand, also depend on the department’s budget for the field school director, while it is also ultimately the director’s prerogative whether to provide funding or not, Santos noted.

“It’s like kapag nag-prescribe kami ng textbook sa klase, hindi kami ang nagbibigay ng textbook for you. Hindi namin i-susubsidize ‘yun for you...in the case of the field school, it’s something that is part of the curriculum so it’s really something that you have to consider,” Santos remarked.

On the other hand, she also emphasized that the undergraduates’ expenses ultimately depend on their lifestyle. “Kung gusto mong mag-Starbucks araw-araw, eh aabot talaga sa trenta mil gagastusin mo.”

Stalemate

Paolo Sevilla, finance officer for this year’s field school, was critical of the administration’s stance.

“We choose how much to spend, but certain things are non-negotiable expenses that are almost binary in that they are either there or absent. This includes [the] cost of basic food, basic lodging, and transport to a field site that is not of our choosing.”

Though the administration has met with departments which hold field schools to discuss their needs, the university has no concrete plans to address the fees incurred by the activity. For now, students can request assistance through grant applications on campus, though support is not always guaranteed, said Madilene Landicho, who was a field school director last year.

Amid anthropology majors’ field school woes, former anthropology representative to the CSSP Student Council Lakan Umali took the initiative to push for the institutionalization of the field school in order to formalize funding from the university.

“Nagkaroon ng dialogue ang League of College Councils with Chancellor Tan where we brought up the institutionalization of funding for Field School,” recalled Umali. He was later advised to approach the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development, who replied that they could not fund undergraduates–only graduate students and faculty members.

Though his efforts did not bear fruit, the current department representative to the CSSP Student Council, Sophie Del Prado, confirmed that the council will still lobby for financial support.

Purnell, on the other hand, still believes that the department should offer their students assistance regardless of the university’s supposed lack of funding for undergraduates, even if only through helping them find groups which can sponsor the field school.

“Just because it’s the norm doesn’t meant that it’s right. We’re trying to push for free education here in this school, and the fact that we have to still pay for stuff that’s part of the education just backfires,” she said.

Philippine Collegian

https://www.facebook.com/phkule/posts/1944731108941160?__tn__=K-R

Monday, November 12, 2018

UGAT Annual Conferences (1978 to 2018)

40 years of commitment to the promotion of anthropological knowledge and participation to integrated national consciousness development and nation building.


1st (1978, Laguna) "Philippine Anthropology Today”
2nd (1979, Baguio City) “The Power of Anthropology: A Dialogue Among Developers”
3rd (1980, Cebu City) “The Filipino and His Changing Environment”
4th (1981, Dumaguete City) “The Anthropology of Power”
5th (1982, Iligan City) “Anthropology and Technology: Third World Perspectives
6th (1983, North Cotabato) “Anthropology of Mass Movements: Peoples Organizations in Social Transformation”
7th (1984, Bukidnon) “The Anthropology of the Future: Emerging Structures and Processes”
8th (1985, Legaspi City) “Anthropology of Education: Contribution to Nationhood”
9th (1987, Cagayan de Oro City) “Culture Change and National Development”
10th (1988, Marawi City) “Ethnicity and National Unity”


11th (1989, Tacloban City) “Anthropology and Resistance”
12th (1990, Manila) “Philippine Ethnography: Issues in Cultural Pluralism and Nationhood”
13th (1991, Manila) “Anthropology of Philippine Anthropology: Issues and Concerns for the Nineties”
14th (1992, Laguna) “Anthropology of Development: Issues and Concerns of the Nineties”
15th (1993, Cebu City) “Sustainability of Development: The Anthropological Perspective”
16th (1994, General Santos City) “The Anthropology of Transformation”
17th (1995, Nueva Ecija) “Anthropology of Disaster”
18th (1996, Benguet) “The Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines: Knowledge, Power and Struggles”
19th (1997, Palawan) “Territoriality, Histories and Identities”
20th (1998, Quezon City) “Philippine Anthropology in the 21st Century”


