17 December 2012

GSUP 50th Anniversary and 2nd GSUP Alumni Inc. Annual Meeting



Calling all members of the Geographic Society of the University of the Philippines (resident members and alumni) to come and take part as GSUP celebrate its 50th founding anniversary and 2nd GSUP Alumni Inc. Annual Meeting on 2 March 2013, 6:00 pm at the Legend Villas, Mandaluyong City. For more details kindly email Esther Joy Pasagui - estherjoyp@gmail.com or Gladys Mae Chavez - gladysmaechavez@yahoo.com.   

Location map for the venue (open image in new tab for bigger picture):





11 December 2012

Forum on Geographical Studies: Research Engagements of Young Filipino Geographers


 
The UP Department of Geography and Philippine Geographical Society (PGS) invite everyone to attend the first Forum on Geographical Studies.  The event will feature ongoing research projects of young scholars and researchers of the University of the Philippines on various themes of human geography in relation to exploring the diverse aspects of Philippine society.

The program for the said forum will be the following:

1:00 - 1:10        National Anthem
                           Invocation


1:10 - 1:20       OPENING REMARKS
           
                          Dr. Darlene J. Occena-Gutierrez
                          Chair, Department of Geography

       
                  Emmanuel B. Garcia, EnP
       
                  President, Philippine Geographical Society


1:20- 2:30        PANEL 1: GEOGRAPHY AND CRIMES
       
                  Inequality, Governance, and Crime: A Macro-Scale Exploratory Analysis  

                          Prof. Ma. Simeona M. Martinez
       
       
                  A Preliminary Study on How GIS Know-How can Spatially Represent 

                          the Distribution of 19th Century Illegal Gambling in the Province of Manila 
                          Prof. Marco B. Lagman

                          Spatial Realities Inside the Quezon City Jail 
                          EnP Emmanuel B. Garcia

                          OPEN FORUM


2:30-3:45         PANEL 2: DISASTER EDUCATION
       
                  Child Partivipation and Disaster Risk Reduction
       
                   Prof. Yany P. Lopez

      
                    Flood Impacts and Mitigation Activities in Filinvest East
      
                    Mr. Johnson Damian

       
                  Observations on the Maps and Mapping of Land Use and Land Cover in

                          the Philippines 
                          Mr. David Garcia 

                           OPEN FORUM


3:45 - 3:50       CLOSING REMARKS
 

                          Dr. Meliton B. Juanico 
                          Member - Board of Directors, Philippine Geographical Society


4:00 - 5:00       PGS ANNUAL ASSEMBLY MEETING
       
                   President's Report
     
                     Updates


The forum will be on December 12, 2012, 1-5PM, at the Palma Hall 207, UP Diliman, Quezon City.





06 December 2012

Lecture on "Sustainable Urban Transport in Asian Cities" by Dr. Yves Boquet



The UP Department of Geography invites everyone to a lecture on "Sustainable Urban Transport in Asian Cities" by Dr. Yves Boquet. This will be held on December 7, 2012, 3-5PM at Palma Hall Room 206.

Dr. Boquet is a professor of Geography at the Université de Bourgogne University of Burgundy) in Dijon, France. Since 2009 he has also served as a Secretary of the International Geographical Union (IGU) - Commission on Transport and Geography.



27 September 2012

Philippine Queer Geographies: Gender, Sexuality and Space



The Department of Geography and the Proud to be LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) Campaign hosted a forum on Philippine Queer Geographies: Gender, Sexuality and Space last August 29, 2012, held at the CSSP AVR (PH 207) from 1-5pm. This collaborative effort, the ‘coming out’ of Philippine Queer Geographies, aimed to discuss and put forward variegated concerns and issues about gender identity, sexuality, and space in the Philippines.  Invited speakers were songwriter/performer Tao Aves, former president of LGBT organization Babaylan  Hender Gercio, fashion industry practitioner Santi Obcena and Ira Briones who is into full-time work on LGBT rights and welfare, as well as HIV and AIDS.

The speakers shared their experiences about how gender identity and sexuality are expressed and accepted in different spaces and places.  Ms. Aves discussed gender issues in performative spaces.  She shared that as a performer, she did not experience any form of discrimination, which could be due to the fact that she ‘looks’ heterosexual.  However, her use of ‘she/her’ instead of ‘he/him’ in her songs elicits noticeable reactions from the audience, as she is expected to sing about the opposite sex.  Meanwhile the fashion world, which is dominated by gay men designing clothes for women, is more accepting of people of all gender identities and sexual orientations, according to Mr. Obcena.

