Thousands of students marched last Friday, September 24, from Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila to Mendiola Bridge at the gates of Malacanang Palace, passing through the Quezon Boulevard Underpass

The past weeks saw pockets of protest in various parts of the country that lead to the massive walk-out of students nationwide to protest against the Aquino administration’s proposed budget cuts on state universities and other social services. The proposed budget for state universities next year is more then P400 million less than this year’s budget. When computed against a constant consumer price index and the increasing number of enrollees in state universities, next year’s state universities’ budget would be the lowest in per-student spending in state universities in more than a decade.

This trend is in line with the government’s policy of state abandonment of tertiary education, as asserted by President Aquino himself when he said, “We are gradually reducing the subsidy to SUCs to push them toward becoming self-sufficient and financially independent,” in order to free up funds for the government’s debt and military spending priorities. This only means that the burden of financing state tertiary education has been shifting from the government to the students and their families in the form of increasing tuition and other fees. From 84.14% in 2000, government subsidy would account for only 66.31% of the annual funds of state universities next year. State universities are likewise expected to collect as much as P7.8 billion in tuition and other fees from their students in 2011.

Earlier in the week, students stormed passed the security forces of Congress and were able to protest the budget cuts on education in front of the Batasan’s south wing lobby. On another day, some students shaved their heads at the gates of Batasan in rejection of the proposal as well. In other parts of the country, pocket protests were held to reject the budget cut proposals, from candle lightings in Davao to a mock funeral in UP Manila, to a short-day in UP Cebu.

Inside parliament, Kabataan Partylist and student leaders from the country’s major state universities have also been lobbying with congressmen to reject the proposed education budget cuts. We’ve already gathered dozens of signatures in our congressional petition, and a handful of other commitments from various congressmen. That, however, is not enough. The buck ends at Malacanang Palace, still, as majority of the members of Congress are allied with the President and follow his neoliberal agenda. Which is why the students chose to hold their protest at the gates of the presidential palace last Friday.

On Tuesday, September 28, Congress will tackle the budget of state universities in a hearing. Students will definitely be there to hold our politicians accountable.

Fight for greater state subsidy for education and other social services!