November 29, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Reference: Garry Martinez, Chairperson, 0939-3914418

OFWs join students in protesting budget cuts

Migrante International, an alliance of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) worldwide, today expressed unity with students of state colleges and universities (SUC) who have recently held “strikes” against budget cuts.

OFWs are also opposing the budget cuts for funds for legal assistance (LAF) and assistance to nationals (ATN) in the 2011 Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) budget. The combined LAF and ATN funds have been slashed by 50 percent, the LAF decreased from P50 million this year to P27 million for 2011.

The LAF is earmarked to subsidize legal assistance for OFWs in distress while the ATN covers funds for repatriation, consular services and medical assistance, among others.
Garry Martinez, Migrante International chairperson, said that it is lamentable that Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino’s “austerity measures” are being implemented at the expense of basic services.

“Mukhang walang maaasahan ang ating mga kababayang OFW kay PNoy. Kung ito ang daang matuwid, bakit ang mga OFW ang namimilipit?,” he said.

“This is a gross violation of Republic Act 10022, or the amended Migrant Workers Act, formerly RA 8042. Kulang na nga binawasan pa,” he said. Martinez said that RA 10022 mandates that at least P100 million be allotted within the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) budget for legal assistance.

“Malacanang should definitely review its priorities. There are 108 OFWs facing death row, 7,000 Filipino nationals in jails abroad, at least 10,000 stranded and seeking repatriation in the Middle East alone,” he said.
 

DBM scored for “cover up”
 

Martinez said that likewise with the SUC budget, Malacanang has also played a “misleading spin” to cover-up the budget slash in appropriations for the LAF and ATN.

In a briefing with various OFW groups and advocates, the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) attempted to prove that there were no budget cuts by announcing that they would “carry over cash balances” from the 2009 LAF appropriations and “assumed cash balances” from the 2010 LAF to augment the P27 million proposed LAF new appropriations for 2011.

Martinez slammed this saying that all unreleased funds should be disbursed immediately to address urgent cases of OFWs in distress, especially those in death row and in need for immediate repatriation.
 

He also questioned the wisdom of assuming cash balances for the 2010 LAF “when the year is not even over yet and there are at least seven OFWs who are scheduled to be sentenced to death before the year ends”.

Martinez added, “Without the actual cash balances, actual new appropriations for LAF would only amount to P54 million. Kaya sa aktwal, budget cut pa rin ito dahil nananatiling bumaba ang pondong ilalaan para sa LAF at ATN, mga tinuringang life line ng ating mga OFW. Huwag din ipagmayabang ng gobyerno ang pondo mula sa OWWA dahil hindi ito galing sa kanila kundi sa bulsa mismo ng mga OFW.” (Refer to table below)

Martinez also reiterated that “the DBM’s computation is another violation of RA 10022. The law clearly states that P100 million should be allocated for the LAF per fiscal year. It mandates that if the LAF does not reach P100 million, the National Treasury is obliged to release P30 million at least to achieve the mandated amount,” he said. (Refer to table below)

The DBM also declared that it had submitted an erratum to Congress “to increase the government allocation for LAF in 2011, as mandated by RA 10022 Migrants’ Act”. The move was in response to protests by OFWs all over the world against the budget cuts. To date, however, there has been no marked increase in the DFA budget and no amendments have been made in the proposed General Appropriations Act.

Martinez said that OFWs worldwide are in solidarity with student strikes and will join protests of students and other sectors against the budget cuts.

Migrante International has chapters and member OFW organizations in 90 countries all over the world. ###

Table I 

 Table 2:

RA No. 10022 Budget, FY 2010-2011 (in million pesos)

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Website: http://migranteinternational.org
Office Address: #10 Banuyo St.Brgy.Amihan, Project 3, Quezon City
Telefax: 9114910

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Website: http://migranteinternational.org
Office Address: #10 Banuyo St.Brgy.Amihan, Project 3, Quezon City
Telefax: 9114910

Press Release
November 30, 2010

Students, teachers join 2-day strike vs budget cut

Davao City- The recent budget cut brought together students, teachers, parents and even administration officials from various state universities in the city to stand against what they call “the state’s abandonment of higher education.”

“We will march as one on December 1,” said Ronnie Clarion of Kabataan Partylist- Southern Mindanao as numerous students from the University of the Philippines-Mindanao, University of Southeastern Philippines and private schools in the Davao, teachers and administrations express their support to join the 2-day strike to oppose Noynoy Aquino’s budget cut on state universities and colleges.

“Today, November 30, the youth and students imbibe the militant spirit of Andres Bonifacio by continuing his struggle for the youth and for the people,” Ronnie Clarion added.

The strike is led by KILOS NA LABAN SA BUDGET CUT ALLIANCE (KILOS NA) and KABATAAN Partylist.

In the proposed budget for fiscal year 2011, the budget for SUCs will be cut by 1.7 percent leaving a meager P23.4 billion from the P1.64 trillion national budget. The University of the Philippines has the biggest cut of P1.39 billion and the University of Southeastern Philippines will have its subsidy reduced by P44.39 million.

“Government must take heed on the call of the students. If approved, this will be the worst in history. The reason why students opted to go to state-funded schools because we are less in financial capacity but with the current condition we find no difference between public schools and private schools,” said Krista Melgarejo, UP-Mindanao Student Council Chairperson and Kilos Na spokesperson.