The University of the Philippines as an academic space is still a long way from being gender-sensitive in Ms. Gercio’s opinion.  Though there are courses that tackle gender issues (e.g. PanPil 19, SocSci 103) there are still courses that put distinction between men and women, particularly PE Courses (e.g. Basketball for Men and Women, Swimming for Men and Women, etc.).  The use of the male/female dichotomy for the category ‘sex’ in the UPCAT form and other forms used by the University was, for Ms. Gercio, an example of a gender-insensitive practice. 

As a reaction to the rising HIV cases among MSM (men who have sex with men) in the country, Ms. Briones discussed the emergent concerns of the gay community.  She talked about how discrimination is happening not only to the members of the LGBT community, but to HIV patients as well.  She stressed the importance of support and acceptance for people who have contracted HIV.

Geographers, Ms. Ros De Vera, Ms. Mylene De Guzman, Mr. Kristian Saguin and Dr. Andre Ortega integrated the issues that were identified by the speakers and talked on how these issues could be further explored by members of the academe, in the hope of increasing awareness about gender-related concerns in the country.#  Mylene de Guzman



17 September 2012

[Job Posting] Faculty Position Available



THE DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR ONE TEMPORARY FULL-TIME INSTRUCTOR POSITION 
FOR THE SECOND SEMESTER, AY 2012-2013


Requirements 
Letter of application
Curriculum Vitae w/ 2x2 ID picture
Official Transcript of Records (in case not yet available, Certified True Copy Grades)
Three letters of recommendation from former professors
Could handle physical and quantitative geography courses 


Address application to:

      The Chair
      Department of Geography
      College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
      University of the Philippines Diliman
      Email address:  djogutierrez@gmail.com
      Phone:  981-8500 Local 2222/2375

Deadline of application: 28 September 2012

Shortlisted applicants will be called for an interview and teaching demonstration.

02 August 2012

[I Am A Geographer] Challenging but fun: Why I love community volunteerism

by Earvin S. Delgado



Earvin Delgado, BS Geog 2011, shared his experience of conducting information campaign on the Carood Watershed in Bohol, which was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.  Read it here and who knows, you might get inspired and follow Earvin's path.  Not only will you get to places and, interact with various people but also practiced what you have learned and be an engaged geographer. 


"I Am A Geographer" are articles featuring what our alumni are doing.  This will serve not only as an update of what they are up to (there is Facebook to do that for us!) but also as a venue for people to know what geographers actually do. So, if you have encountered any published article featuring any of our alumni, please kindly inform us through email (up.geography@yahoo.com) or maybe you can write one of your own and we will publish it here in our Cyberbulletin.



28 February 2012

[IN THE NEWS] Inauguration of GIS Lab in UP Newsletter February 2012 issue




Check out the latest UP Newsletter as it has reported the inauguration of the Department's GIS Laboratory (February 2012 issue, p.5). If you cannot get a copy of the broadsheet version, you can get your digital copy here.




14 February 2012

Department of Geography Activities for CSSP Week 2012



In celebration of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP) Week 2012, we are inviting everyone to attend the following activities that the Department of Geography has lined:


      15 Feb        Lecture on Fisheries, Aquaculture, and the Matter of Nature
                         by Prof. Kristian Saguin, alumni and former faculty member of the 
                         Department and currently taking up his PhD studies at 
                         Texas A & M University 
                         10-12NN, Palma Hall AVR 207 
      
      16 Feb      Film Showing: Avatar
                       1-3PM, Palma Hall 400
      
                       Quiz Show: GEOGHenyo, Handa Ka Na Ba?
                       3-5PM, Palma Hall 400


For this year's CSSP Week, Ms. Mylene de Guzman is the coordinator of the said activities.#





02 February 2012

[Feature Article] Mental Maps of the Philippines

by David Jonathan Cruz Garcia



Each of us has different visions of the same place. All of the images above depict the Philippine archipelago but each doodle shows our islands in a quite different way. This is what students of the University of the Philippines Geography 1 classes came up with - an amalgam of map showing what the Philippine Islands are - in different minds.

Islands were drawn in rather unique ways - fatter, thinner, bigger, smaller - different from what are seen in maps bought from our local bookstores. Some islands were missing while there were additional big islands in some. Such comparison is possible because each of the maps was drawn onto an A4-size paper. The doodled maps were then put together in one file using an image-processing software, thus creating the possibility of comparing the oddities in the maps above. The highlighted maps are the more interesting ones.

Let’s look at some of these maps…









The student who drew this map probably 
got the highest grade in class.











Mindanao is now a group of islands.











Political turmoil has caused a break up 
of the Philippine territory.










There were added islands as well as missing ones.  In a number of the doodles, the lucky islands that were remembered were displaced - or merged with others.











We have successfully annexed Sabah?








The national disaster office regrettably 
announces  that the Bicol region 
was washed away by a 
supertyphoon.















We lost 7,103 islands.














