Students led by members of the League of Filipino Students and KABATAAN Partylist held a protest action at the House of Representatives (HOR) today to call for an increase in the budget of education and other basic services but were violently dispersed by HOR security.The following is an appeal made by the LFS along with other student organizations and alliances to demand an increase in government budget to education:
An Appeal to Congress to Increase the Budget of State Colleges and Universities, Particularly Its Capital Outlay
I. Whereas, among the public infrastructure severely damaged by the onslaught of Typhoon Ondoy are state colleges and universities in Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog, and Central Luzon, including the Marikina Polytechnic College
II. Whereas, among the public infrastructure severely damaged by the onslaught of Typhoon Pepeng are state colleges and universities in Northern Luzon, Cagayan Valley and the Cordillera Administrative Region
III. Whereas, State Colleges and Universities have pending budget proposals for already delayed construction of new buildings and acquisition of equipment, the effects of which include the overcrowding of dilapidated classrooms, laboratories and support facilities, and the deprivation of further knowledge production and transfer through the building of new facilities and the acquisition of new equipment
IV. Whereas, the proposed 2010 overall budget for SUCs have been reduced by P3.19 billion, from P21.23 billion in 2009 to a proposed P21.034 billion in 2010
V. Whereas, the content of the SUC budget reductions include providing zero capital outlay and a severe reduction of the SUCs Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE)
VI. Whereas, a clear example such budget reduction is the University of the Philippines, the proposed 2010 budget of which had been reduced by P2.09 billion for 2010, from P7.38 billion in 2009 to a proposed P5.29 billion for 2010.
VII. Whereas, the continuous infusion of government funding to SUCs, particularly on capital outlay, is in pursuance of the universally-accepted right to education and the constitutional provision mandating government to make higher education accessible to all Filipino youth
VIII. Whereas, the continuing deprivation of adequate funding for SUCs, including that of capital outlay, had been the primary causa for SUCs to embark on tuition and other fee increases, and other income-generating measures, operating similarly as private higher educational institutions
IX. Whereas, by embarking on tuition and other fee increases, and other income-generating measures due to the lack of adequate government funding, the universally-accepted right to education and the constitutional mandate for government to make higher education accessible to all shall be infringed
X. Whereas, while it had been a long-standing executive policy to encourage income-generation amid decreasing government funding for SUCs, Congress, in the exercise of its checking powers, may increase the funding for SUCs in order to arrest the infringement of the universally-accepted right to education and the constitutional mandate on government to make higher education accessible to all.
IN LIGHT OF ALL THESE, the following national student unions and organizations – National Union of Students of the Philippines, College Editors Guild of the Philippines League of Filipinos Students, ANAKBAYAN, Student Christian Movement, respectfully appeal to the legislators to increase the budget of all State Colleges and Universities, particularly their Capital Outlay.
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Marahil ay lingid sa atin na merong “Financial Crisis” na kinakaharap ngayon, hindi lang sa malalaking bansa tulad ng US kungdi ng buong mundo Ngunit kahit na anong mga artipisyal at panandaliang solusyon ang ginagawa dito ay hindi parin maitatago ang pagsasara at pagkalugi ng malalaking kumpanya kabilang dito ang tatlong dambuhalang automotive companies sa US : ang FORD, CHRYSLER at ang GENERAL MOTORS na pinakahuling nagpahayag ng pagka-bankrusy. Mahigit 100 sangay narin ng Starbucks ang nagsara sa US noong Nobyembre pa lamang. Sa European Union tinatayang malakihang tanggalan ng trabago sa North Eastern England, sa Germany may 10-15% ang inaasahang mawalan ng trabaho sa mga automative companies. Kaya hindi natin ikagugulat kung bakit libo-libong mga Overseas Filipino Workers ang nagsisiuwian sa Pilipinas. Tinatantyang mas malala pa ito kaysa sa nangyaring Great Depression noong late 1920-1930’s itoy ayon narin sa mga financial analysis ng ibat ibang bansa. Kung ating susuriin ito’y nagsimula pa sa high-tech bubbles sa Amerika noong 1995 na kung saan ang pagiinvest sa teknolohiya at internet bilang isang uri ng negosyo na tumatagal lang ng 5taon at tuluyang pagkalugi. Sinundan naman ito ng sinasabing Subprime Mortage/Housing bubbles at ang pagkalugi at pagsasara ng Wall Street Investment Bank Lehman Brothers. Malawakan narin ang pagsasara ng kumpanya at tanggalan ng mga manggagawa sa loob ng ating bansa. Isa na rito ang pagsasara ng INTEL Corp. Isa sa pinakamalaking pagawaan ng computer chip sa buong mundo. Dahil sa pagsasara ng kanilang plata sa Malaysia, Philippines at United States, mahigit 60,ooo I.T employers ang tinatayang mawawalan ng trabaho sa Pilipinas at kasabay din nito ay ang pagsasara narin ng mga Call Center sa ating bansa. Hindi ligtas sa krisis ang mga kabataan at estudyante, dahil gaganapin nanaman ang Tuition Deliberation ng mga pribadong paaralan sa buwan ng Pebrero at lubos na magpapahirap ito sa mga kabataang estudyante dahil ipipilit ng mga edukador kapitalista ang pagtataas ng tuition at kung hindi man ay pagdagdag at pagtaas sa mga miscellaneous fees at pagpasok ng mga bagong kurikulum. Inaasahan pa sa taong 2010 ay magiging limang taon na ang ilalagi ng mga estudyante sa kolehiyo sa kabila nang walang kasiguraduhan kung meron pabang trabahong makukuha ang mga estudyante sa kanilang pagtatapos. Nariyan din ang pagabanduna ng gobyerno sa mga State University at Colleges.