Clarion added that, “(T)he Constitutional provision Article 14 section 5 stating that the State shall give the highest budgetary priority to education must be affirmed. P-noy’s slogan “kung walang korap walang mahirap” is not justified in his formulated 2011 national budget. It is not enough that the government assures the public that there will no be corruption in the use of funds ; it must make education on the top of its priorities.”###

For reference:

Ronnie Clarion
Regional Coordinator
KABATAAN Partylist-Southern Mindanao
09295367113

x

Education Under Siege

A Statement Opposing UP’s 1.39 billion budget cut

We cannot deny nor underestimate the implications of the proposed 1.39 billion budget cut on all

sectors of the University of the Philippines. As members of the academic sector, the All UP Academic

Employees Union joins the students, staff, and workers in opposing the proposed budget cut which

undermines the pursuit of academic excellence and integrity.

The university's dwindling budget signifies the gradual transformation of UP from being an academic

institution to a commercial site. We have seen how UP has had to engage in commercial ventures in

order cope with budgetary constraints. As the university continues to enter corporate tie-ups, its focus

shifts from knowledge production to profit accumulation, which is in fact manifested in UP's research

and teaching policies. Research topics that have "promising commercial applications" (Sec. 13, UP

Charter) are encouraged over those that are socially and nationally relevant.

While research topics are compromised, the impact of insufficient funding on the tenure track and

regularization of faculty and research extension and professional staff is another issue to contend with.

Instructors, lecturers, and REPS remain vulnerable as they make do with low salaries and exclusion

from benefits. Commercial gain is once again considered in salary adjustments, as reflected in

President Roman’s assessment that salary differentiation based on non-similar market opportunities in

different disciplines is “In principle, not a bad idea.” The possibility of contractualization and shortterm  appointments is an imminent threat, much like the current trend of “fixed-term” and “contingent” staff hiring in American universities.

As faculty members compete for commercially viable grants, the scarce budget provides justification

for the unequal allocation of funds between teaching and non-teaching academic staff and

administrative workers. REPS and administrative workers are left with less funds for promotion, sick

leave, and SAGAD award benefits.

The commercialization of education, compounded with tuition hikes caused by insufficient resources,

is slowly being incorporated in the design of courses. Students take the role of consumers and are

made to regard subjects like commodities being sold. The negative ramifications of the Revised

General Education Program is felt in how students find themselves choosing a course not on the basis

of substance and relevance, but the ease of getting high grades and satisfying the demands of the

global market. In UP Los Banos, the large-size class policy poses serious effects on the teaching

quality and autonomy of educators, and the learning process of students.

The consecutive budget cuts experienced by UP and other state colleges and universities in the

country is part of a larger picture of education under siege. This assault on education has become a

worldwide concern, with governments forsaking public education for profit, as encouraged by

international money-lending institutions that have made privatization a condition for granting loans.

In such stifling conditions, members of the academic sector are hindered from fully realizing the

capacity for innovative thinking, academic excellence and academic integrity. The times demand that

we, members of the academic sector, unite with other sectors to uphold the real meaning of learning,

scholarship, and service to the people.

LET'S JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE BUDGET CUT!

All UP Academic

Employees Union

Press Release
November 30, 2010
 

Students, teachers join 2-day strike vs budget cut

Davao City- The recent budget cut brought together students, teachers, parents and even administration officials from various state universities in the city to stand against what they call “the state’s abandonment of higher education.”

“We will march as one on December 1,” said Ronnie Clarion of Kabataan Partylist- Southern Mindanao as numerous students from the University of the Philippines-Mindanao, University of Southeastern Philippines and private schools in the Davao, teachers and administrations express their support to join the 2-day strike to oppose Noynoy Aquino’s budget cut on state universities and colleges.

“Today, November 30, the youth and students imbibe the militant spirit of Andres Bonifacio by continuing his struggle for the youth and for the people,” Ronnie Clarion added.

The strike is led by KILOS NA LABAN SA BUDGET CUT ALLIANCE (KILOS NA) and KABATAAN Partylist.

In the proposed budget for fiscal year 2011, the budget for SUCs will be cut by 1.7 percent leaving a meager P23.4 billion from the P1.64 trillion national budget. The University of the Philippines has the biggest cut of P1.39 billion and the University of Southeastern Philippines will have its subsidy reduced by P44.39 million.

“Government must take heed on the call of the students. If approved, this will be the worst in history. The reason why students opted to go to state-funded schools because we are less in financial capacity but with the current condition we find no difference between public schools and private schools,” said Krista Melgarejo, UP-Mindanao Student Council Chairperson and Kilos Na spokesperson.

Clarion added that, “(T)he Constitutional provision Article 14 section 5 stating that the State shall give the highest budgetary priority to education must be affirmed. P-noy’s slogan “kung walang korap walang mahirap” is not justified in his formulated 2011 national budget. It is not enough that the government assures the public that there will no be corruption in the use of funds ; it must make education on the top of its priorities.”###

For reference:

Ronnie Clarion
Regional Coordinator
KABATAAN Partylist-Southern Mindanao
09295367113