Metro Manila-1:
Young students walk out of their classrooms and take to the streets
to demand from their elders in Congress and the Palace greater state subsidy for their education
■ Manila - Part 1 ■ Manila - Part 2 ■ Iloilo ■ Davao ■ Cotabato ■ Cebu
July 19, 2011
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| Photos courtesy of El Bacani/UPSIO and UPKilosNa as indicated by the filenames | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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PRESS RELEASE
July 19, 2011
Thousands of youth and
students walkout to reveal “true state of the nation”
A few days before President Noynoy Aquino’s
State of the Nation Address (SONA), thousands of youth and students from
University of the Philippines (UP), Polytechnic University of the
Philippines (PUP), UP Manila, Rizal Technological University (RTU), and
many other schools nationwide walked out of their classes and marched to
Mendiola today to “reveal the true state of the youth and nation.”
With support from faculty and school
administrators, the actions called on the Aquino administration to
increase government budget for education, stop tuition increases and stop
the skyrocketing of oil prices.
The “National Day of Unity and Action” was led
by Anakbayan, National Union of Students of the Philippines, League of
Filipino Students, Student Christian Movement of the Philippines, Karatula,
College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines and Kabataan Partylist.
The administrations of 112 state universities
and colleges (SUCs) under Philippine Association of State Universities and
Colleges (PASUC) also expressed their support for the action and in a
unity statement said that “in preparation for the SONA and the budget
talks following that, it is crucial that we revitalize our unity and
collective action to call for a sufficient increase in the budget of
public higher education.”
The budget for SUCs was reduced by government
last year, triggering campus strikes and protests.
According to Anakbayan national chairperson
Vencer Crisostomo, Aquino’s SONA will prove to be a “State of No
Achievement” speech considering that he “failed to do anything meaningful”
to address the education crisis, as rising drop outs due to budget cuts
and tuition increases continue to plague the youth and students.
“
Crisostomo said the protests ahead of the president’s SONA is a message that the youth and people have had “enough of papogi, pashowbiz, empty rhetorics and attempts at humor to cover-up for his lack of achievement and the anti-people, pro-business and landlord policies he’s implemented.”
“ The real state of the nation: poor, hungry, and deprived of their basic rights and social services,” he said.
Also, highlights of the day of protest were “new” and “creative” actions. In UP Diliman, students held a “planking” protest, an activity popular in the internet with participants lying face down and posting their photos on the net. A flash dance to the tune of “Papa Amerikano”meanwhile was also featured in the rally program. Fighting the “Dark Arts” were protesters wearing Harry Potter costumes.
According organizers, today’s protest is in preparation for bigger actions on July 25, the president’s SONA, where multi-sectoral groups are set to march to Batasang Pambansa. #
Reference Person : John Francis Losaria 0928.999.6194 -- ANAKBAYAN National Treasurer National Office Staff for Campaign & Propaganda, and Cultural Work
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▲ UP Diliman students joined the walkout for greater state subsidy to state colleges and universities. Photos show march at Palma Hall, then to the UP Administration Hall, and finally to Mendiola to join students from other schools ▼ |
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KABATAAN PARTY-LIST -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walkout hits meager education budget | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online
Manila Bulletin Online aims to deliver breaking news from the Philippines and across the globe with the top information on the latest stories in business, current Philippine events, entertainment, environment, sports and news breaking headlines. Follow us as we bring to you the latest news via spec
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| The Vice-Chancellor for Community Affairs addresses the students | The former UP Faculty Regent (center) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SUCS, YOUTH GROUPS LINK ARMS FOR PRE-SONA EDUCATION
PROTESTS
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UP Diliman Chancellor Notes by UP Kilos Na:
The UP President spoke of his support for all efforts aimed at increasing
government funding for UP to enable the university to retain its public
character and fulfill its public service role.
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STAND FOR OUR RIGHT TO EDUCATION
by Office of the Student Regent, University of the
Philippines
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| The currrent UP Staff Regent (left) and the former UP Staff Regent joined the studfents at Mendiola | |||||
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Vinzons Hall Basement, UP Diliman Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines 1101
Office of the Student Regent
19 July 2011 NEWS RELEASE Reference: Krissy Conti, 09165435216
‘UP operations increasingly shouldered by students’
Operations of the country’s premier university, the University of the Philippines (UP), are now largely taken from student fees, said UP student regent Krissy Conti, as students from across the UP system today launched massive mobilizations for greater state subsidy to the education sector and in solidarity with the mothers of fellow students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan.
Conti said internally generated income at P1.83 billion, account for 66% of maintenance and other operating expenses in UP’s internal operating budget for 2011. Of this amount, P410 million are expected from tuition collections and P22.79 million from other student collections.
This is a significant increase from the 47% share of internally generated income in the 2010 budget, and from the five-year average of 55%.
“Students need to pay more for the university’s upkeep, as budget allocations from the government mainly pay for salaries of teachers and personnel. Students are thus charged maintenance fees even for activities that are academically related,” said Conti.
Students in the state university pay up to P1,500 per unit, rounding off to about P30,000 per semester for regular load. There are laboratory fees and miscellaneous fees, and other charges for use of university facilities.
For 2012, the University has asked the Department of Budget and Management for P17.1 billion, from a base budget of P6.82 billion as allocated for 2011. The additional requirement of P10.23 billion will go to maintenance of facilities and to the construction of new buildings.
In a statement, the UP Diliman community said, “We are alarmed that state support for education under President Aquino is diminishing in measures, and deteriorating in quality. We demand that government steadily commit and timely release funds to the education sector – to the Department of Education and to state colleges and universities, including the University of the Philippines.”
The statement is signed by student leaders led by the student regent and the chairperson of Katipunan ng mga Sangguniang Mag-aaral sa UP, the alliance of UP student councils, Anj Cando of UP Visayas. It is also signed in solidarity by UP Diliman deans, Miguela Mena of the Asian Institute of Tourism, Rolando Tolentino of the College of Mass Communciation and Erniel Barrios of the School of Statistics.
UP students also showed solidarity with the mothers of missing UP students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan, who faced Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, accused of abducting and torturing the students in 2006. Palparan et al today submitted their counteraffidavits in the criminal complaint in front of a panel of prosecutors.
Conti said, “We walk out today in honor of Karen and Sherlyn, who were both passionate campaigners for adequate state subsidy to education and social services.”
Students staged various activities across the UP system. In UP Diliman, artists led the crowd in a flash mob, dancing to pop tunes at the Palma Hall lobby. In UP Visayas, some 1,000 students merged in the city center Iloilo after lunch.
The Metro Manila contingents later joined other students from state colleges and universities at Mendiola.
UP students have pledged to join activities leading to the SONA, when the president is expected to present the budget for next year.
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| The Kabataan Partylist representative at the Mendiola rally | |||||
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| Students from various schools convered at Mendiola | |||||
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