16 ENCINARES 31 COM31

CASE ANALYSIS: MAPUANS OR MALAYANS: WHAT’S IN THE NAME?

I. BACKGROUND
The case is about the Mapua Institute of Technology, a private non-

sectarian institute of higher learning pioneering in technical education on

changing its name to Malayan Colleges with the higher ups of the school seeing

it as a step towards the school’s change into a university with the school

offering other non-engineering courses. With the schools impending name

change 15,000 students and thousands of alumni of the school protested against

it on February 14, 2005, with students and alumni alike agreeing that the name

change will tantamount to disregarding the legacy of the school’s founder

Tomas Mapua. With the name change becoming a huge issue the National

Alliance of Mapua Alumni (NAMA) was seeking a formal congressional probe

for the real agenda of changing the institutions name. This was an actual case

that happened in 2005 with the protest being dubbed the “Black Valentine”.

The administration was said to be owned by Yungcheco Group of Companies

and students are complaining that it had been acquired by interested companies

through YGC funding.

 This case study shows realistic idea, it has been a wide issue back then

especially for the students who were complaining that they were not heard.

Protestors which are alumni and other students who disagree to change the

name to Malayan.

II. TIME CONTEXT

The case happened on February 14, 2005 and the announcement for the name

change happened on the 10th of Febuary.

III. POINT OF VIEW

My point of view is of a PR director of the school.

IV. ANALYSIS

A. SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTH WEAKNESSES

 80 years of being in the  Students disagrees with the

industry. actions of the administration.

 Good reputation as a  Accused by a NAMA for

prestigious school with well- having a hidden agenda with

known good education. the name change.

 Adaptation of a brand name.  Consultation was not

conducted.

OPPORTUNITY THREAT

 Non-engineering courses will  Approval of students to the

attract more students. administration will decline.

 Bigger student-body in the  Accusations to the

near future. administration with having

 Expansion may welcome new hidden agendas might cause

programs and new courses for problems in the future.

the students.  Complaints from students.

B. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

 Socio-Cultural

Social change within the social structure of Mapua may be affected

only if the cultural symbols, behavior, social organizations and the whole

system of it was changed with the name. Die hard Mapuans, loyal people

who believes in the school system and other people who used to be a part

of the school have a say and are doubtful to agree. The time they

restructured mapua from a then semestral system to a quarterly system

will somehow affect the students for it will also change the system.

 Legal

The Lower House as well as the Senate should initiate a probe

against Malayan Colleges not only to help them in their cause to preserve

the name of a reputable Philippine educational institution but to save the

country from losing billions of tax revenues. The National Alliance of

Mapua Alumni (Nama) is seeking a formal congressional probe on the

real motive for dropping the name of an 80-year-old educational

institution with a solid reputation for its architecture and engineering

programs. It was explained that schools and universities paid very

 minimal tax to the government compared to other businesses and this

could be the real reason top corporations like YGC and other Filipino

"taipans" were re-focusing their business thrust to campuses.

 Economics

Mapua had been recently acquired by the YGC (which is one of

the biggest banking firms in the land). They also know that there is a

tie up or sort of a collaboration between YGC and the De La

Salle System. If my memory serves me right, YGC is a big investor or

shareholder of the De La Salle System. And if this is all comprehensive,

Malayan is an insurance broker owned by the YGC. It could be possible

that YGC is fronting for a group of companies that invests in the

education sector. Although it is much cheaper to invest and put up a new

branch of school they rather acquire an old one and change the name

after because first, there is already an existing market for it.

Second, possible to cater to the downstream market. Third,

to have their own niche/specialty in the market. They prefer to change

the name to make the transition much easier. Business tycoons had

already invested in educational institutions.

V. PROBLEM STATEMENT

The problem statement will be:

 How can the school and the alumni and students that are against the

school decision reach mutual understanding?

 How did the organization restrain people to think that it is for business

matters?

 Could it be possible that changing the name is to neutralize or erase all

the traces of being a mapuan?

 Does changing the name will affect the social behavior of the students?

Especially changing also the whole system?

VI. OBJECTIVES

The following are what the campus aim to achieve:

 To push through with the name change “Malayan College”

 To determine how to disseminate information better with the students.

