UP Speech Communication Association

02/10/2026

Binabago ng tao ang mundo. Binabago ng mundo ang tao.
Sa nagbabagong panahon, ano ang ilalahad mo sa entablado?




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Pubmat by Hannah Ingua
Caption by Kate Roderos

02/10/2026

“Ang Paniniil sa Karapatan sa Lupa ay Pagkitil sa Buhay ng Masa”

Official Statement of UP SPECA on the
Annual Celebration of the National Indigenous Peoples Month

The celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Month is not merely an appreciation of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs)’ contributions. Beyond its surface, it carries the stories and experiences of everyone in the community in their long-standing fight for equitable rights to their ancestral lands. As the country welcomes the month of October, the University of the Philippines Speech Communication Association (UP SPECA) stands in solidarity with the Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) and amplifies their call for accountability regarding the recent changes and developments implemented by the government, particularly in relation to policies that should protect the rights of these marginalized groups.

In May 2026, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) revised the guidelines of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC)—a right that allows IPs to decide according to their customs regarding projects and policies that they deem to accept, negotiate, and reject (Human Rights Watch, 2026). The recently revised guidelines highlight the short period of time given for the ICCs to consider, decide, and reach consensus on policies and projects being offered to them, specifically those that concern their resources, lands, and territories.

Tracing back to 2012, the guidelines then emphasized that there were no strict deadlines set for organizing and participating in community assemblies to discuss the offers made by various corporations. In contrast, the 2026 revised guidelines impose specific timeframes on the ICCs, giving them 10 days to hold community assemblies and 30 days to reach consensus for large-scale projects. Meanwhile, only 4 days are given to them to hold community assemblies and 7 days to build consensus for small-scale projects (Human Rights Watch, 2026).

With these changes, a huge amount of pressure is placed on the ICCs, forcing them to make decisions immediately without having enough time to assess and weigh their options regarding the activities that may occur within their lands and that may directly affect their lives. This alone contradicts the main principles of FPIC which seek to ensure that IPs are able to make decisions without feeling coerced, consider their options thoroughly with enough time, and receive all the necessary information they need about the potential impacts of specific policies and projects (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, n.d.).

In the current context, at a time when ancestral lands are continuously grabbed under the Marcos Jr. administration, UP SPECA stands firmly in calling for accountability and ensuring that the rich heritage of our Indigenous Peoples is preserved with honor and dignity. As communication scholars and enthusiasts, it is our duty to speak up and amplify the voices of the marginalized—of those whose livelihoods are being taken away and whose lives are being trampled on—and place their calls at the forefront of our commitment in sparking change. As history has repeatedly shown, it is through the power of our voices that we participate in creating a better place for everyone to live in.



Photo | Jire Carreon

21/09/2026

“𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘆𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗮 𝗡𝗮𝗴𝗺𝘂𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻”

𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗣 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗔 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟱𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀.

Trigger Warnings: mentions of harassment, tortures and killings, red-tagging, and human rights violations.

54 years after former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared martial law, the scars and horrors of the past remain in the minds and hearts of many Filipinos. On September 21, 1972, Proclamation No. 1081 was signed by the former president as he claimed to use it as a defense against a deteriorating state of peace and order in society caused by various violent demonstrations (Borlaza, 2026). This proclamation, however, not only caused a significant change in the legal rules of the country, but also marked the start of a dark chapter in Philippine history.

As absolute power fell into the hands of the Marcos family, ordinary Filipinos were stripped of their rights to democracy. According to Amnesty International (2022), thousands of people were arrested, detained, tortured, and killed under the Marcos Sr. administration. These human rights violations placed not just the victims, but also their families, under vulnerable and severe traumatic situations that caused them to carry grief and pain for a lifetime.

Ironically, four years have passed since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed his presidency. State intimidation, red-tagging, and harassment against individuals, groups, and organizations continue to persist. As of 2026, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (2026) has recorded 256 incidents of press freedom violations under the Marcos Jr. administration. The seat of power has not only permitted the Marcos family to reframe their narratives and claim their side of the story as the Golden Age of Philippine history, but it has also given them the power to suppress the voices of the people who criticize them.

As members of the University of the Philippines Speech Communication Association, we continue to stand firmly with the truth and refuse our voices to be controlled by those seated in power. We reject the rhetoric used to frame Martial Law as a way to fix the order in society and create a better one, because no matter the intention, it does not change the truth that people died in the hands of the state’s tyranny and dictatorship. Thus, as students of communication, we uphold and amplify the message that our voice is ours, and the power to seek truth, understand society, and speak for humanity has always belonged to us, the Filipino people.

We honor and remember the lives of everyone who fought, survived, and courageously stood against injustices. As we continue to fight against disinformation, corruption, and abuse of power in the status quo, let us never forget the lives of the people who were silenced.

Ang pag-alala sa kasaysayan ay katambal ng pag-aalala sa kinabukasan.

04/09/2026

UP SPECA proudly presents its 25TH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE that will continue to break barriers together! ❤️‍🔥

As a new roster of leaders enters the Academic Year 2026-2027, we look forward to shiny and silvery moments that will further enhance and strengthen our confidence, competence, and compassion. This year, there is really nowhere to go but upward again.

