PUP - an Epistemic Community:

An Evaluation of
Polytechnic University
of the Philippines
– Taguig’s
Corporate
Social
Responsibility
PUP - Epistemic Community: An Evaluation of Polytechnic University of the Philippines -
Taguig Branch’s Corporate Social Responsibility

This essay evaluating the Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Taguig

Branch’s Corporate Social Responsibility and ethics entitled “PUP - Epistemic
Community: An Evaluation of Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Taguig Branch’s
Corporate Social Responsibility” serves as the final output for the subject Business
Logic under Dr. Angelito R. Calingo. The paper was made through the joint efforts of the
following students of BSA 2-1:
 Alojado, Andrea N.
 Carpizo, Keff Joshua C.
 Dolz, Jazz Jade N.
 Domiquil, Renz Christian D.
 Garcia, Merlyn Grace M.
 Isidro, Aleena Andrea Q.
 Ladringan, Justine Jane R.
 Legaspi, Darwin E.
 Mallillin, Niño Raphael A.
 Talledo, Christian Jay

8
PUP - Epistemic Community: An Evaluation of Polytechnic University of the Philippines -
Taguig Branch’s Corporate Social Responsibility

Quality and relevant education; these are the key words and main objectives for
the establishment of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Taguig Branch in
year 1992. This is in line with the vision of the whole PUP system stating, “Clearing the
paths while laying new foundation to transform the Polytechnic University of the
Philippines into an epistemic community”. An epistemic community pertains to a
community where acquisition and distribution of knowledge take place. Along with this
are the 8-point agenda or the objectives that the University wants to obtain, including
institutionalizing civil society engagement and involved extension program. The
University aims to expand its extension and community involvement and to redefine its
involvement in LGUs and their communities, as well. One of the goals of the Polytechnic
University of the Philippines is to partner with industry and other research and
development institutions in order to strengthen and upgrade the knowledge and skills of
faculty and students, which will create a mark of gradual peace of change in the
University by placing high premium, not merely on providing better quality education,
but also on engaging in sustainable community development programs that will pave
way to a greater community collaboration and innovative solutions that will help the
community in economic and social development. Annually, PUP complies with
necessary documents with Commission on Higher Education (CHED) that will help the
University maintain its provision of quality standard education. Aside from CHED, PUP
also submits an annual report to BIR in compliance to taxes and other governmental
responsibility, earning a good record in its corporate governance and the Seal of
Transparency.

With this, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, in its more than a
century of existence, has provided high-need state scholars access to excellent
education as it continuously strive to set and uphold the standards of a true academic-
driven and civil-oriented institution.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines’ Extension Service Program

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines defines “Extension” as a systematic

transfer of technology, innovation, or generation, generated by the Higher Education
Institution (HEI) and its partner to seek solution to specific developmental concerns.

8
PUP - Epistemic Community: An Evaluation of Polytechnic University of the Philippines -
Taguig Branch’s Corporate Social Responsibility

This definition was adapted by the PUP from the CHED Memorandum Order No. 52
Series of 2016. According to CHED, extension should be purpose-specific, target-
specific, and need-specific program of action, utilizing the best available data, science,
and evidence from a range of disciplines to inform systematic approaches to
developmental solutions.

The main point of the University Extension Vision, Mission, and Objectives is to
uplift the community’s quality of life by conducting extension programs and partnering
with the LGUs and other institutions that may help the PUP achieve their goals.

The agenda of the University Extension falls under three categories; Transfer of
Expertise, Outreach Community and Voluntary Service. Transfer of Expertise, such as
welding, electrical wiring, and basic computer training, are usually series led by the
faculty extension trainings and programs based on the needs assessment result of the
target beneficiaries. Outreach Community, usually done through feeding programs and
clean up drives, are made on a regular basis which focuses on immediate programs
and short-term activities. Voluntary Service, such as the the Salin Kaalaman, Tungo sa
Kaunlaran – An Expert Transfer of Technology Project, is a charitable research-based
or non-research-based extension service.

PUP TAGUIG EXTENSION DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The corporate social responsibility (CSR) of the Polytechnic University of the

Philippines – Taguig Branch is mainly on outreach and research-based extension
programs that are geared towards community development and empowerment of its
constituents. This is in line with the 8-Point University Agenda “Institutionalizing Civil
Society Engagement and Involved Extension Service Program” that seeks to increase
the involvement of the University in improving the society and the quality of life of the
people, especially the underprivileged ones. Its CSR is centered on its advocacy of
creating an epistemic community, which is through faculty-led extension trainings and
programs, outreach community services, and acts of volunteerism.

