Within that span of time, hundreds of students have graduated without ever setting foot in a building they could call their own; hundreds of students have completed their programs with limited access to spaces for learning, interaction, and collaboration with their peers. At the same time, the number of faculty at the DECL continued to grow, from 72 members in 2016 to 86 members now, in 2026. These professors, lecturers, and instructors are forced to ration the limited spaces given to them, taking turns in occupying the few tables that can fit within the meager 48sqm room where they can work in between their classes.
We are refugees in our own campus, forced to perform at the highest standards of academic excellence while we eke out an existence in borrowed rooms and temporary arrangements. As we approach the 10th anniversary of the FC Fire, we also mark 10 years of #KALbaryo, 10 years displacement, and 10 years of disregard from the UP Administration. We demand the immediate completion of the New CAL Building and Faculty Commons. The department has toiled and labored unceasingly despite difficult conditions; it is well past time for the university to give the DECL its due.
Check out #KALbaryo on the DECL Facebook page to learn more.