Be part of 25 years of ongoing commitment to communication.
Come and join UP SPECA’s Grand Applicants’ Orientation on:
📅 September 7, 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM
📍 PAV 1229-1230

🔗: https://forms.gle/yLS6Dmy1yJ3z9qhS9
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Caption by Kate Roderos
Pubmat by Aliana Del Rosario
Photos taken by Ymac Santos

03/09/2026

Attention all aspiring SPECers!

The wait is officially over! UP SPECA’s Application Grand Orientation will be happening on September 7, 2026, 2:30-5:00 pm, at PAV 1229-1230 🤩✨

Clear your schedule because it’s finally time to meet the org and its members, and have loads of fun while we’re at it! Get to know SPECA, its projects, its members, and perhaps join in on a jamming session?!

Please confirm your attendance by filling out this form on or before September 6, 2026, 11:59 pm

https://forms.gle/yLS6Dmy1yJ3z9qhS9

https://forms.gle/yLS6Dmy1yJ3z9qhS9

https://forms.gle/yLS6Dmy1yJ3z9qhS9

31/08/2026

Magaling ka ba mag-brazilian dance? 💃

Kami rin.

Oh, dahil diyan, apply ka na. Turuan niyo kami.

1, 2, 3, go kanya-kanya na ‘to:

https://forms.gle/RKJFR2rVB9LhpsJ68

https://forms.gle/RKJFR2rVB9LhpsJ68

https://forms.gle/RKJFR2rVB9LhpsJ68

Kitakits sa real na real na pagbubukas ng UP SPECApps season! 🫵🤩

23/08/2026

𝙋𝘼𝙆𝙄-𝙏𝘼𝙒𝘼𝙂 𝘼𝙉𝙂 𝙈𝙂𝘼 𝙆𝘼𝙋𝙄𝙏𝘽𝘼𝙃𝘼𝙔!
𝘼𝘼𝙍𝘼𝙉𝙂𝙆𝘼𝘿𝘼 𝙉𝘼 𝘼𝙉𝙂 𝙄𝙆𝙊𝙏 𝙋𝘼 𝙆𝘼𝙇!

May anunsyo lang kami: meet the narrators, the grand guiders, the main support para sa grand show sa Lunes—este host!

Mula sa UP Speech Communication Association, naandito sila Hannah Grace Ingua at Micah Malig na magiging taga-kwento ng samu't saring mga patimpalak sa bagong KALbanata ng ating mga bagong Artista ng Bayan!

Makikilala nyo sila sa Lunes, Agosto 21 sa IBG-KAL Theatre! Tandaan, registrations starts at NOON sharp at ang programa ay 1 PM to 5 PM!

Kita-kits!

Co-presented with:
UP Speech Communication Association

Media Partner:
Kalasag





Edited by Eda Filipino

18/08/2026

08/05/2026

Matapos ang sunog sa Faculty Center, nananatiling usapin sa KAL ang kakulangan ng espasyo.

Sa gitna ng pag-alala ngayong Kalbaryo, kinausap namin ang mga estudyante, g**o, at kawani ng KAL upang malaman ang kalagayan ng espasyong kanilang tinatayuan, at espasyong hanggang ngayon ay inaasahan pa rin.

Hindi sapat ang mga pangako at paggunita. Makaturungan at tiyak na tugon ang nararapat para sa mga artista ng bayan.

TAMA NA. SOBRA NA. ITIGIL ANG KALBARYO! ✊





Interviews by: Shanley Jamil, Joseph Balasolla, Arianelle Velarde
Video Edited by: Belle de Guzman
Caption by: Micah Malig

01/05/2026

𝗔𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗘, 𝗠𝗚𝗔 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗚𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗪𝗔! ✊

The cries of our laborers do not go unheard.

It is seen in the transport strikes, nationwide protests on fair wages, and the continued struggle for workers’ rights we have witnessed since January alone. It is also seen in the everyday, often invisible and mundane struggles of our laborers despite hardship. It is seen when these laborers sustain the very spaces that depend on their labor yet remain unresponsive to their needs. It is embodied through their resilience, persistence, and endurance.

Truly, our laborers are the backbone of our society. Yet, their lived realities continue to reflect neglect and systemic precarity. On March 26, 2026, the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) reported that workers’ labor and human rights have worsened since 2025, attributing the decline to poor labor policies and conditions under the Marcos Jr. administration. [1] From rising job insecurity, lack of worker protections, and persistent violations of labor rights, many of these workers are left socially and financially vulnerable despite their importance to our society.

The cries of our laborers do not only speak for present workers, but also for future laborers who will enter the same systems of work that aim to serve the people. The University of the Philippines Speech Communication Association (UP SPECA) recognizes that these demands shape conditions of today’s labor, while extending to the standards that will define how our future generations will work, serve, and live. In this light, we believe that the voices of our laborers and those who stand in defense of them are integral to the pursuit of a future that is fair, just, and dignified.

This Labor Day, may we continue the call for collective action in solidarity with the working class. As students and members of the UP community, may we remain committed to amplifying their struggles, engaging critically with the conditions they face. Let us continue to fight for a future where labor is met with dignity, protection, and justice, and where the rights of our workers, both present and future, are upheld to the most fundamental degree.





PHOTOS | Inquirer.net, Manila Times, Faith Argonsino