DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A University of the Philippines Mindanao transwoman instructor whose student-evaluation ratings consistently exceeds 4.5 out of 5 fears uncertain employment after her contract expires July 31.
Malaya Lapiña, a transgender anthropologist, suspects workplace bias contributes to blocked graduate studies and stalled contract renewal.
Lapiña, who joined UP Mindanao’s Department of Social Sciences in 2022, said her previous renewal recommendations described her performance as exceeding expectations and continuing to publish research beyond position requirements.
But in September 2025, conflict emerged when she secured admission to University of Otago, New Zealand under the Manaaki Scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in Gender Studies, a continuation of her long-standing research on transgender individuals.
Lapiña, primary breadwinner for her family, applied for study leave with pay available to UP faculty pursuing graduate studies. The department endorsement never came.
“They didn’t ask me to explain so I could still fight (hopefully). There was a period when the department didn’t respond, and my paperwork didn’t move forward,” she told Davao Today on July 4.
“I kept asking where my paperwork was, where the department’s non-endorsement or non-recommendation on it was.”
She withdrew both admission and scholarship offers after the department explained December 2025 that their non-recommendation cited insufficient alignment between her proposed master’s degree and anthropology.
Lapiña disputed that assessment, noting anthropological methods in her work and that gender studies fall within social sciences.
She was saddened by it and said many anthropologists study gender, but very few in the Philippines focus on trans women or trans individuals.
Because she was never asked to explain her proposal before the department reached its decision, Lapiña said she could not demonstrate alignment. She maintained her published work underwent peer review using anthropological standards.
“No one can say my work isn’t anthropological. All my research went through the academic peer review process. Every reviewer said my method is ethnographic, and that my method is anthropological,” she said.
Grievance filed
Following the dispute, Lapiña filed a grievance in January this year under their Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA), seeking assurance that future evaluations would rely on established academic criteria rather than personal considerations.
Months later, that concern materialized. Although renewal documents were submitted in April, early July brought no explanation regarding appointment status as the contract neared expiration.
“Problem nako [karon is] sa job security and anxiety if naa pa ba koy work after this month,” she said.
Though filed in January, the first grievance meeting occurred only on July 2.
Fairness and academic freedom
In a public statement, the All UP Academic Employees Union-UP Mindanao voiced support for Lapiña and called for fairness and academic freedom.
“Academic work thrives only where there is mutual respect and professional trust. Faculty members should never be put in situations where they fear humiliation, intimidation or the use of administrative authority to affect decisions involving their careers,” the statement read.
The union expressed concern over prolonged uncertainty regarding Lapiña’s renewal while grievances remained pending, noting CNA provisions prohibiting reprisals against employees filing formal complaints.
Hostile environment
Lapiña said even before the study leave dispute, she experienced what she described as a hostile workplace environment: shouted at inside faculty office, repeatedly deadnamed in official documents, referred to using incorrect pronouns despite colleagues knowing her affirmed name and gender identity.
“When people say na stretch kaayo ba na ana ang padulngan, but transphobia is not just physical violence… dili lang kanang blatantly na gina misgender ka, ginagamitan kag deadname nimo. Naga-manifest siya sa microaggressions, invalidations ug pagpahilom sa imoa pag naa kay complaint.”
For UP Mindanao’s Mentefuwaley, the university’s LGBTQIA+ student organization, the issue extends beyond one faculty member.
According to its vice chairperson Ycary Bryce Timothy Raganit, the organization campaigned for greater recognition of students’ lived names and pronouns before Lapiña’s grievance became public.
They documented cases of transgender students being deadnamed inside classrooms despite introducing themselves using affirmed names.
“Hindi lang si Ms. Malaya yung nag-iisang transgender, non-conforming na individual.”
While acknowledging UP Mindanao has offices addressing gender concerns like its Gender and Sexual Harassment (GASH) Office and Gender and Development (GAD) Office, Raganit argued lengthy procedures discouraged victims from pursuing complaints.
“When you file a complaint with these offices, the preliminary deliberation alone can take up to three months. So it’s not efficient, nor is it effective,” Raganit said.
Mentefuwaley continues calling for immediate transparent resolution of Lapiña’s grievance, contract renewal based on merit, and stronger institutional protections for LGBTQIA+ university community members.
Broader labor issues
Lapiña argued her case reflects broader labor issues confronting educators, particularly contractual faculty whose careers remain vulnerable to internal power dynamics.
“We must revisit the call to regularize workers, to regularize them based on performance, not because of biases against them. Uphold workers’ rights. And most importantly, implement the SOGIE Equality Bill so people won’t lose their jobs because of transphobia, homophobia and other forms of harassment and workplace bullying,” Lapiña said.
She never expected such treatment within UP, known for openness to dissent and activism.
“Honestly, I can’t think ba na mahitabo ni siya sa akoa sulod sa UP, given na UP prides itself na open to differences. Bastion of activism. Pero naa diay gihapon mga mahitabo na ingani sa sulod,” she said.
Although she could simply resign, Lapiña believes doing so would allow the same system to continue affecting others.
“I know if I leave, the system will repeat this with someone else. I don’t want that to happen. That’s why I’m standing my ground. I know and believe I’m doing the right thing by standing up to powerful people inside UP Mindanao.”
Davao Today emailed the Department of Social Sciences on July 6; as of press time, the department had not responded. (davaotoday.com)
