UP new Charter of 2007

Excerpt from Senator Angara's news article

‘New charter gives UP direction, fiscal autonomy and path to eminence in Asia’

THE signing of the University of the Philippines’ new Charter of 2007, or Republic Act 9500, by President Arroyo on April 29, 2008, was the culmination of intense work that spanned three Congresses. The more than seven years that it took to enact the UP Charter is worth it. And it has become more meaningful because it became a law while UP celebrates its centennial.

A new charter for UP is needed to keep it attuned to the times, to enable it to grow, and to keep it as a leading academic institution. The UP Charter gives the university direction, fiscal autonomy and the potential to be one of the leading research universities in Asia.

The charter removes UP from the coverage of the Salary Standardization Law. This gives the UP Board of Regents the flexibility to design a more attractive and competitive compensation package for faculty and staff. At present a professor from, say, Ateneo receives up to three times more than what a UP professor does. But a UP professor enjoys certain privileges that an Ateneo professor does not, and that is academic freedom, both personal and institutional, as well as security of tenure. My theory is that if a UP professor gets at least two-thirds of an Ateneo professor’s salary, then they are already at par. With an improved remuneration, we can not only attract the best and the brightest but also keep them.

Gifts and donations to an education institution are tax-free. The UP Charter reiterates this because the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs often come up with their own regulations and circulars that negate the intent of promoting education by providing tax exemption and incentives to charitable grants and gifts.

Donations to UP are also free from donor’s tax and can be claimed as a tax deduction. The purpose of this provision is that government is unable to provide all that the national university needs and therefore, philanthropic citizens may be able to supplement what government cannot give.

The charter also exempts from customs duties the importation of economic, technical, scientific, philosophical, historical and cultural books, supplies and materials duly certified by the Board of Regents, including scientific and educational instruments, computer and software equipment. All transactions are zero-rated for value-added tax and all academic awards are tax-exempt.

The new UP Charter makes UP “the National University.” Before, when we spoke of a “State University” UP immediately came to mind. There are about 112 state universities and colleges today, with each of them claiming the status of a “State University,” and the reference to UP was lost. The Charter reiterates the premiere status of UP by making it the National University.

But the characterization of NU is more than an honorific title. In terms of preferences among the hierarchy of state universities and colleges, UP must always maintain the lead in budgetary appropriations. But there is also a corresponding obligation on the part of a National University.

The charter similarly directs UP to serve as the research university in various fields of expertise and specialization, conducting basic and applied research, and promoting research in the various colleges and campuses, and contributing to the dissemination and application of knowledge.

to read the complete article please go to this link

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/june/08/yehey/top_stories/20080608top2.html