21st (1999, Albay) “The Use and Abuse of Anthropology in the Philippines”
22nd (2000, Misamis Oriental) “Theory and Practice of Philippines Anthropology: Reviewing the Past to View the Future”
23rd (2001, UP Diliman) “Bridging the Generations in Philippine Anthropology”
24th (2002, Davao City) “Rootwork and Network: Weaving Mindanao Anthropology”
25th (2003, Cebu City) “Writing Philippine Ethnography”
26th (2004, Cagayan de Oro City) “The Ends of Educating”
27th (2005, Miagao) “The Anthropology of Crisis”
28th (2006, Dumaguete) “The Philippines Unbound: Anthropological Critiques of Globalization”
29th (2007, Zamboanga City) “The Practice of Governance”
30th (2008, Pampanga) “Performing Heritage”


31st (2009, Cagayan de Oro) “The (Re)Making of Cities and its Consequences”
32nd (2010, Manila) “Kalkhasan in Flux: Indigenous Peoples’ Creativity in a Changing Natural Environment”
33rd (2011, Bukidnon) “Aghamtaong Kaagapay: Anthropology Cares for Its Publics”
34th (2012, Cebu City) “Culture” and “Well-being”: Conceptualizations, Appropriations, Implications
35th (2013, Davao City) “Rethinking & Remaking Forms of Knowledge”
36th (2014, Baguio City) “Trajectories of the Anthropological in the Philippines”
37th (2015, Dumaguete) “Dagat Ug Kinabuhi: Maritime Cultures, Spaces & Networks”
38th (2016, Quezon City) “Circulating Anthropological Knowledge in the Public Sphere: Building Communities of Practice”
39th (2017, Cagayan de Oro) “The Struggle for Rights: Anthropological Reflection on What Is and What Ought To Be”
40th (2018, Palawan) “Our Interconnectedness: Doing Anthropology in a Time of Ecological Crisis”


UGAT 40th Annual Conference, An International Gathering. Our Interconnectedness: Doing Anthropology in a Time of Ecological Crisis. Book of Abstracts. 2018. Quezon City: Ugnayang Pang-Aghamtao, Inc. (UGAT). pp 117-118.

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Aghamtao 28 - Call for Submissions

We are now accepting article submissions for Vol. 28 of AGHAMTAO, the official and peer-reviewed journal of the Ugnayang Pang-Aghamtao, Inc. (UGAT), Inc. This issue will carry the theme, “Our Interconnectedness: Doing Anthropology in a Time of Ecological Crisis.” The editors are especially interested in full versions of the papers or presentations read during that conference; articles or essays that engage with such papers or presentations; or which otherwise address the state, complexity and dynamics of confronting the ecological crises that threaten entire species and ways of life.  Submissions that do not meet these criteria, but have clear substantive, theoretical or methodological merit, shall be given due consideration for inclusion in the issue.

Please email submissions to aghamtaojournal@gmail.com as soon as possible in order to be considered for the issue, which is scheduled for launch during the UGAT Annual National Conference in 2019. To allow for the review process, the closing date for submissions for this particular issue is 30 April 2019. Submissions received beyond this date however may be considered for succeeding issues of the journal.

Article submissions must be emailed in MS Word .doc format, accompanied by an abstract of not more than 250 words.  All figures (numbered and with captions) must be in a separate file. The minimum length for an article submission is 3,000 words. For referencing style, kindly consult recent issues of AghamTao.


Very truly yours,


Padmapani L. Perez, Issue Editor
and the Editorial Board of AGHAMTAO Vol. 28


UGAT 40th Annual Conference, An International Gathering. Our Interconnectedness: Doing Anthropology in a Time of Ecological Crisis. Book of Abstracts. 2018. Quezon City: Ugnayang Pang-Aghamtao, Inc. (UGAT). pp 116. 

