A simmering dispute within the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication has erupted into public view, fueled by a question that stakeholders say remains unanswered: what happened to the money?
At the center of the controversy is the UP CMC Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization established to support programs, projects, and initiatives benefiting students, faculty members, alumni, and the broader MassCom community. In recent weeks, concerns over the foundation’s finances have intensified following claims that funds which once stood at approximately PHP4 million have dwindled to around PHP400,000.
The issue has triggered calls for transparency and accountability from faculty members, alumni, and former stakeholders who say they want a clear accounting of the foundation’s resources and how they were utilized over the years.
Among the most vocal is Broadcast Communication professor Cecile Ilagan, who has publicly challenged the foundation’s leadership to explain the reported decline in funds and address questions surrounding governance and regulatory compliance. Ilagan has argued that stakeholders deserve a full explanation of how foundation resources were managed and whether fiduciary responsibilities were properly discharged.
The controversy reached a boiling point during and after the foundation’s June 22 general assembly, where disagreements over finances, membership, and governance spilled into public view. Critics claim the meeting did little to resolve lingering questions surrounding the foundation’s finances and operations.
At the center of the organization’s leadership is acting president Malou Fagar, a veteran media executive associated with TAPE Inc. and state-run PTV-4. Fagar has maintained that the foundation is not avoiding accountability and has defended the organization’s procedures, including decisions involving membership participation and governance requirements.
Also drawn into the controversy is board secretary Ritzi Ronquillo who serves as an adviser to the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and previously served as president of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP).
Following the assembly, tensions reportedly escalated outside the venue. Witnesses said Ilagan approached a vehicle occupied by Fagar and Ronquillo and sought formal acknowledgment of concerns she had outlined in a written document. According to accounts from those present, Ilagan pressed Ronquillo, in her capacity as board secretary, to receive and recognize issues being raised by stakeholders regarding the foundation’s finances, governance, and compliance. The exchange has since become one of the most talked-about episodes arising from the meeting.
What began as questions about the foundation’s finances has since evolved into a broader debate involving governance, transparency, membership rights, and the organization’s reported status with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Critics argue that stakeholders have yet to receive sufficient documentation explaining both the reported decline in funds and the foundation’s current regulatory standing. Foundation officials, meanwhile, have pushed back against suggestions of wrongdoing and insist that concerns should be evaluated based on records and facts rather than speculation.
The dispute has attracted attention not only because of the amount involved but also because of the institution at the center of it. The UP College of Media and Communication (formerly College of Mass Communication) has long been associated with journalism, public accountability, and ethical communication. For many stakeholders, the controversy raises questions that go beyond finances and touch on the very principles the college has spent decades teaching to generations of students.
For now, both sides remain firmly entrenched. Critics continue to demand answers. Foundation officials insist they are prepared to provide them. Between those competing narratives lies a question that continues to resonate across the MassCom community:
From PHP4 million to PHP400,000: where did the money go?
