UP students from the different UP units across the Philippines simultaneously protested today against the 300% tuition and other fee increases proposal by the UP Administration. In UP Diliman, throngs of students walked out of classes and mobilized in front of historic Palma Hall.
I’ve said my piece about this already and defended my stand to those who are in favor of the proposal, and even to those who are simply too allergic to activists and to my political party in UP.
My basic contention is that it is simply unjust for state university students to carry the burden of neglect of a government that conveniently loses billions in graft and corruption and conveniently allocates billions more in dubious repressive and status-quo preserving policies. It is unjust because it alters the very nature of UP as a state university and it violates the constitutional assurance of state promotion, protection and accessibility of education at all levels. It is especially unjust when a great majority of Filipinos live on less than a dollar or two a day.
I was able to invite some of my blockmates to come along. They’ve never joined rallies or mobilizations before, until this afternoon.
I was also told to speak in front of the crowd, in short notice. Whew. Impromptu public speaking is not my thing.
law student, national democracy activist, film school graduate, photography hobbyist
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19 comments to “Anti-Tuition and Other Fee Increases Protest”
Mukha kang nag-p-perform.
Anyway, did I invent this from my imagination or didn’t the senate junk this proposal?
Agree. You look like you were singing back there.
Celeni, I’m leaning towards your imagination bit. Either that or the senate immediately junked the proposal right when they saw them students in protest.
To all those against UP’s tuition fee hike you’re very welcome to leave.. Study in PUP, they’ll welcome you there..
I should’ve been there.
I have nothing to say, kasama. I’m with you on this. All the way. And let all the professors think that they’re getting something from this, which is highly unlikely. Hemmorhage, they say? Yeah right.
A little consideration for the poor AND bright students, please?
good going guys!
i was also looking for quite a few familiar faces. did see one. guess i’m not that old. haha.
Sino ang itinuturo mo? Naalala ko tuloy ang mga anti-CPDP days namin.
mukha kang kumakanta…
Na-badtrip ako lalo nung napanood ko yung balitang yan. Yung segment bago diyan ay si Ping Lacson, hinahanap ang pork barrel nilang mga senador at kongresista na nagkakahalagang P4 billion. Kay lakas pa ng kanyang loob magreklamo dahil lang hindi siya nakakuha ng P100 million para sa taong ito.
Hello ProLinks, yeah, I did imagine it. But I don’t think the protest would be enough for the senate to yield. The Tuition and Other Fees Increase proposal is sound. But yes, I think I was mixing up my news. SC junked the people’s initiative, and I remember that tuition fees don’t increase this school year/sem, so I kind of mixed it up. LoL. My bad. XP
Errr… why are they smiling? It doesn’t look sincere to me than the delight of having no classes, Bikoy.
Lol.^_^
I mean ‘but’.
And hey… it looks like you’re singing. Hehe. Lol again ^_^
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It’s pretty serious to have your tuition raised to 300 percent. If it’s finally implemented, many will suffer. I can’t afford to pay thousands for just a unit.
24 units? I’ll kill myself.
Winnie monsod’s excellent rebuke. :p
pang PDA!
It is unjust because it alters the very nature of UP as a state university and it violates the constitutional assurance of state promotion, protection and accessibility of education at all levels. It is especially unjust when a great majority of Filipinos live on less than a dollar or two a day.
Heh. It’s funny how your one-track mind keeps on clamoring for Greater State Subsidy when there are other solutions to the problem that you people refuse to even recognize.
But we’ve already danced this dance, didn’t we?
If you’re so gung-ho about accessibility, shouldn’t you be happy about the TFI? After all, it really doesn’t change anything about the accessibility to UP education of people. The people who can’t afford it still get STFAP. The people who can afford it but only at P300 still pay P300. The people who can afford it and then some, get to pay P300 and then some. Therefore, access really isn’t a problem.
Besides, the rich people who do want to go to UP don’t want to go to UP because of the cheap tuition anyway. So most of them won’t really care whether they pay P300 or P1000. Accessibility for them is also moot.
TFI is anti-poor. Isn’t it rather ironic that we are being labeled as Iskolars ng BAyan, yet we are our own scholars? We are paying scholars. Ironic, isn’t it?
Well done Bikoy for making this blog site!!! I just want to tell the whole country that this one college in Dasmariñas Cavite (NCST) is making their tuition fee increase by telling their students that theirs is a miscomputation…any students from NCST that may read this.. wake up your mind and try to make protest about it!!!!