8
PUP - Epistemic Community: An Evaluation of Polytechnic University of the Philippines -
Taguig Branch’s Corporate Social Responsibility

The Edukalinga and the Salin Kaalaman are the flagship projects of the branch’s
community extension program. It is designed to educate, train, and mentor constituents
of Barangay Lower Bicutan and other communities with various skills that will be
beneficial for their livelihood and employment. These trainings will also contribute to
their well-being as they become self-sufficient members of the community.

Under the Salin Kaalaman series, the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants
conducted a seminar entitled “Plan-Spend-Evaluate: Effective ways of spending your
money right”. This focuses on budget literacy seminar directed to the Sangguniang
Kabataan officers and member of Taguig City. This program held in Mercado de Lago,
Barangay Lower Bicutan, Taguig City on April 6, 2019 was aimed at educating the
participants on how to do the proper budgeting to avoid exhausting the finances of local
or national government and private businesses. Another part of this series is the
Dunong Teknikal, Kaagapay sa Makabuluhang Pamayanang Lokal workshop which
was sponsored by the Junior Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers and
Association of Electronics Communication Engineering Students. This two-day event
focused on sharing the technical skills of the two courses involved to the selected
beneficiaries which are neighboring barangays of the university.

Mentors’ Society together with Marcelo Green Village Elementary School’s

Summer Reading Camp last April 26, 2019 and also their workshop was an example of
the Edukalinga franchise. The officers of the organization prepared stories, games and
prizes for the students. The main objective of this event is to share and to entertain the
students and the out of school students by means of reading stories. A workshop
entitled “Mentor’s Creative Writing workshop: Emerging Writers in Progress” was also
held on June 28, 2019 at Education Laboratory to discuss various topics about feature
writing.

The branch’s Central Student Council together with the admins were also
involved in an outreach benefitting the BANAI community. Notebooks and pencils that
were garnered and given, were collected during the Battle of the Bands as a fundraising
activity as well as some donations from the other student bodies.

8
PUP - Epistemic Community: An Evaluation of Polytechnic University of the Philippines -
Taguig Branch’s Corporate Social Responsibility

A Community of Socially Responsible Universities

Along with PUP – T, in the roster of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with
available information in terms of outreach and extension programs are the following:

Ateneo de Manila University

The main part of the extension programs of Ateneo de Manila University is

education. The institution gives scholarship grants to students from secondary
education to Law School, establishes facilities such as school buildings and libraries,
provides performance excellence awards to teaching and non-teaching personnel, and
allocates funds to deserving athletes who want to study in ADMU. Furthermore, the
university participates in disaster relief and rehabilitation as one of its outreach
programs.

Centro Escolar University

Different outreach organizations, from faculty, students up to its alumni, build the
foundation of community department of Centro Escolar University. In its imperative of
actively participating in community education and service, the university achieves its
mission through programs ranging from livelihood, health and nutrition, environmental
protection and conservation, up to volunteerism in calamity-stricken communities.
Additionally, CEU has helped in the establishment of Manila Boy’s Town Complex which
houses underprivileged people in Manila, particularly street children and senior citizens.

De La Salle University

A diverse set of programs aimed at creating social impact consists the corporate
responsibility of De La Salle University. The extension program of the university
promotes education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and environmental sustainability.
Most of their community engagement projects are based on universal rights, greatly
emphasizing the need of providing to those who are deprived with basic human rights.

University of the Philippines

8
PUP - Epistemic Community: An Evaluation of Polytechnic University of the Philippines -
Taguig Branch’s Corporate Social Responsibility

A vast list of public service programs comprises the CSR of the University of the
Philippines system, as a whole. Their services cover different subject areas of interest
such as agriculture, arts, health, technology, and sciences among the others. The
faculty and the studentry realize these extension programs through conferences and
forums, trainings, and outreach to beneficiaries.

University of Santo Tomas

At its core, University of Santo Tomas incorporates the concept of church, home
and nation in its community development program, from UST – SIMBAHAYAN. Driven
by its mission the Catholic educational institution immerses through different regions of
the country to help partner communities by means of training and education, to
empower people as cohesive units of the community, to sustain long-term development,
to advocate social rights, and to strengthen spiritual connection of people.

Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendation

The University's vision is to transform the University into an epistemic

community. Acquisition and distribution of knowledge is not limited only to the four
corners of our rooms, but it expands its branches to reach all other members of the
community. At least one of the University's mission, vision, goals, and objectives is
aimed at the expansion of its extension and community involvement. Such ambition
requires huge amount of effort. By conducting extension service programs and
partnering with LGUs and other institutions, the University compensates for its lapses in
achieving these agenda. Precedents of this are the “Edukalinga and Salin Kaalaman”
with a grail of educating and training mentor constituents in Taguig. Programs under
Salin Kaalaman are “Plan-Spend-Evaluate: Effective ways of spending your money
right”, pioneered by the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants which focused on
providing information for budget literacy to the Sangguniang Kabataan officers and
members. Another is “Dunong Teknikal, Kaagapay sa Makabuluhang Pamayanang
Lokal”, spearheaded by the Junior Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers and the
Association of Electronics Communications Engineering Students, which aims to share
technical skills from the two organizations. For the Edukalinga program, examples are

8
PUP - Epistemic Community: An Evaluation of Polytechnic University of the Philippines -
Taguig Branch’s Corporate Social Responsibility

the Summer Reading Camp lead by the Mentors’ Society, which aimed to share, teach,
and entertain students as well as out of school students. Another example is the
“Mentor’s Creative Writing workshop: Emerging Writers in Progress“, another program
pioneered by the Mentors’ Society, which focused on discussing feature writing. These
programs are only some examples of the extension programs lead by the PUP
Community outside the University’s premises, in line with the University’s mission,
vision, goals, and objectives. These programs prove that the University fulfills its social
responsibility. However, such effort is only a necessity, but not sufficient, for the
University to achieve such intention. No institution is perfect. Consequently, all
institutions have rooms for improvements, and the Polytechnic University of the
Philippines is no exemption. The University must cover a wider variety of programs
which produce knowledge and skills which will help better the living standards of people
in the community. The programs must not also be only about the speakers, talking
about the lessons and ending the program with just that. These programs must be
interactive. Very interactive that at the end of the program, the audience may have
produced outputs. The audience will exit the venue, with not just knowledge implanted
in their memory, but also with technical skills which they have put into practice during
the flow of the program that they will carry, practice, and enhance after being involved in
such a project. This is what the University should aim. Programs that will not just
engrave knowledge, but also carve deeply skills. Because the information presented to
them will just be forgotten in a short span of time. But, when we carve skills into their
brain and muscles, those skills will be retained, which they can develop, nurture,
improve, or modify, for the changing needs of our industry, community, and society.

8
PUP - Epistemic Community: An Evaluation of Polytechnic University of the Philippines -
Taguig Branch’s Corporate Social Responsibility

References

Ateneo de Manila University. (2019). Giving. [online] Available at:

https://www.ateneo.edu/giving?
fbclid=IwAR3Rvu09oqnQHZhrpdLaf_WWMofVKAUQQrGxnwb7Vf8-ahwa37F_Xs0-eFQ
[Accessed 22 Oct. 2019].
Ceu.edu.ph. (2019). CEU Community Outreach Department | Centro Escolar University. [online]
Available at: https://www.ceu.edu.ph/community-outreach [Accessed 22 Oct. 2019].
De La Salle University. (2019). Sustainable Development - De La Salle University. [online]
Available at: https://www.dlsu.edu.ph/offices/ovplm/cosca/what-we-do-2/lsd/?
fbclid=IwAR2pDmHfdRPUBWzXZowENgdiME8W1poLCZwrdONhf85hRxqp9ofTTE2oS
Uc [Accessed 22 Oct. 2019].
Extension Manual. Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
Padayon UP. (2019). UP Catalogue of Institutional Public Service. [online] Available at:
https://publicservice.up.edu.ph/sample-catalogue/?
fbclid=IwAR35iOgUyGo7O0WTfM5LxfZ8vysgm--WJC0MmWZtuduSUYqitekCaP07mek
[Accessed 22 Oct. 2019].
Ust.edu.ph. (2019). Community Development - University of Santo Tomas. [online] Available at:
http://www.ust.edu.ph/community-development/ [Accessed 22 Oct. 2019].