News release

November 27, 2007

Militant youth kicks off Bonifacio Day commemoration

Anakbayan opposes tuition and other fees increases amid economic crisis

DAVAO CITY--Members of militant youth group Anakbayan led a picket rally today in front of the University of Mindanao Bolton Campus to register its call to stop tuition and other fees increases, kicking off its 144^th commemoration of Andres Bonifacio's Day on November 30.

The group said nothing has significantly changed for the better since the 1896 Revolution led by Andres Bonifacio – the Filipinos are still poor and oppressed, the youth deprived of an affordable and quality education.

"Statistics and surveys would show that more Filipinos are hungry, more youth dropping out of school or not ever stepping into formal education (8% of all six-year olds o 200,000 Filipino children will never ever step into school and 1 million cannot enter high school every year), more unemployed, more and more leaving the country (3,400 per day) to work abroad," Anakbayan regional spokesperson Karla Hyasmind Apat said.

"In the education sector in particular, the government's policy is to push for the rationalization and soon privatization of state universities and colleges in the country, while passing on into the private sector the responsibility of providing education to its citizen" she added.

The group said education in the country has now become very expensive that pulls ordinary Filipinos away from its reach. The group added private universities and schools in Davao City continue to rake in millions of pesos as profits from the students.

"Yet, they continue to increase their tuition and/or miscellaneous fees! Education is being driven into becoming a business enterprise. Ateneo for one, earns millions of pesos a year from its space rentals alone, yet, it continues to increase its tuition and other fees," Apat said.

Such has allowed another fact (trend) that from 100 students who would enroll in grade 1 (2.6 M) only 66 will reach grade 6, 58 will enter high school, only 43 will reach 4^th year and 23  enter college (598,000).

The group said these data, courtesy of the Department of Education, are just few of the many particular problems of the Filipino youth – quality education, shortage in classrooms, teachers and textbooks, exorbitant and redundant fees, etc.

"We've heard of classes being held under a tree (hard to believe but true), in gymnasiums, etc.; class hours reduced from what is supposed a whole-day learning experience to barely half a day; stories of long, arduous walks from children's residences to their schools (vice versa) everyday, the long list never ends," Apat said.

All these, according to Anakbayan, will fill the youth's commemoration of Bonifacio Day. "We will be joining the thousands of strong members of other organizations from other sectors on November 30 to fight hunger, corruption and state terrorism and to register the youth's call for GMA to leave Malacañang," Apat said.

Anakbayan is also celebrating its 9^th founding anniversary on Bonifacio Day.

For reference:             Leigh Dalugdog

                                    Media Officer

                                    0910-913-6556

Press Release
November 28, 2007

Kampanyang SAVE SUCs ng mga Kabataan,

Ilulunsad sa National Youth Week

Cotabato City- Binatikos ng mga progresibong grupo ng kabataan ang kakarampot na badyet na inilaan sa edukasyon para sa taong 2008. Ayon sa Liga ng Kabataang Moro (LKM) at Gabriela Youth, hindi pa rin nabago ang dating kinakaharap na problema ng mga kabataan patungkol sa edukasyon.

Ang huling linggo ng Nobyembre ay idineklarang ’National Youth Week’ bilang pagpupugay sa mga kabataang nagsussulong sa demokratikong karapatan ng kabataang Pilipino.

Idiniin ni Marbawi Edza, tagapagsalita ng LKM na lumiliit na ang bilang ng mga State Universities and Colleges (SUC) sa buong bansa. Sa kasalukuyan, mayroon na lamang 109 SUCs kumpara sa 264 na bilang noong 1998.

”Ito ay bunsod ng walang habas na ’commercialization’ at kakarampot na badyet sa edukasyon. Ang 109 na SUC ay hindi sapat upang magbukas ng isang makamasang edukasyon sapagkat kahit ang mga pampublikong pamantasang ito ay nagtataas din ng matrikula at iba pang bayarin”ani Edza.

Ayon sa LKM, lumalaki ang bilang ng mga ”out of school youth at dropped-out students” taon-taon, dagdag pa ang lumalaking bilang ng mga private higher institutions na umaabot sa 1,347 indikasyon ng isang komersyalisadong sistema ng edukasyon.

Pinakamalaking porsyento ng P1.227 Trillion na badyet ng bansa sa susunod na taon ay mapupunta sa ’debt-servicing’ at militarisasyon at anti-terrorism campaign ng Administrasyong Arroyo.

Samantala pinuna ng Gabriela Youth(GY) ang kolonyal na sistema ng edukasyon sa bansa. Ayon kay Michelle Tirol, tagapagsalita ng GY-Cotabato City, ang kasalukuyang sistema ng edukasyong ang syang nagbubugaw ng milyon-milyong Pilipino upang maghanap ng trabaho sa ibang bansa.

”Sa halip na bigyang pansin ang mga kursong tutulong sa kaunlaran ng Pilipinas bilang agrikultural na bansa, sumusulpot ang mga ’indemand’ na mga kursong napapakinabangan lamang ng mga dayuhang bansa”, ani Tirol.

”Tampok sa National Youth Week ang panawagan para sa isang ” pambansa, makamasa at siyentipikong” edukasyon kung kayat hinahamon namin ang mga kabataan upang lumahok sa kampanya ng ating hanay”, pagtatapos ni Tirol.

Pangungunahan ng LKM at GY ang Candle Lighting sa ika-29 ng Nobyembre ganap na ika-5 ng hapon sa harap ng Estosan bilang simbolo ng protesta at panawagan ”SAVE SUCs!!” ###

For reference:

Michelle Tirol Marbawi Edza
Spokesperson, Spokesperson,
Gabriela Youth- Cotabato City LKM- Cotabato City
(09058443991) (09066918219)
 

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