by Lorelyn Centino and Marian Chriselle Galvan
SIGWA. Students of UP Baguio gather at the parking lot concluding the snake rally
More than 300 students from different universities in Baguio mostly from the University of the Philippines Baguio (UPB), and Saint Louis University (SLU) walked out of their schools and marched along Session Road to protest against the issues and problems concerning education and student rights on Friday, February 28.
Students along with progressive groups and organizations raised their calls on tuition and other fees increase (TOFI) in private tertiary institutions, red-tagging incidents, budget cuts in state universities and colleges and mandatory ROTC.
This year's protest march, "SIGWA: Kabataan Para sa Edukasyon Laban sa Pasismo" is in line with the annual National Coordinated Action for Education and Democracy.
A snake rally at 3:00 in the afternoon signaled the start of the protest in UPB. Students from different colleges were encouraged to walk out of their classes and join the rally.
Representatives from different progressive organizations delivered statements about the country's educational situation at the UPB parking lot.
Cheska Kapunan of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) stressed the negative effects of the K12 curriculum on students and the recent budget cuts. Speakers from Anakbayan and Alliance of Concerned Students also shed light on other related issues concerning students.
"Ang klase natin ngayon ay wala sa paaralan, ito ay nasa lansangan," Kapunan exclaimed.
[Today, our class is not inside the school, but out in the streets.]
Participants from UPB and SLU merged in front of the city post office and marched as one from Session road to Malcolm Square.
Tuition hike and budget cut
EDUCATION NOT FOR SALE. Individuals march down Session road, carrying different calls.
Charles Vergara, SLU STELA SSC governor spoke about the 7% increase in tuition fee at SLU that adds to the total 42% hike for incoming freshmen. Vergara also tackled the carry-over scheme that the university implements.
“Ang carry-over scheme ay ang pagtataas ng tuition fee para po sa mga dumarating at pumapasok na mga estudyante. Ang tuition na ipinasa sayo ay ang tuition mo hanggang sa iyong paggraduate,” he explained.
[The carry-over scheme is the increase in tuition fees for the incoming students. The tuition given to you is what you’ll have until you graduate.]
UPB USC Chair, Nico Ponce raised the issue on the 28.6% cut in the national budget by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and how it falls short in addressing the current inefficiencies in education.
He detailed that the country lacks 81,000 teachers, 113,000 classrooms, and 235.4 million books. According to statistics, only 7 out of 100 grade one students finish college.
“Hindi po napipigil ang aming paglalaban bagama’t wala na kaming tuition sa mga state universities at colleges," Ponce said. "Nananatiling kolonyal, komersyalisado, at pasista ang orientasyon ng ating edukasyon,” he added.
[Our fight does not stop even though we no longer pay tuition in state universities and colleges. Our education still remains colonial, commercialized and fascist in orientation.]
Press freedom and state repressions
Christel Baptista from the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) and Reginald Flores from the Youth Act Now Against Tyranny (YANAT) shed light on the threats in both press and academic freedom in school campuses respectively.
Large media networks like ABS-CBN and alternative media organizations, including student publications, continue to be harassed and intimidated, according to Baptista.
“Nariyan and red-tagging sa mga lehitimong organisasyon na nilalagay sa kapahamakan ang mga kritikal na studyante at maging campus journalists,” she stated.
[This includes red-tagging legitimate organizations that put critical students and campus journalists in danger.]
Ocean Viel Brillantes, an onlooker from the crowd, said that he is interested to learn about the issues that were addressed in the protest and supports the students' advocacy particularly in defending press freedom.
"For press freedom talaga ako kasi most of my friends are journalists and some of them, may kilala sila na parang na-lalabel as terorista just because they're doing things like this [joining rallies]," Brillantes said.
[I’m really for press freedom because most of my friends are journalists, and some of them know others that are somehow being labeled as terrorists just because they’re doing things like this (joining rallies).]
The passage of the Mandatory ROTC Bill was seen as a threat to the students' security and academic freedom. Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) was also called out for red-tagging student activists.
Free Education for all
“Sa public education po dito, sa ilalim ng free education, 34% lang po ng estudyante ang nakakatamasa ng libreng edukasyon dito sa Cordillera. Makikita po natin na kulang na kulang po ang mga public schools natin, kulang na kulang po ang pondo na binibigay sa kanila,” said Louise Montenegro from the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP).
[In the Cordillera, the public education under free education only sees 34% of students enjoying free education. We can see that there are not enough public schools, and also not enough funds being given to them.]
Iggy Anton John Lami-ing, a Grade 12 student from Philippine Science High School who also joined the protest voiced out his concerns as an incoming college student and the struggles of his family in sending him to school.
“Ipinaglalaban din ng mga students na wag hayaan maging mas commercialized pa yung already commercialized na education sa pamamagitan ng pagtaas ng tuition fee. Nagiging mas inequitable at mas inaccessible ang education sa masa," Lami-ing stated. "Di na maafford ng masses na dapat sila ang pangunahing makakuha ng education,” he added.
[Students are also fighting to prevent the commercialization of the already commercialized education through tuition fee hikes. Education becomes more inequitable and inaccessible for the masses. They cannot afford it anymore, yet they're the ones who needed education the most.]
Participants concluded the program by singing “Di N’yo Ba Naririnig” at Malcolm Square. A lighting rally was also held at the ABS-CBN headquarters in support of the company's fight against the Duterte administration.
Edited by Christel Janela Baptista