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More protests over education budget cut

By Mario Ignacio
VERA Files

Some 300 students of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City staged a rally on the second day of their protest against the P1.39 billion budget cut on state universities and colleges (SUCs).

UP’s University Council supported the protest saying, “A low budget has a debilitating effect on UP’s capacity to fulfill its mandate as the national university.”

The Council also said that with the budget cuts quality tertiary education will become more inaccessible to students from poor families, and that academic facilities and programs will suffer.

Last year, SUCs had a budget of P23.8 billion. The budget for 2011 was slashed to P23.4 billion.

UP students assembled at the Palma Hall and on placards wrote sentiments that read, “We demand greater state subsidy!” and “Education is not for sale!” With streamers and other protest signs, the students marched towards the National College of Public Administration and Governance.

Click here (VERA Files) for the rest of the story.

Published inEducation

34 Comments

  1. Isagani Isagani

    Ano ba dahilan ng pagbawas sa education budget at ba’t ito pa napiling bawasan?

    Mukhang nilinis na rin ang AS building, kay puti sa litrato. Napakadungis nito ng huli kong makita.

    Diyan din kami nakatambay sa steps na iyan, pagpapainit/nagpapahangin/pumuporma 😉 – sarap ng buhay istudyante!

  2. Post ko na lang dito and note ko sa Facebook kasi I am not getting this one really. Ang gulo nang explanation ni Noynoy. Update ko na rin sya with what I’ve read to this point.

    Aquino said that they lowered the budget for UP because UP has other sources of funds. But his next statement eh parang sinasabi nyang – nah, hindi naman talaga binabaan dahil me other sources of funds. Ewan. This is a very confusing statement to me dahil I read his statement like this:

    1.) The sources of “other” funds from the UP-Ayala partnership was not included in the budget. Bakit? I don’t know.

    2.) Then, why would they say LOWERED the budget for UP when they have other sources of funds pala? “Other sources” of funds should actually form part of the budget kaya if they had included the “other sources of funds” isn’t it that the headline will no longer say “lowered the budget for UP” and would not ignite the ire of the students.

    3.) Sabi ni Abad, (comment ni Gay sa note ko) “ What I said was that SUCs should maximize the use of cash balances generated from tuition fees and revenue-generating projects and activities, that they are authorized to retain. …” which is true. Pwedeng gamitin ang net unrestricted assets nang SUC’s back to operations para nga ma-cover ang shortfall. But this statement only proves na binababaan nga ang education budget dahil walang choice ang SUC’s kundi mag-re-align nang mga programatics nila to cover the shortfall. Again, ang statement ni Abad is kind of conflicting sa sinasabi ni Noynoy na hindi naman daw binabaan ang budget dahil nga me other sources.

    Tama ba reading ko???

  3. NFA rice NFA rice

    Income generated by SUC’s is a minor reason to why their budget should be cut. They might have X billions of pesos in earnings plus funding, but if their expenditures exceed that they don’t deserve the cut.

  4. NFA rice NFA rice

    This country need excellent universities, and the country needs to invest on them. Why not tax gambling, alcohol, prostitution, tobacco, and the entertainment industry to fund education?

  5. Tangna yang si Abad. Dapat nga ang State U libre, ano’ng maximize sa tuition fees at revenue-generation? Kung merong kinokolekta, dapat minimal lang para merong sariling “taya” ang estudyante sa kanyang edukasyon, pag libre kasi, parang tama sa lotto, madaling waldasin. Kahit pa sabihing mura ang P25K para sa isang sem, maraming mas karapatdapat ang hindi na kakayanin pang magbayad, kahit kaya ng utak.

    Nakakalungkot pero tignan mo kung ilang estudyante ang nagmamartsa, wala pang 200. Mas marami na talagang middle at upper class ang mga Isko ng UP ngayon. Nung sa amin, buong AS labas ng building, hindi iiwan ng mga naghihintay at kumakanta sa labas ng classroom hanggang hindi pinapalabas ng prof ang mga estudyante.