UGAT 40th Annual Conference - In Photos

UGNAYANG PANG-AGHAMTAO, INC. (UGAT)
Anthropological Association of the Philippines
and
Palawan State University (PSU)

40th Annual Conference
An International Gathering
OUR INTERCONNECTEDNESS:
DOING ANTHROPOLOGY IN A TIME OF ECOLOGICAL CRISIS
8-10 November 2018
Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

IN PHOTOS


 Photo by Fred Precillas


 Photo by Fred Precillas


 Photo by Fred Precillas


 Photo by Fred Precillas


 Photo by Fred Precillas


Photo by Fred Precillas

 Photo by Fred Precillas


 Photo by Fred Precillas


 Photo by Fred Precillas


Photo by Fred Precillas

 Photo by Fred Precillas


Photo by Fred Precillas

Photo by Fred Precillas

 Photo by Hannah May Rosario

 Photo by Fred Precillas

 Photo by Fatima Gay Molina

 Photo by Fred Precillas

 Photo by Fred Precillas

 Photo by Fred Precillas

 Photo by Fred Precillas

 Photo by Fred Precillas

 Photo by Fred Precillas

 Photo by Fred Precillas

 Photo by Fred Precillas

Photo by Thea Tandog

Friday, November 9, 2018

Stuart A. Schlegel, University of California, Santa Cruz

STUART A. SCHLEGEL
Professor Emeritus 
University of California, Santa Cruz

25 October 1932 - 09 November 2018 


Stu Schlegel spent nearly two years in the mid-1960s in a Philippine rainforest with the Teduray people (known until recently as "Tiruray") -- and wishes he could have never left!

Photo from Stu Schlegel's facebook, https://www.facebook.com/stu.schlegel

Friday, November 2, 2018

UGAT 40th Annual Conference - Book of Abstracts

UGNAYANG PANG-AGHAMTAO, INC. (UGAT)
Anthropological Association of the Philippines
and
Palawan State University (PSU)

40th Annual Conference
An International Gathering
OUR INTERCONNECTEDNESS:
DOING ANTHROPOLOGY IN A TIME OF ECOLOGICAL CRISIS
8-10 November 2018
Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

BOOK OF ABSTRACTS 


Cover and book design by Anthony John R. Balisi

UGAT 40th Annual Conference BOA - download here

UGAT 40th Annual Conference BOA Addenda - download here

Sunday, October 21, 2018

In Memoriam

Remembering the Filipino and Filipinist anthropologists who went on before us.

This list begins in 1960 and was most recently updated on 10 November 2018. If you would like to contribute a notice for any individuals on the list or if you wish to inform us of a death, please leave a message in the comment section.


