Photos by MARIO IGNACIO
SOME 300 students of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City staged a rally on the second day of their protest against the P1.39 billion budget cut on state universities and colleges.
UP’s University Council supported the protest saying, “A low budget has a debilitating effect on UP’s capacity to fulfill its mandate as the national university.”
The council also said with the budget cuts quality tertiary education will become more inaccessible to students from poor families, and academic facilities and programs will suffer.
Last year, SUCs had a budget of P23.8 billion. The budget for 2011 was slashed to P23.4 billion.
UP students assembled at the Palma Hall and on placards wrote sentiments that read, “We demand greater state subsidy!” and “Education is not for sale!” With streamers and other protest signs, the students marched toward the National College of Public Administration and Governance.
Simultaneous protests were scheduled at UP Manila and Polytechnic University of the Philippines. The students were scheduled to walk toward Mendiola.
On Thursday, 3,000 UP Diliman students walked out of their classes in protest of the budget slash. A series of strikes will take place in the next few days. The biggest rally will be held in front of the Senate on Dec. 1.
