UCU promotes human rights safety, conducts anti-sexual harassment seminar
Urdaneta City University, in collaboration with the Character and Values Formation Unit of the Center for Student Leadership and Development and the Human Capital Management Office, conducted a seminar on RA 7877 Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995 and RA 11313 Safe Spaces Act of 2019 with the theme, “Stop Harassment: Speak Now, Say No!” on April 14, 2023 held at the University Gymnasium, and via Facebook Live.
In response to the goal of the University to prioritize the safety of its students and employees, Prof. Vobeleth Salandanan, the Head of CSLD - Character and Values Formation Unit, said that the program focused on the objectives of raising awareness and educate students and employees of the provisions of RA 7877 and RA 11313, maintaining to provide a safe environment of learning, adapting a zero-tolerance attitude toward violence, and instilling in the academic community the responsibility and accountability of what entails the anti-sexual harassment provisions.
“Sexual harassment is an act or series of acts involving any unwelcome sexual advance, request or demand for a sexual favor, or other verbal or physical behavior that is sexual in nature,” defined Atty. Agnes Velasquez-Rivera, the President of the National Education Industry Tripartite Council of the Philippines, and the guest speaker of the said program. She emphasized in her lecture that sexual harassment, whether direct or implied, could be verbal, physical, and also visual in manner, there is assertion and abuse of power over the victim, and creates an uncomfortable situation or environment for the victim.
The principle of “quid pro quo” or “something in exchange for something” is the main indication that there is committed sexual harassment. “Even if the sexual favor is not verbally expressed, non-verbal sexual advances that made the complainant uncomfortable are justifiable as harassment. The demand for a sexual favor need not be explicit or stated,” further explained Atty. Velasquez-Rivera.
“A teacher who perverts his or her position by sexually harassing a student should not be allowed, under any circumstance, to practice this noble profession,” cited Atty. Velasquez-Rivera, in one of the presented samples of court decisions integrated in her lecture.
The Safe Space Act of 2019 was also discussed, emphasizing the consequences of gender-based online sexual harassment, which includes terrorizing, intimidating victims through physical, psychological, and emotional threats, unwanted sexual misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, and sexist remarks online, and invasion of victim’s privacy through cyberstalking and incessant messaging.
Attended by students and employees of the University, a Question and Answer portion was posed at the end of the lecture. One student, Leomar Madarang, a member of the UCU Student Council expressed, “It is very informative, since things like harassment happen in schools and universities… it informs everyone of the importance of it dahil hindi lang ito nangyayari sa university but also in public spaces."
Prof. Eleuterio Sison, the President of the UCU Personnel’s Association, also shared that, "Actually, it is very timely for us, not only for students and personnel but for all people in the Philippines. It is good that our legislature has enacted laws that would protect the rights of each and every individual, more particularly the students, and even the personnel in the workplace. In Urdaneta City University, it is incumbent for our personnel to know their limits as regards to the dealings with students. Nalaman na po ng ating mga estudyante if they are going to identify yung biro o hindi biro