Name
Born
Died
Institutional Affiliation
Rene  Agbayani
02-Feb-98
Anthro Watch
Edilberto  Alegre
UP Department of English and Comparative Literature
Celia  Antonio
25-Jul-11
UP Department of Anthropology
Wilfredo  Arce
29-Mar-37
28-Mar-14
Ateneo de Manila University
Artemio  Barbosa
14-Dec-15
National Museum
Ma. Lorena  Barros
18-Mar-48
24-Mar-76
UP Department of Anthropology
Moises  Bello
UP Department of Anthropology
H. Otley Beyer
13-Jul-1883
31-Dec-66
UP Department of Anthropology
National Museum
Carol  Brady-deRaedt
23-Oct-12
UP Baguio
Rowe V. Cadelina
Silliman University
Rendel Ryan "Perper"  Cagula
26-Feb-91
04-Nov-14
UP Mindanao
Fr. Gabriel  Casal, OSB
1939
14-Jun-06
National Museum
Katherine  Cheng
2015
UP Department of Anthropology
Anthropology Society
Fr. Francisco  F. Claver, SJ
20-Jan-26
01-Jul-10
Roman Catholic Diocese of Malaybalay 
Harold C. Conklin
27-Apr-26
18-Feb-16
Yale University
Sr. Felicidad M. Dacayanan, MIC
UP Department of Anthropology
Maryhill School of Theology
Jules  De Raedt
UP Baguio
Amalia  dela Torre
08-Apr
08-Mar-14
National Museum  / University of San Carlos
Fr. Francisco  Demetrio, SJ
1920
1996
Xavier University; Museo de Oro
Edward Pasqual Dozier
23-Apr-16
02-May-71
University of New Mexico
Frederick "Fred" Russell  Eggan
12-Sep-06
07-May-91
University of Chicago
Damiana L. Eugenio
27-Sep-21
10-Oct-14
UP Department of English and Comparative Literature
Alfredo E. Evangelista
22-Sep-26
18-Oct-08
National Museum
Doreen Gamboa Fernandez
28-Oct-34
24-Jun-02
Ateneo de Manila University
Robert Bradford Fox
11-May-18
25-May-85
National Museum
Juan R. Francisco
1929
UP Department of Anthropology
Asian Center
Natividad  Garcia
Darleen   Gela
19-Sep
13-Sep-18
UP Department of Anthropology
Florentino  Hornedo
16-Oct-38
09-Dec-15
Ateneo de Manila University
F. Landa Jocano
05-Feb-30
27-Oct-13
UP Department of Anthropology
National Museum
Marie Margaret Martin Keesing
01-Dec-01
13-Jul-61
Stanford University
Felix Maxwell Keesing
05-Jan-02
22-Apr-61
Stanford University
Leticia  Lagmay
2011
UP Department of Anthropology
William  Longacre
17-Dec-37
18-Nov-15
University of Arizona
Fr. Frank Xavier Lynch, SJ
02-Apr-21
28-Sep-78
Ateneo de Manila University
Marcelino  Maceda
University of San Carlos
Jose  Maceda
17-Jan-17
05-May-04
UP College of Music
E. Arsenio Manuel
1909
2003
UP Department of Anthropology
Erlinda D. Montillo-Burton
30-Nov-39
11-Sep-18
Xavier University
Kim  Nepomuceno
08-Jun-77
01-Mar-14
UP Department of Anthropology
Anthropology Society
Natividad  Noriega
1994
UP Anthropology Museum
Amparo  B. Ojeda
1930
23-Jun-10
Loyola University of Chicago
Harold  Olofson
28-Jan-41
21-Oct-09
University of San Carlos
Timoteo S. Oracion
1911
1990
Silliman University
Sabino "Abe" Garcia Padilla Jr.
02-May-54
22-Mar-13
College of Arts and Sciences, UP Manila
Mariflor  Parpan-Malicsi
17-Oct-36
08-Apr-16
UP Department of Anthropology
Antoon  Postma
28-Mar-29
22-Oct-16
Mangyan Heritage Center
Fr. Rudolph  Rahman, SVD
20-Sep-02
23-Sep-85
University of San Carlos
Delbert  Rice
24-Jan-28
08-May-14
Ikalahan Foundation
Gerard  Rixhon
20-Aug-25
01-Sep-12
Ateneo de Manila University
Michelle "Shelly" Zimbalist Rosaldo
1944
11-Oct-81
Stanford University
Mamitua  Saber
1922
31-Jan-92
Mindanao State University
Stuart  A. Schlegel
25-Oct-32
09-Nov-18
University of California, Santa Cruz
Chin Ben  See
1986
Pagkakaisa / Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran
Wilhelm  Solheim II
19-Nov-24
25-Jul-14
University of Hawaii 
UP Archaeological Studies Program
Marcelo  Tangco
National Museum
Lillian  Trager
15-Apr-47
10-Nov-06
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Mumtaz Mahal  Veloso
04-Sep-94
UP Department of Anthropology
Ronald Hector "Hecky" A. Villanueva
05-Oct-67
07-Nov-10
Gawad Kalinga
Mario D. Zamora
1948
12-Aug-93
UP Department of Anthropology