Sectoral leaders across the country laid out the current economic and educational state of the country in a situationer-forum on neoliberalism held at the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) on Tuesday, December 5.
The situationer-forum, entitled “Unveiling the Ripple Effect: Neoliberalism & the Education Crisis in the Philippines,” is a roundtable discussion organized by students from the UPD College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD).
Among the points focused on during the discussion are the unjust tuition and other fee increases (TOFI) of private higher educational institutions, including Holy Angel University (HAU).
UPD College of Arts and Letters Freshies, Shiftees, and Transferees Council (CAL FSTC) Chairperson Lance Avery Alo cited HAU’s 8% TOFI and mentioned that increases as such are “unjust” given the current economic situation in the country.
“Mabilis tumataas ang tuition, pero hindi tumataas ang [minimum] wage,” said Alo.
“Kaya kapag nagkakaroon ng mga pagtaas, lumalaban talaga ang estudyante,” he added.
Moreover, IBON Foundation representative Archilles Parallon provided a picture of the national situation of education in the country.
“Budgets from the past administration [Duterte] to Marcos Jr. increased the allocation of budget for infrastructure and militarism, but less for education and other social services,” said Parallon.
Call for a mass-oriented education
As a counter to the policies mentioned, the speakers emphasized the importance of resisting neoliberal policies in achieving a mass-oriented educational system
“It is important that we open discourse with the government against these policies… Kaya mahalaga na ginagawa natin ang mga [mobilizations or protests],” said Parallon.
This forum aims to “shed light on the problems in the educational sector, such as rising tuition fees and resistance to the continuing policies that impact the national landscape of education in the Philippines.”
News by Godwin Pring
Layout by Lana Erin Ramos
