“As we begin another chapter for Kabataan Partylist, we call on the youth to intensify the struggle for our democratic rights – especially at a time when various conniving forces are endangering the most basic rights of the people, including the right to education and decent living,” the youth solon said.

A known youth leader and caused-oriented lawyer, Atty. Terry Ridon is the current president of Kabataan Partylist. He has also served as the president of the League of Filipino Students and was a former student regent of the University of the Philippines.

The oath-taking ceremony was presided over by Judge Cleto Villacorta III, an active member of the National Union of People’s Lawyers and known for his expertise in the field of human rights, particularly the interpretation of the Writ of Amparo.

The occasion was also in time for the birth anniversary of Dr.Jose Rizal, one of the country’s foremost youth icons; and the 12th founding anniversary of Kabataan Partylist, which remains to be the first and only youth representation in the House of Representatives. Kabataan traces its roots to Anak ng Bayan, a party-list founded by several youth formations back in June 19, 2001.

“We fought valiantly for the youth’s representation in the House of Representatives. Various insidious forces tried to hinder us from succeeding in the past elections, including the Commission on Elections that filed unsubstantiated election charges against us. Yet we persisted and in the end emerged victorious, with Comelec dropping the disqualification charges against us and our party-list mustering the overwhelming support of the youth.”

“We should seize this opportunity to intensify our struggle, not only in the hallowed halls of Congress but also in the parliamentary of the streets. Our work inside the legislature should go hand-in-hand with the fight of the progressive forces in the streets, communities, and other sites of struggle,” Ridon continued.

Ridon vowed to continue the advocacies of his predecessor, Rep. Raymond Palatino, and ensure the passage of pro-youth and pro-people legislation in the 16th Congress, including the Tuition Regulation Bill, the Anti-‘No Permit, No Exam’ Bill, the Student’s Rights Bill, the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill, and the P125 Wage Hike Bill, among others.

“When session officially begins on July 22, we will prioritize filing much-needed pieces of legislation that will address the spiralling crisis beleaguering our people. We will serve as the voice of the underrepresented, and we will ensure that not a single day will pass without us furthering the cause of millions of Filipinos mired in poverty,” Ridon ended.###

At around 12:00 noon, students gathered in Palma Hall Lobby in UP Diliman to decry the “combo blow” of big businesses against the youth and millions of Filipino families.

Similar protest actions were also held in various protest centers all over Metro Manila. In Philcoa, youth groups gathers at around 4:00 p.m., carrying empty water gallons and calling for the scrapping of the government’s intensive privatization program that led to the rate increases of basic services.

“First, there was the unjustified approval of tuition and other school fee increases in over 300 colleges and universities nationwide. Then there’s the power rate hike and the planned water rate hike – three strikes blown by big business that would gravely affect every Filipino family,” said Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon.

Earlier this month, the Commission on Higher Education approved tuition hikes in 354 colleges and universities nationwide, despite the complaints raised by student groups regarding unjustified fee increases and bogus fee hike consultations.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila’s two private water distributors Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc. proposed rate hikes of P8.58 per cubic meter and P5.83 per cubic meter, respectively. When additional charges are applied, this fee hike translates to an additional P234 to P342 charge for households consuming an average of 30 cubic meters a month.

The proposed water rate hikes follows the five-year rate rebasing process laid out by the government in its 1997 privatization contract or concession agreement between the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and the two private concessionaires. Under the said agreement, concessionaires are entitled to adjust their basic rates every five years throughout the 40-year contract to guarantee the rate of return.

“The basis for the said water rate hike is highly dubious, as it includes multimillion projects that have yet to be built and profit guarantees that are grossly overboard,” Ridon said.

In public consultations held by the MWSS, it was revealed that Manila Water has earned a gross P30 billion since 1997 and expects to earn an additional P5 billion annually until 2037. Maynilad, on the other hand, refused to disclose its anticipated profits.

“It is ironic that Filipinos pay one of the highest water rates in Asia while living in a country that abound with fresh water sources. If these planned increases push through, I think we would need to redefine water torture,” Ridon added.

The youth groups also blasted Meralco’s announcement that it will increase the generation charge by 22 centavos per kilowatt-hour this month, after suffering “losses” due to the May 8 power outage in Luzon.

“The government’s touted privatization program is now here to haunt our water and electricity bills. Due to the deregulated nature of basic utilities, we now have one of the highest utility rates in Asia and the world. This is unacceptable, especially when we consider the worsening plight of our people,” Ridon said.

Earlier this week, the National Statistics Office has revealed that the unemployment rate in the country has climbed to 7.5 percent from 6.9 percent a year earlier.  This translates to over three million jobless Filipinos, half of which are young people aged 15-25.

“While more and more Filipinos are losing their jobs, the bills that need to be paid bloat continually. This situation is a clear indication of the country’s real situation, despite the Aquino administration’s continued claims of inclusive growth,” Ridon said.

“In the end, the triple combo against the Filipino people can only be countered by a drastic combo breaker – the government should renounce its privatization mantra and revise the way it is steering the economy. The Aquino administration should stop serving as a loyal lapdog to big businesses and should instead defend the rights of Filipinos to affordable – and even free – basic services,” Ridon ended.###

The groups marched from University of Sto. Tomas in España to Mendiola, displaying what the groups call “the youth’s midterm report card for PNoy” which bear a glaring red “F” mark on all five key areas, including education, social services, human rights, poverty alleviation, and employment.