It is now 13,477,021 A.D. 
There is only one plausible reason for the merging of Mindanao and Bicol - plate tectonics


















Ice age has caused the sea level to decline 
and exposed 
the Philippine archipelagic seafloor. 
















The Philippine version of Pangaea.












Such mental maps are products of our perceptions. While the world may be "out there," our approximations of it are never complete and therefore our conclusions about it are never final and comprehensive. The maps inside our minds are living pictures of the places we have known. These living pictures change as we age and unravel as we travel. But since only a few can go and see every corner of the archipelago, it is highly possible that our mental maps of our country, no matter how much expertise we gain from cradle to the grave, will never be complete.

What salient reminders could we learn from the fact we know less of our geographic realities? Maybe we need to brush up and investigate our geography in our schools. Or maybe we should always think that as individuals we actually know less of this group of islands we live in. We fervently talk about the state of our territory and its people in forums and social networking sites. We speak in class, chat in workplaces, and persuade in coffee shops about the solutions that need to be done to make our everyday living equitable for all. But how much do we really know about our group of islands; more so about how to improve it?

What salient reminders could we learn from the fact that we know less of our geographic realities? Maybe we need to brush up and investigate our Geography in our schools. Or maybe we should always think that as individuals we actually know less of this group of islands we live in. We fervently talk about the state of our territory and its people in forums and social networking sites. We speak in class, chat in workplaces, and persuade in coffee shops about the solutions that need to be done to make our everyday living fair for all. But how much do we really know about our group of islands to actually help in advancing our social conditions?
                             
"Sometimes I'm confused by what I think is really obvious. But what I think is really obvious obviously isn't obvious…" - Michael Stipe


Mr. David Jonathan C. Garcia is a faculty member of the Department of Geography. He graduated BS Geography and is currently working towards a master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning (MAURP).  He is dedicating this article to his students in Geog 1 classes, 1st Semester, 2011-2012, who were the actual ones that drew the "doodles." 


To all faculty and students: if you think you have an article/essay that is an interesting read and that talks about anything and everything about Geography, we invite you to submit them to up.geography@yahoo.com.  Write one now and be read!


27 January 2012

Inauguration of Department of Geography’s GIS Lab



Last January 25, 2012, the newly renovated Geographic Information Systems and Digital Cartography Laboratory or GIS Lab of the Department of Geography - College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP) was inaugurated.  The event was led by the Department’s Chair, Dr. Darlene Occeña-Gutierrez, attended by Chancellor Caesar A. Saloma, Dean Michael L. Tan, CSSP Department chairs, faculty and students of the Geography Department.

It has been almost 10 years since the GIS laboratory was constructed in 2003 and its renovation is a timely upgrade of the facility to accommodate the increasing demand for GIS as a geospatial technology.  As Chancellor Saloma said in his message, like any other technology, it involves constant upgrading.

The application of geospatial technology is of great advantage to those who are undertaking research in the social sciences and other fields.  Dean Tan even said that GIS is a hidden and unknown aspect of social sciences that is gaining recognition.  Not only is it being used in resource management, urban and regional planning, demographic studies, etc, but has now been recognized as an indispensable tool and technique in disaster risk reduction and management.  Chancellor Saloma concurred with this saying that GIS is an interdisciplinary program that could be used in research on risk management, particularly for the Diliman Campus, which is a major concern of his administration.

The GIS Lab is primarily used for instruction and research.  It is utilized for the Department’s GIS, Digital Cartography, Map and Air Photo Interpretation courses.  Classes of Quantitative Methods in Geographic Analysis are also held here as statistical software is required in teaching the said subject. The Department also uses the laboratory when offering short-term courses on GIS applications to members of the CSSP faculty and staff, to non-government and community organizations, private individuals, and government officials who are involved in development-related programs.#


Photo Credits: Bong Arboleda of UP System Information Office
For more pictures see UP System's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.332877460068488.77363.125780737444829&type=1

The Department would like to thank those who generously contributed for the wine and cheese party-theme of the Inauguration: Sir Emmanuel Garcia,EnP, Sir DJ Garcia, Dr. Meliton Juanico, Prof. Yany Lopez, Geography alumni Rodney Jay Asinas and Lourdes Anne Budomo, and the Philippine Geographical Society.

24 January 2012

Geography Week 2012



Come and join us as we celebrate Geography Week 2012.

The following are the scheduled activities to mark the event:

January
               24-27      Geography Exhibit
                              AS Lobby

               24           Film Showings: Nostalgia for the Light
                              and Last Train Home
                              PH 207, 1pm

               25            Inauguration of the newly renovated GIS Laboratory
                              PH 104-106, 10am

               26           Space Battles: A Forum on Demolitions
                              PH 207, 1-3pm

               27           Geog Time: Culmination Night
                              Showcasing Geog Majors' Talents
                              PH 207, 5-7pm