The Spratlys, Part II

In my May 26, 2011 column, “The Spratlys,” I said that “Current broadsheets reported that President Aquino …. expressed the Philippine position during the visit of Chinese defense minister Liang Guanglie, that the group of Spratlys islands called ‘Nansha’ belongs to the Philippines.” The President did not only make a verbal complaint. He expressed that the Philippines file or will file a formal complaint at the United Nations. In this manner, he can no longer be compared to a Don Quixote fighting the windmills because the international community will see to it that fairness and the rights of small nations are protected. And if for anything else, this is one pro-active gambit of our government — if not by a President — that deserves support by our people, and a place in the history of our nation in protecting its sovereignty.

As has been observed, there are valid reasons to believe that such complaint of the Philippines filed with the United Nations will take some time to be resolved, and its results will be influenced by how strong the United States and its allies would support the claims on the Spratlys by the small claimant countries in the China Sea, a support that is more than likely to take place in order to protect their own interests in the area.  

I further said that “The issue now is more than just the Philippine territorial claim against China’s claim. America’s interest is at stake here.” And true enough, the United States began to flex its muscles by sending one of its aircraft carriers in the China Sea region for the purpose, it says, of preventing any disruption of normal travel and navigation in the disputed sea lane amidst the brewing “word  war” between China and other Spratly claimants.

In this connection, a Peace Advocate with whom I have been talking about the issue commented that in spite of the brewing “word war” by claimants and international geo-political posturing of super powers, he does not believe that America and China will indulge or engage themselves at this stage into costly direct confrontation about the Spratlys, but rather, they will do everything humanly possible to use their influence, either through covert or overt maneuverings to preserve detente and resolve amicably the escalating dispute through dialogue — as what President Aquino proposed at the outset.

The President further noted that the statement of People’s Republic of China Ambassador Liu Jianchao at a Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Independence Day dinner may have opened a path for “easing tensions”, or better still started a substantive two-way dialogue for mutually beneficial understanding and cooperation between the Philippines and China. The ambassador was quoted as saying, “The last thing the Chinese government and people want to see is that the (Spratlys) dispute stands in the way of the progress of our wonderful relations and the friendship and brotherhood of our two peoples.”

In any event, the Peace Advocate said that such statement will be tested in the coming few months as dual preparations are being undertaken by the two sides in preparation for President Aquino’s visit to China before the end of this year as reported in the news. The clue or answer will be provided by the degree and latitude of preparation and reception that China will extend to our President. This does not refer to pompous lunches and dinners. This specifically refers to matters related to the development of mutually beneficial bilateral relations and cooperation in matters of trade, and investments, that should include among others, the Post-War development and reconstruction of Mindanao.  

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During this time of the year, we hear a lot of complaints about tuition fee hikes, inadequate school facilities and other gripes related to “back-to-school” concerns. 

I was therefore pleasantly surprised when I read something different — about the Return Service Agreement (RSA) Program being implemented by the University of the Philippines Manila as an absolute requirement to enrollment. Finally, a state-funded university is on the right track to give back in one form of service the government subsidy it receives. 

Out of curiosity about how the program was conceptualized and how it will be implemented, I called up my very reliable friend, the newly appointed director of UP Manila Information Office, Dr. Michael Tee. If I may digress a bit, I can say I am very happy that Dr. Tee is now handling this office. Dr. Tee is very popular among us media practitioners for being approachable and effective as Philippine General Hospital’s spokesman for seven years. His competence as an internist-rheumatologist is an added bonus as we get to consult him for our medical needs. 

Dr. Tee told me that even as early as the 1988 reorganization of UPM, it had been tasked to “provide the highest quality of advanced instruction, professional training, basic and applied research, and community service, and thereby produce outstanding scholars, practitioners, and leaders in the fields of health, the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities.” That UPM is able to accomplish its mission is not a problem. The problem was that many graduates in the health professions programs, especially the medical and nursing graduates, have joined the exodus to the US, the Middle East and other countries. Thus in 1976, the School of Health Sciences (SHS) in Tacloban, Leyte which is administratively under UP Manila was established with the mandate to serve the underserved Filipinos in rural and remote areas. Graduates of SHS serve two years for every year of education. They serve either as midwife, nurse or physician, preferably in the community which nominated them. After 33 years, about 90 percent of SHS graduates are still serving the Philippines.

In 2009, UP College of Medicine Dean Alberto Roxas implemented the initial phase of the RSA by requiring applicants to sign a “Return Service Agreement” as requirement for admission. When these students graduate in 2014, they shall serve for three years in the Philippines. The service should be completed within five years after graduation.

 Finding wisdom in this program, other UP Manila colleges involved in health science education, like the colleges of Pharmacy, Allied Medical Profession, Nursing, Dentistry and Public Health worked together in crafting a general policy for RSA that was approved by the UP Board of Regents. The UPM Alumni Relations and Placement Office (ARPO) was tasked as the lead implementer. The graduates are required to submit to the ARPO on or before December 31 of every year for five years, beginning the year he graduated from UPM, a report of his/her health care activities and services for that year, specifying the exact address and nature of his work. Graduates who have not completed the RSA will not be given authentication of UPM education records for hospitals/ institutions abroad. College deans will also refrain from giving letters of recommendation for out-of-the country education/training.

 Overall, this initiative of UP Manila Chancellor Ramon Arcadio should be lauded for being responsive to the needs of our country. Finally, we have leaders who can claim they have fulfilled the very mission their agency has been tasked to perform. 

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