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.