    Nung araw, “Kung hindi tayo kikilos, sino? Kung hindi ngayon, kailan?”

    Ngayon, “Sowee, ayokong magbilad, no, sayang ang whitening lotion ko, mahal pa naman. One more thing baka pagalitan ako ng payrents ko. Join na lang ako sa cause ninyo sa FB”

  6. NFA rice NFA rice

    Also, our state scholars should pay back the state if they decide to leave the country before a minimum number of years after they graduate.

  7. Witty talaga pati mga placards ng Peyups. Yung dating “UP naming mahal”, naging “UP naging mahal”.

    Pati yung Oblation image (ni Fernando Poe, Sr.) sa poster, binigti ng Yellow Ribbon, tepok! Ang galing!

  8. Tama yung proposal ni NFA Rice – dapat munang magtrabaho sa Pilipinas (not necessarily in Gov’t, pwede na sa private) at least four years (kung 4-year course, 5 years sa 5-year course) para makabawi naman ang taumbayan sa tinustos sa pag-aaral mo. Hindi yung pagkagraduate tatangayin na ng nagsponsor papunta US, Midle East o Europe para sa higher studies kuno. Ni hindi napakinabangan ng bansa yung pinuhunan sa pag-aaral nila.

    Kung ayaw nilang patali sa Pilipinas, i-reimburse nila ang gobyerno ang differential amount nito kung sa Ateneo sila nag-aral, kundi sa La Salle o UST, depende sa kurso, whichever is higher.

    Matagal na itong napropose, kahit sila Prof. Winnie Monsod payag diyan, para naman yung pondo para sa deserving na Isko ay magamit sa ibang taong handang maglingkod sa bayan.

  9. Isama na in diyan yung mga nag-aaral sa Flying School ng PAF, o sa iba pang military and police academies na hindi naman sa Pinas gagamitin ang natutunan. Dapat kwentahin ang tuition nila katumbas nung mga foreigner na nag-aral dito.

  10. NFA rice NFA rice

    Hindi nga dapat i cut ang budget ng SUCs. We need more of them in fact. At huwag naman i concentrate nila sa Metro Manila. Isa lang atang SUC ang alam ko na outside Metro Manila– Ang MSU-IIT sa Iligan.

  11. Isagani, mura lang naman kasi magpintura kaya mukhang bago yung AS. Pansinin mo yung wrought-iron gate, yan pa yata yung 1911 original na naka-install pa rin hanggang ngayon, pati yung kulay pulang “AS steps” mukhang matanda pa sa Lolo ko.

  12. NFA rice NFA rice

    @TonGuE-tWisTeD,

    Remuneration has been the setup with DOST-SEI scholars for years. Nasa listahan sila sa hold-departure order and they cannot board an outbound international plane unless may clearance sila galing DOST.

  13. chi chi

    Tongue, wala bang nangyari sa proposal na yan? Agree ako sa inyo ni NFA, paglingkurin as Pinas bago lumayas ang mga estudyante na pinag-aral sa SUCs.

  14. NFA rice NFA rice

    Gambling was mentioned. This issue is a good reason to legalize it. So instead of gambling lords, ang edukasyon ng bayan ang makikinabang.

  15. NFA rice NFA rice

    legalize it=legalize jueteng

  16. Isagani Isagani

    RE: #11

    TonGue, actually, maraming pinagbago ang UPD. Pansin ko lang yung AS dahil may memories ako diyan. And then, sa loob, pati na yung BA building, pati na library ay parang presohan at tadtad ng rehas. Tangna, sabi ko, ano ba nagyari dito?

    Pero, ito lang masasabi ko ha, ang mga istudiyante ok, marunong makisama at magalang, tulad ng panahon namin. Pera lang yung isang sanganong frat diyan na hanggan ngayo e barumbado pa rin.

    RE: #11

    Di ako agree sa puwersahan na magsilbi sa pinas ang mag-graduate diyan. Noong kami, inalukan ng scholarship sa Winsconsin o London sa condition na magtrabaho sa gobyerno for 2-4 yrs after graduation. Di attractive dahil lugi istudyante. Barat magbayad ang gobyerno.

