Today, Mapua president, Reynaldo B. Vea has tried another attempt to pacify the students despite weeks of protests and rallies to stop the name change through an open letter printed in broadsheets, particularly the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippine Star.

The following is what he said in the letter:

To Mapua Students, Parents and Alumni:

Over the next five years, we shall be taking strategic moves towards elevating the school's quality of education to attain university status. As this develops, we wish to reassure our students, parents and alumni that the name Mapua Institute of Technology shall remain.

This reaffirms our earlier statements to the Mapua community that all currently enrolled studets as well as incoming freshmen will be receiving diplomas and transcripts of records under the name, Mapua Institute of Technology.

This is to ensure a smooth transition as we implement programmed changes in support of our thrust to achieve not only a university status but also interdisciplinary excellence and global recognition. Foremost of these changes will be the offerring of academic degree programs in at least five independent fields of study.

In line with this objective, Mapua started I.T. programs in 2000; Biotechnology in 2003; Nursing and Engineering Management in 2004. This year we are initiating new degree offerrings in Business Management, Accounting and Psychology.

We understand the enormous tasks that lie ahead as we endeavor to achieve all these plans. We firmly believe that together, we shall accomplish what we have envisioned for Mapua- to be an international center of excellence.

Reynaldo B. Vea, Ph.D
President
Mapua Institute of Technology

Mr. Vea has failed to inform us what will happen to the name 'Mapua' after five years. Through his open letter, he is obviously trying to get with the Mapuan spirit (with the Mapua logo background and all), but an inspiring facade is not what we want. Apparently, he is carefully trying to get away with one of the primary issues here that is what we are fighting for: the assurance that Don Tomas Mapua's legacy will not be destroyed. Not in five years. Never.

What they are obviously trying to do here is to silent the present student body (less the student council) with the affirmation that we will get Mapuan diplomas and transcript of records, but what about the aspiring future Mapuans? How about the people who look up to the school just because of its name? Is it that easy for them that in the name of bigger income, they will destroy an institution that has been a foundation to engineering excellence in the country? Surely, Malayan Colleges, if pushed through, would not be able to get the honor the Mapua has kept in 80 years even given a millennium.

By the way, I forgot to say what I think about the ultimate traitor of the year: the Central Student Council. They are a bunch of horrible ass-kissers. They've been kissing Vea's and Yuchengco's since this whole thing erupted. Talk about shame.