We are grateful that a number of our staff are somehow able to work from home and continue to push forward our programs and projects despite the limitations, all so that others may benefit.

I wish to assure you that we continue to coordinate, plan, and execute whatever we can, however we can, with utmost sensitivity to the crisis and while not questioning the inability of most others to participate. There is shuffling going on in the communications and technology office; website; property acquisition; human resource and personnel; maintenance; QMS documentation; alumni relations; scholarship committee; library materials; and others I may fail to mention.

We would like to thank in a special way our Accounting staff who ensure the salaries, allowances and stipends of all are released on time, and the OD staff who continue to coordinate a multitude of things.

We thank our faculty and REPS for the academic enterprises of the recent past, including the IHR FAQ ; the papers developed by the Political Law Cluster; some other Covid-19 related research papers of the other institutes; the publication of Prof. Pats Daway in the PDI; the online legal assistance office we hope to launch very shortly together with our students and alumni volunteers from Class ‘88 and Class ’99; and, the coordination with our international academic partners. Our Stetson and Price Teams managed to bring home honors and awards, the glitches of online debate notwithstanding, and the LLM Program team is reviewing the needs of our graduate students.

We thank in a special way the faculty clusters which go to lengths (as in, Zoom meets) to deliberate the concerns of their classes, and the members of the Academic Committee for their valuable participation on academic issues. We acknowledge the professors and students who have started their respective conversations on how the other is doing in this unforgettable Semester of Covid-19, and all other on-going faculty-student collaborations. It is heartwarming that some faculty have gone beyond the call of duty to render assistance to needful students. We thank the beadles for responding and relaying the concerns of the class to the professors.

We thank the OCS for looking forward to the next Semester; the BRI and the BOC for engaging; and the curriculum revision committee for keeping the program awake. To the Mental Wellness Program, we thank you for continuing our counseling program and for LAWve in the Time of Covid-19.

Lastly, we thank the Alumni who have shown overwhelming response to the calls to assist our medical workers. Prof. Roger Quevedo and his cohort has been donating PPEs and other supplies to PGH and our own UHS. Class ’88 and a number of other batches from the 80’s and 90’s have been leading the UP LAW for UP PGH campaign under the auspices of the UP Law Alumni Relations Office. Prof. Jay Batongbacal represents us in the UPD Covid-19 Taskforce to which Class ‘82 has provided assistance. Our Maintenance personnel provide transportation to RITM volunteers. Class ‘94 is prepared to ensure our outsourced utility staff are not displaced by their no work-no pay conditions.

Having said all these, I want to say again that our first priority at this time is our health and well-being. We are as grateful to those who are able to continue serving at this time as much as we are united to the sacrifices and difficulties of those unable to respond or participate, or those whose time and efforts are meanwhile required by their families and other personal concerns.

We continue to lead and inspire others to focus on the light in these dark times.

Thank you very much.

Professor Fides CORDERO-TAN
Dean, UP College of Law

Mga minamahal kong kawani at kapanalig sa UP Law Complex,

Nawa’y lahat kayo at ang inyong mga mahal sa buhay ay nasa ligtas at mabuting kalagayan.

Ipinaaalam ko sa inyong lahat na ang pamunuan ng UP Diliman ay mag-aakyat sa BOR ng mungkahing panatiliing suspended ang lahat ng klase hanggang sa katapusan ng kasalukuyang semester. Ang ibig sabihin ay malamang na hindi na magbubukas ang Malcolm para sa mga mag-aaral hanggang Hulyo o Agosto. Wala pang patalastas patungkol sa kung ang mga academic or non-academic staff o REPS ay pababalikin sa campus, o tulad ng mga mag-aaral, ay work from home or sa online na rin tayo magpapatuloy ng ating trabaho.

Pinasasalamatan natin ang mga patuloy na naglilingkod sa panahon ng lockdown. Mistula namang lahat ng mga units at tanggapan ay may output at patuloy ang ugnayan sa isa’t isa. Pinaparangalan natin si Manang Bella at ang kanyang staff na hindi humihinto hangga’t hindi matiyak na tayong lahat ay tumatanggap ng ating mga sahod sa tamang panahon. Sa aking kaalaman, kasama dito ang lahat ng kawani, kasama ang mga contractuals at JO’s. Maraming salamat muli sa lahat.

Ipagpatuloy natin ang ating ugnayan sa isa’t isa, at huwag mag atubiling magpabatid kung mayroon kayong mga kakaibang pangangailangang dulot ng quarantine o Covid-19.

Ingat ang lahat.