    Anyways, kahit tatay ko pareho ang isip na magsilbi istudyante but changed his mind ng ma-realize niya na di puwedeng pilitin kung ayaw. They will find ways to go, meaning gagawa lang ng panibagong problema sa administration and enforcement kung gawaing batas.

    As usual, sa tingin ko, ang mga tao ni PeNoy don’t really know what the f**K is going on. PeNoy himself does not know what he is doing. What more his hirelings?

    In any case UPD will survive whatever. You know that.

  17. Isagani ang proposal ko, kahit sa private pwede, basta yung napag-aralan, napakinabangan ng mga sponsors – ang taumbayan.

    Kahit naman sa personal nating buhay, hindi lang yung anak nating pinag-aral o kahit merong extra kang mga isko na kamag-anak o anak ng katulong, o empleyado mo, gusto mo ring matikman ang produkto ng pagsisikap nila.

    Pero nasa tao yan, para sa akin obligasyon ang tingin ko.

    Eto’ng sabi ni Winnie Monsod sa kanyang Last Lecture:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF3yPcqO6gE

  18. Prof. Monsod quotes Edward Everett Hale:

    “I am only one, but I am one.
    I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
    What I can do, I ought to do.
    And with the grace of God, I will do it.”

    ************

    Let’s ask ourselves: What is that something that we ought to do?

    What will YOU do?

  19. After all these years you’d expect a premier school to “walk the talk” becoming self sufficient, financially independent – but it seems the lessons learned were only to expect taxpayers to pay for their education and after freeloading – leave the country and forget about everything ala “wham bang, thank you maam.” Even now its students are demanding for more handouts? Now why would we continue to pay for these schools? our kids don’t even go there? close them all for all I care, as they are not churning out responsible citizens anyway.
    Matira ang matibay, kung walang pagtingin ng utang na loob ang mga graduates niyan eh di wag nang ituloy, baka mali ang tinuturo…
    if you read the posts of isagani, these schools are just parasites and churning out more parasites – people who believe life owes them a living! we don’t need people like these, sobrang marami nang mga ganitong tao puro kabig na lang! puro hingi nang hingi sa gobyerno -ayaw tumulong…
    these students should stop humiliating themselves and try to be more self reliant…

  20. Al Al

    Re #2, Mahal na Reyna, mukhang hindi naintindihan ni PNoy and buong isyu. Maybe that was what Sec Abad told him so that’s how he understood the issue.

    Talaga namang binawasan. And why would you compute private grants. It’s the government’s obligation to support state universities. Kaya nga “state” eh.

  21. Isagani Isagani

    RE: #17

    TonGue, “…kahit sa private pwede” – And that is how it should be. Yang pilitan na give back after graduation is an old, old idea that never materialized because it can never work.

    Look at some realities: yung kalabaw na benenta, yung bukid na sinangla, papaano mababawi ito, kung di ka kikita ng sapat. Take care of yourself first, then you can take care of others, lest you become a problem yourself.

    What keeps the pinas afloat? Despite all the talk of nationalism and patriotsm it is the ofw remittances that keep us afloat. Ok yang serve the pipol at payback. No question, pero mayroong ‘but.. But, kailangan may trabaho that can sustain you and your family.

    Yeah, I watched Prof Munsod – very entertaining, she makes light a serious subject but she misses an important ingredient, perhaps the catalyst in the road chosen in life. And that is character.

    Character, this is what is missing in many of our leaders today. We have Phds, lawyers, military men in the highest posts in our gov’t but we stay below our potential as a nation because out leaders lack character.

    UPD is suppose to develop one’s character, to know what is right, to find answers and to resolve problems and more importantly to remain true to the course to one’s convictions – to remain true to oneself.

    Iyan ang kailangan natin.

  22. Isagani Isagani

    Oops, bago ako batukan ng tatay ko, character education starts at home and developed in all schools, not only in UPD. Sori Tang.