VII. TARGETED & SEGMENTED PUBLICS

AUDIENCES P V I

Yuchengco Group of 8 7 15 (3rd)

Company (YGC)
MIT Board of 10 8 18 (1st)

Administration

National Alliance of 7 7 14 (4th)

Mapua Alumni

(NAMA)

Students of MIT 7 10 17 (2nd)

Employees of MIT 7 5 12 (5th)

PROFILE

Board of Administration - The Office of the President and CEO leads in

formulating, articulating and realizing the University’s vision. It recommends

strategic and tactical initiatives and policies to the Board of Trustees and leads

in implementing those approved by the Board. It presides over the conduct of

academic and administrative affairs of the University as well as of its

subsidiaries. It manages the common I.T., Corporate Communications and

Knowledge concerns of Mapúa, Malayan Colleges Laguna and the Malayan

High School of Science. The office leads efforts of Mapúa to consolidate its

leading position in the country and to establish itself as a significant global

player even as it contributes to the upliftment of the entire Philippine education

and S&T sectors.

Students of Mit - Today, MIT is the biggest engineering school in the

Philippines, with at least 15,000 students.

Yuchengco Group of Company (YGC) - Yuchengco Group of Companies,

through its subsidiaries, provides banking, investment, and financial services.

The company also operates an art museum; colleges, a high school, non-

university type education facilities, and technology-focused schools; cars

dealerships, showrooms, and service centers; travels and tours; and serviced

apartments.

VIII. ALTERNATIVE COURSE OF ACTION

ACA #1

 The board of administration will rename all the colleges and institution

that are under the ownership of Yuchengco Group of Companies

despite the protests of the students and alumni to retain the “Mapua

Institute of technology” out of respect of the founder of the institution.

ACA #2

 The board of administration will not proceed to rename the educational

institution.

ACA #3

 The board of administration will continue to rename the campuses that

are under the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC) into “Malayan

University” to meet the demand and objectives of YGC for the

 institution while Mapua Institute of Technology will be retained as a

respect to the founder and to compromise to the sentiments of the

students and alumni of the institution who gave the Mapua its pride

known to give quality education on engineering, because it’s the best

action to compromise both on the demand of the new owner of the

institution while meeting also the demand of the students and the

alumni.

IX. RECOMMENDATION

As a PR director, one will choose the ACA #4, for it encompasses the

compromise needed by both of the parties involved. In this case, the college

of engineering will be retained as “Mapua Institute of Technology”. Other

campuses will be renamed as “Malayan University” to meet the need of YGC

and the faculty, students and alumni that is involved in the protest.

The "Mapua" name is a tradition that signifies the excellence in Arts &

Engineering. It has a long history way back in the days of Tomas Mapua as

the first architect in the Philippines. Mapua Institute of Technology is a by-

product of Massachusett Institute of Technology's teaching principles as

espoused by Don Tomas himself. So the respect for the founder of MIT will
still be retained, and the desire of YGC to change the name of other campuses

to “Malayan” will still remain.

X. ACTION PLAN

1. The meeting of the stakeholders must be immediately made on the day of

the protest .

2. A meeting of Board of Trustees with the representatives of NAMA to settle

the conflict created by misguided rumors regarding the renaming.

3. Gathering of Board of Trustees, Owners of Mapua Institute of Technology,

Members of Student Council, Deans of different colleges and spokesperson of

NAMA to decide on retaining the name “Mapua Institute of technology” in the

college of engineering only and the rest of the colleges owned by YGC will be

under the name of “Malayan University”.

4. A press conference with CHED to support the decision and for publicity on

the expansion of MIT to become a university that my welcome new programs

and offered new courses for the students.

5. Information dissemination to the students Mapua Institute of Technology,

CIT, Malayan Through Social Networking Sites. Audio Visual Presentation

would be created and contents would be the benefits and opportunities that

await every student for expanding MIT and making it a university, the

accomplishments of Malayan Colleges of Laguna will also be shown, in

addition, this AVP aims to clarify the renaming process or elevating the MIT

into a university under another name.

TOOLS:

1. Media for the press conference

2. Spokesperson of the YGC, MIT and NAMA