UP ALYANSA's clarificatory statement regarding a news article by Manila Standard Today

In light of the news article by Manila Standard Today entitled "UP students, faculty launch 3-day strike" where UP ALYANSA was reported to have led the budget mobilization which occurred last Wednesday (to quote: "The UP-Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral Para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran led the walk along the academic Oval area and marched on the 2.2-kilometer oval to demonstrate their unity against the cut in the school’s budget and the budgets of other state universities and colleges," italics added), we forward the following clarifications:

1. In our Press Release dated September 21, 2011, it was clearly stated that UP ALYANSA NEVER CLAIMED to have led the budget mobilization. We quote: “UP Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (ALYANSA), one of the participants in the university-wide strike, appeals to the government to increase the UP budget and invest more in education” (italics added). UP ALYANSA HOLDS NO CONTROL over the editing and writing of news articles in major print and TV media.

2. After being made aware of the said article, UP ALYANSA immediately contacted the writer of the said article requesting for an erratum for immediate publishing. We have attached a link of our Press Release distributed to all print and TV media, and another article published by Sun.Star Manila correctly reflecting what we forwarded.

3. UP ALYANSA believes that investing in our people via a higher education budget is a collective struggle that transcends our political colors or parochial concerns. It is a collective struggle that no single person, no single group, or no organization can merely lay claim to. It is a collective struggle that UP ALYANSA is in, together with the education sector, as we stake the claim for our future.

Iskolar para sa Bayan, kasama ka sa pagkamit ng quality, relevant, at accessible education.
INCREASE THE UP BUDGET, INVEST IN EDUCATION.

LINK TO UP ALYANSA'S PRESS RELEASE, “Government should adopt '6%-of-GNP to education' standard in PH - UP protesters”: http://www.facebook.com/notes/up-alyansa/press-release-21-september-2011-government-should-adopt-6-of-gnp-to-education-st/10150394599370775

LINK TO THE MANILA STANDARD TODAY NEWS ARTICLE, "UP students, faculty launch 3-day strike": http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews.htm?f=2011%2Fseptember%2F22%2Fnews5.isx&d=2011%2Fseptember%2F22

LINK TO THE SUN.STAR NEWS ARTICLE, “Government urged to allot 6% of GNP to education” - ALSO BASED FROM UP ALYANSA’S PRESS RELEASE: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2011/09/21/government-urged-allot-6-gnp-education-180624

UP ALYANSA featured in the Philippine Daiily Inquirer!

UP ALYANSA's statement on the proposed 2012 UP and education budget gets published in today's edition of the Philippine Daily Inquirer!

INCREASE THE UP BUDGET, INVEST IN EDUCATION.
Iskolar para sa Bayan, kasama ka sa pagkamit ng quality, relevant, at accessible education.

An Appeal to Congressmen (Budget Dialogue at the House of Representatives, 07 September 2011)

by Juan Carlo Tejano
Chairperson, UP College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Student Council (CSSPSC)
Member, UP Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (ALYANSA)
Spokesperson, Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP)

Delivered on September 7, 2011
Speaker Prospero Nograles Hall, House of Representatives


* * *
Kailangan pong taasan ang budget ng SUCs at ng edukasyon sa bansa – klaro po ito para sa lahat sa atin dito. Pero ang tanong ko ay: ano ang benchmark, at ano po ba ang goal na gusto nating ma-attain para sa budget ng ating mga unibersidad?

Noong 1996, nagkaroon ng Delors benchmark, isang international standard ng education budget for different countries. At nakasaad rito na para maging internationally-competitive ang isang bansa ay kailangang maglaan ng 6% ng Gross National Product ang isang gobyerno para sa edukasyon.

Sa kasalukuyan, 2.5% lang ang allocated by the government sa ating edukasyon. Sa katunayan, talo pa tayo ng iba’t-ibang mga bansa, na mas mababa pa nga ang ranking ng percent ng GNP natin. Sa totoo lang, di ko po alam ang bansang Guyana, na mas mataas pa ang percentage na binibigay nila para sa kanilang edukasyon.

Nakakalungkot itong isipin, dahil ito ang trend na makikita natin for our history after the Marcos era. Mula noong na-set ang benchmark noong 1996, ang pinakamataas nang percentage na allocated for education ay 3.8%. Napakababa po nito mula sa 6% international standard.

