As former grantees of the UP Democratization Experiment Program (XDS), we take pride in our humble beginnings as sons and daughters of poor and underprivileged families, mostly from the rural areas, who have successfully proven that we can academically compete with the rich and privileged UP students, given the necessary support system extended to us under the Program.

Notwithstanding the fact that our UP diplomas took us to career heights in as far as many foreign lands never in our poverty-stricken pre-UP XDS youth ever thought possible, we remain ever cognizant of our roots, and thoughtful of ways to do acts of gratitude at the proper time and instance.

The XDS group has just recently been electronically reconnected from all parts of the country and across key cities of the world. Thanks to the wonder of technology for now we are able to make our grand concerted plans possible wherever we are.

We hope that we made the University and all involved in the XDS Program proud as our ranks have distinguished themselves in their respective professional and personal achievements both here and abroad, in their various engagements and affiliations in public service, corporate employment, private consultancy, the academe, engineering fields, business and entrepreneurial work, advocacy and development work in NGOs and POs, medical and allied services, law practice, diplomatic and consular service, and as technical experts and specialists, to name a few.

As our opening salvo towards collective action, we took it upon ourselves the duty to speak in behalf of the poor and the disadvantaged youth who are threatened to be denied access to a UP education should the more pro-poor EEAS system be replaced with an admissions system that puts premium on the so called “excellence” as sole UP entrance criterion.

Coming from the ranks of the masses and the rural poor, and having experienced the life-changing opportunity of a UP education, we believe our respective accomplishments are more than proof of success of an equity-based, socialized and democratized admissions system. What we, the XDS grantees, have become, and those many benefited after us under the resultant EEAS are sufficient encouragement and wisdom to sustain a socialized or democratized admissions policy. After all, UP has to live up to its reputation as the People’s University.