Students Greet Opening Of Classes With Protests

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – As school administrators in Davao City continue to raise their tuition and other fees despite soaring prices of basic commodities, student leaders here vowed to greet the opening days of classes with protests.

In a press conference held Wednesday, students urged others to pay their school fees with a tag "PAID UNDER PROTEST!" to express opposition to the increases of school fees amid the intensity of the economic crisis in the country."Mura na pud og ginakilo ang amo mga pangandoy, kada tuig pa gyud ang increase!" Karlos Manlupig, of the student group Anakbayan, said.

Manlupig said the rising cost of education should not be extracted out of the current economic crisis as a minimum wage earner parent would be slashing almost of half of his or her daily income to send one college student to school.

"Idugang pa nimo ani ang gastohon sa matag pamilya sa bugas ug pagkaon, kuryente ug tubig, tambal ug uban pa," Manlupig said."In Davao City alone, we can clearly see that the increase has taken its toll," said Leigh Dalugdog, i.defy convenor and Vice President for Mindanao of the CEGP.

"Private colleges here have increased tuition ranging from 6% to 17.5%, while in State Colleges and Universities (SCUs) up to 300%. These translates to P302 in private or P150 in state-owned colleges as lowest rate in tuition per unit and P730 in private or P600 in state-owned colleges as the highest rate," Dalugdog added.

The group said these trend will again show that even in the direst times – the current economic crises at that the state is leaving its responsibility on Philippine education and is serious in gearing towards the full commercialization of education with state colleges and universities being privatized.

"Mrs. Gloria Arroyo is of course accountable," Manlupig said. "Diba nanawagan siya sa mga eskwelahan nga dili lang usa ipatuman ang mga increases? Pero nanawagan siya ani nga halos naka-enroll na man tanan ang mga estudyante. In other words, she is trying to fool the Filipino youth, kintahay gusto niya ialleviate sa kalisud ang katawhan. Her government has undoubtedly failed in addressing the rice and oil crises, wala na pud mi nagahandum nga tinud-on niya ang iyang panawagan," Manlupig added.

Dalugdog said the youth's long standing call to stop tuition and other fees must be heeded by school administrators not because Malacañang is calling for it, but because it's the demand of the students and the people specially now the economic crisis is worsening.The news conference was led by i.defy, an alliance of youth and students initiated by the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) and National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP).

The group said almost all private schools in Davao have increased their tuition and other fees. Ateneo de Davao University has increased 6% of its tuition, University of Mindanao by 10% and Brokenshire College to almost 20% to both tuition and miscellaneous fees.State colleges and universities, however, have increased their fees much higher than private schools.

TOFI in the University of the Philippines in Mindanao have increased 300% while the University of Southeastern Philippines with 33.3%."Protest actions by the students is going to be initiated to welcome the opening of another school year filled with fees and more fees," Dalugdog said. (Nisa Opalla)