Ito ang panawagan ng SCAP o Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, along with the different student councils in UP, and UP ALYANSA and Buklod CSSP – Na kailangang taasan ang percentage na binibigay ng gobyerno for education. Kailangan itong taasan para humabol sa international standard na 6%.

Bukod pa rito, at nasabi na rin ito kanina ng mga kasama naming estudyante, parating sinasabi na maramot ang SUCs kapag nananawagan ito ng mas mataas na budget.

Ayaw kong paniwalaan ito, dahil kailangang lahat ng antas ng edukasyon ay binibigyang-halaga. Nakikita natin ang commitment ng gobyerno, at pinapasalamatan natin ang gobyerno para sa pinapakita nitong commitment sa elementary at secondary education. Pero kailangan ding bigyan ng tamang prayoridad ang tertiary education sa ating bansa.

Sa kasalukuyan, meron lang 110 SUCs all over the country. Compare this to 1,573 Private Higher Educational Institutions. Clearly, itong kakaunting amount ng SUCs sa ating bansa ay nangangailangan ng pondo at suporta.

At ang SUCs na ito, ito lang ang pag-asa para sa napakaraming Pilipinong mag-aaral na nagtapos ng high school para tumuloy sa kanilang college education. Kapag hindi natin popondohan ang SUCs ay parang sinabi na natin sa kabataang Pilipino na huwag niyo nang ipagpatuloy ang inyong pag-aaral. Dahil klaro para sa ating lahat na napakaraming mahirap sa ating bansa at kailangan nila ng SUCs para makapag-aral.

Bukod pa rito, bilang mula na rin sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas at sigurado naman ako na marami sa ating mga mambabatas dito ngayon ay nanggaling din sa aking unibersidad, kapag pumunta kayo ng UP ay hindi niyo na kailangan ng data. Basta pumunta lang kayo ng UP, makikita ninyo kung gaano ka-masalimuot ang sitwasyon ng unibersidad.

Makikita ninyo ang Palma Hall, isang historical site ng Martial Law noong 1970s-1980s, historical po talaga siya – wala pong nagbago. Sa katunayan, parang historical artifacts na ang mga kagamitan namin sa Palma Hall.

Nakita rin natin na kakasunog lang ng Chemistry Pavilion sa Palma Hall noong nakaraang taon, at isa itong senyales na talagang kailangan ng mas mataas na budget para sa unibersidad.

Ayaw rin natin na umaasa ang unibersidad sa mga estudyante para pondohan ang mismong “state” university. Kaya nga nagkaroon ng UP, dahil gusto nating pag-aralin ang mga mahihirap. Bakit natin aasahan ang mga estudyante na sila mismo ang magpopondo sa ating unibersidad?

Finally, mula sa College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, sinabi ng Presidente na ang bibigyan ng halaga ngayong taon ayon sa Proposed Budget highlights ay business process outsourcing, tourism, agriculture and fisheries, at infrastructure development.

Nakakalungkot ito dahil patuloy na walang binibigay na halaga para sa agham panlipunan at pilosopiya sa ating bansa. Klaro na kailangan natin ng economics, engineering at science para sa pag-unlad ng ating bansa, pero kailangan din natin ng agham panlipunan at pilosopiya para maisaayos ang pag-unlad natin bilang bayan.

Sa katunayan, kapag magfo-focus lang tayo sa economic development, hindi uunlad nang matino ang ating bayan. From Philosophy itself, kunwari, Philosophy ang nagbigay ng biomedical ethics sa bansa – research ethics on biomedicine. Paano natin maisasaayos ang health dito sa bansa kung wala naman tayong pagbibigay-halaga sa etika?

Tatapusin ko ang pagsasalita ko sa isang panawagan, lalo na sa mga taga-UP na mambabatas ngayon – na sana po talaga ay ipaglaban natin ang budget para sa UP. Sana ay ipaglaban natin ang budget para sa state universities and colleges, at ang budget para sa edukasyon.

Maraming salamat po.