  23. Talaga namang binawasan. And why would you compute private grants. It’s the government’s obligation to support state universities. Kaya nga “state” eh.
    ——————-

    isa pang walang kamalaymalay to!
    we have to wake up to the reality that there is no free lunch! we have to pay our debts, no free loading…
    if the state has to pay for you, you pay it back…comprende?

  24. Character, this is what is missing in many of our leaders today.
    —————————

    character? meron ka ba niyan? put yout money where your mouth is! then we can talk about character! make some concrete contributions to the Philippine economy…

  25. Post ko na lang dito and note ko sa Facebook kasi I am not getting this one really. Ang gulo nang explanation ni Noynoy. Update ko na rin sya with what I’ve read to this point.

    Aquino said that they lowered the budget for UP because UP has other sources of funds. But his next statement eh parang sinasabi nyang – nah, hindi naman talaga binabaan dahil me other sources of funds.
    ——————

    talking like a faggot lost in the land of people living beyond their means…
    these brown americans, like flies on carabaos acting like carabaos themselves – makes me vomit! next time we’ll read posts like “back here isn the US, we’re better…etc. etc”…well, you guys will never make us ashamed of our ifugao brothers in g strings…unlike your american patrons…so out up or shut up already! its either you hep out or get out of the way…

  26. oops, too much rum coke…hik, hik, hik 🙂

  27. NFA rice NFA rice

    @Isagani, #21,

    It works. Good example is the DOST-SEI policy regarding its scholars. Besides, it’s more about keeping quality manpower within the borders of the country than the capability of the scholar of paying back. We want employers come to the country, instead of the people going out looking for them.

  28. NFA rice NFA rice

    Come to think of it, the repayment becomes the opportunity of another poor student to join the system.

  29. rose rose

    bakit bawas hindi dagdag ang gagawin when it comes to education? dapat 1 + 1=3..ikaw, ako at ang Dios…bawal din pa sa atin and mag invoke ng pangalan ng Dios sa dasal or sa pledge of allegiance? dito kasi sa the great land of opportunities AKA USA..inslis ang salitang GOD sa dasal sa public schools…hindi na nga nagdadasal..ano ang Christmas sa atin? the celebration of the birth of Jesus…Ano ba ang canta ng mga kabataan? ” O Come Let Us Adore Him” being that we are a Chhristian nation, a Catholic nation pa! o Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and Rudolph, the red nose reindeern? Tragic indeed..

  30. rose rose

    y isa pa pala akong tanong…does the Gov’t grants or educational student loan? Dito si Barack kumuha ng student loan kaya naging lawyer siya..sana mayroon din sa atin ng mga opportunities na gaya nito…at hindi lang para sa mga mayayaman ang education…alam ko na sa atin marami sa mga mambabatas, pangulo o mga abogado ay matalino graduates ng mga universities gaya ng Ateneo, UP or Assumption…for example si Arroyo, si Neri at iba pa…pero sa makitid kung patingin medio hindi tama ang mga ginawa nila..malungkot tunay…

  31. Isagani Isagani

    RE: #24 character? meron ka ba niyan? – jug

    Yes, meron po. Ikaw meron ba? Kung taga-salita ka ni PeNoy, that speaks for itself. O ano, pikoy ka ba ni PeNoy? Yes or No?

  32. Isagani Isagani

    RE #27 It works. – NFA

    NFA, if it works, then fine. All I am saying is that making it mandatory is counter productive.

    When your parents sent you to school, they wanted you to have a good education and become a good person. They believe it is their duty to do so. They did not spend for your schooling expecting that you pay them back. What you do with the fruits of your education is left up to you.

    The last time I checked, that is what happens in a democracy.

  33. Isagani Isagani

    RE: #26 oops, too much rum coke…hik, hik, hik 🙂 – jug

    A typical PeNoy boy.

  34. perl perl

    ano gusto nyo, 23.8 billion budget with cut or 23.8 billion budget with cut-takotakot na korakot?

    galing din akong steytu… pero hayaan nyo nmang dumiskrate at magtrabaho ang bagong administrasyon… mga estudyante pa lang kayo… huwag kayong msyadong magmagaling…

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