BUDGET WATCH UPDATE: ALYANSA urges Congress to increase UP budget, invest in education

UP ALYANSA joins the UP administration and other state universities and colleges (SUCs) in a public dialogue at the House of Representatives last September 7, 2011, the same day the proposed budget of CHED and SUCs for 2012 was deliberated by the House plenary.

Organized by the Office of San Juan City Representative JV Ejercito, the dialogue aims to engage members of the House of Representatives regarding the government’s lack of support for tertiary education, particularly the decrease in the budget of many SUCs for 2012.

The UP Diliman delegation is composed of UP President Alfredo Pascual, UP Diliman Chancellor Caesar Saloma, UP Student Regent Krissy Conti, USC Councilor Heart Diño, SLIS Representative Orly Putong, the CSSP Student Council (represented by Chairperson JC Tejano), and UP ALYANSA (represented by Chairperson Tin Borja). ALYANSA Vice Chairperson for Education, Research and Training Aides Baccay, UP Organization of Human Rights Advocates (OHRA) President Diega Villanueva, and former USC Councilor Jeff Crisostomo also attended the said dialogue.

Also present in the public dialogue were House Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chairman and UP Board of Regents member Juan Edgardo Angara, Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Patricia Licuanan, and Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) President Ricardo Rotoras.

In his appeal, CSSPSC Chairperson Tejano urged the members of Congress to increase the budget of the national university and invest in education by fulfilling the international standard of at least 6% of the country’s Gross National Product (GNP) to the education sector.

“[Ang SUCs] lang ang pag-asa ng napakaraming Pilipinong mag-aaral na nagtapos ng high school para tumuloy sa kanilang college education. Kapag hindi natin popondohan ang SUCs, parang sinabi na natin sa kabataang Pilipino na huwag niyo nang ipagpatuloy ang inyong pag-aaral,” Tejano said.

The congressmen, on their part, expressed their commitment to push not only for the restoration but also for the increase in the budget of SUCs.

In his Facebook status post, Cong. Ejercito said, “Just finished the dialogue between congressmen and the heads of the state universities and colleges. The reps were in unison in pushing not only for the restoration of the budget of the SUCs, but to increase their budget.”


Kasama ang mga kinatawan sa Kongreso, patuloy ang panawagan ng mga Iskolar para sa Bayan… INCREASE THE UP BUDGET, INVEST IN EDUCATION.

BUDGET WATCH UPDATE: Members of Congress tweet @upalyansa

UP ALYANSA has been receiving tweets from members of Congress (Senate and House of Representatives) since the Iskolars para sa Bayan intensified its "Increase the UP Budget, Invest in Education" campaign. The following are their tweets on our Twitter account, @upalyansa.


On UP ALYANSA's Position Paper on the Proposed 2012 UP and Education Budgets (LINK: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150345476665775)

Sen. Pia Cayetano (@piacayetano):

Agree, u have my support always. RT @upalyansa: @piacayetanoINCREASE the UP Budget. INVEST in Education.http://upalyansa.blogspot.com/2011/08/up-alyansas-position-paper-on-proposed.html

Sen. Koko Pimentel (@TeamSenKoko):

Senator @KokoPimentel and #TeamKoko is on your side@upalyansa. Education is the best equalizer and key out of poverty.

San Juan City Rep. JV Ejercito (@jvejercito):

@upalyansa This is where i disagree with the Aquino Administration, they choose 2 give priority 2 the CCT dole-outs than invest in education
@upalyansa beem fighting for the increase in budget of SUC's since last year, will fight for it again in this year's budget hearings!

Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay (@mitosmagsaysay):

@upalyansa I agree with you 100%

Alliance of Volunteer Educators Partylist Rep. Amang Rodriguez (@arm7878):

@upalyansa Totally in support of ur advocacy. But I'm only 1 voice. Help me by touching base w/ ur other representatives & senators.

On UP ALYANSA's participation in the public dialogue with Congressmen, held last September 7, 2011 at the House of Representatives

San Juan City Rep. JV Ejercito (@jvejercito):

@upalyansa @jeffcrisostomo @jctejano Salamat din sa pagdalo, malaking bagay ito upang maintindihan ng aking mga kasama and estado ng SUCS.
@upalyansa It is my belief that the human resource is our most precious resource, therefore education should be given highest priority.