Youth groups tag Aquino ineligible to govern.

“Three years into the Aquino presidency, the same problems remain – and even worsened. Millions of families continue to be mired in poverty, while millions of youth greet the school opening outside their campuses, unable to enroll due to financial constraints. Thus the youth tags Aquino ineligible to govern for the remaining years of his term,” said Kabataan Partylist President Terry Ridon.

Ridon also cited Aquino’s failure to address the failing peace negotiations, and the continuing landlessness of most farmers in the countryside, even as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program celebrates its 25th year today.

“From students to farmers, Aquino has failed miserably in bringing change that he keeps on harping about. For the youth, Aquino does not deserve three more years in power. Is this a prelude to a call for ouster? I believe so,” Ridon said.

Worsening education crisis

“As another school year begins, millions of students are to return to their schools only to find the same old education problems brought about by years of underfunding for education – shortages in facilities, skyrocketing matriculation, and for students in basic education, additional burden through the full-blown implementation of the K-12 program,” Ridon added.

Meanwhile, student groups also denounced the Commission on Higher Education’s approval of new and higher rates in 354 colleges and universities nationwide.

“We fought the new spate of unjustified fee increases in all branches of the government – the executive through CHED, the legislative branch through filing the Tuition Regulation Bill in the 15th Congress, and the judiciary through the petition we filed two weeks ago that sought for a temporary restraining order for the said increases,” Ridon said.

“Yet we have seen that such legal actions can only do so much. The SC even brushed aside our petition due to a mere technicality, while Congress failed to pass the Tuition Regulation Bill. While we plan to continue our legal battle in both the high court and Congress, the youth affirms today that we cannot solely rely purely on the legal front,” he explained.

“We need to rise up to the challenge, and march to the parliamentary of the streets united and strongly condemning the continued transmogrification of education into a business venture rather than a basic right,” Ridon ended.###

]]> http://kabataanpartylist.com/blog/as-classes-in-college-begin-youth-groups-tag-aquino-ineligible-to-govern/feed/ 0 http://kabataanpartylist.com/blog/youths-fight-against-tuition-hikes-to-continue-even-without-sc-tro-kabataan-partylist/ http://kabataanpartylist.com/blog/youths-fight-against-tuition-hikes-to-continue-even-without-sc-tro-kabataan-partylist/#comments Tue, 04 Jun 2013 08:55:27 +0000 admin http://kabataanpartylist.com/?p=4065 Responding to the Supreme Court’s decision to junk the petition against the implementation of tuition hikes filed by youth groups last week, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino said that it will not hinder students from continuing the fight for accessible education.

“Nothing will change in terms of continuing the fight for accessible education. Students will continue to press the urgent demand for better tuition regulation,” outgoing youth solon Palatino said.

Atty. Terry Ridon, Kabataan Partylist president and congressman-elect, echoed the same sentiment. “Even without the SC TRO, the youth will intensify the fight against tuition hikes, both in Congress and in the parliament of the streets,” Ridon said.

Earlier, the SC reportedly junked Kabataan Partylist’s petition for “technical defects” and “failure to exhaust administrative remedies.” However, Ridon – who is also the counsel for petitioners – maintained that the petitioners have already exhausted “all administrative and legal remedies.” “That’s why we filed the petition directly to the high court in the first place,” Ridon said.

In the petition for certiorari, mandamus and prohibition filed by youth groups last week, youth and student leaders asked the high court to declare the newly-approved increases in tuition and other fees invalid for failure to being subjected to “reasonable regulation and supervision,” as stipulated in Article XIV Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution.

Specifically, the petition questions the constitutionality of Sec. 42 of Batas Pambansa No. 232 or the Education Act of 1982 and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order No. 3 series of 2012 – the two of which are the basis for approval of new and higher fees in tertiary schools – as “both law and regulation does not constitute reasonable regulation and supervision of all educational institutions as required by the 1987 Constitution.”

The petition also calls on the Supreme Court to declare invalid all increases in tuition and other school fees that were based on the BP 232 and CMO 3 even in the past years. The petition comes right after the CHED en banc approved 354 out of 451 tuition hike applications last May 27.

“Though it would have been a great boost for the student movement if the SC ruled in our favor, the high court’s decision will not dampen the youth’s spirit. Rather, it only fuels our passion to wage a greater battle against tuition increases in both Congress and the streets,” Ridon said.

The youth lawyer, who is also set to serve his first term as youth representative in the 16th Congress, vowed to prioritize the refiling of the Tuition Regulation Bill, which was originally authored by Rep. Palatino and filed as House Bill No. 4286 in the 15th Congress.

“Once the 16th Congress opens, we will see to it that one of the first things that Kabataan Partylist will do is to refile this important piece of legislation,” Ridon said.

The Tuition Regulation Bill seeks to institutionalize a mechanism for the “strict regulation of the yearly increase of tuition and other fees.”

The bill lays down strict guidelines on the imposition of tuition and other fees, including rules regarding tuition increases and strict penalty clauses for erring higher education institutions which include imprisonment and a fine that could go as much as five million pesos.

Ridon also revealed that youth groups under its leadership, including the National Union of Students of the Philippines, League of Filipino Students, and Anakbayan, will launch larger mobilizations against tuition and other fee increases in the coming days, particularly on June 10, which is the first day of the academic year for most colleges and universities in the country.

“The fight for affordable and accessible education is far from over. If all three branches of the government fail to heed our call for stronger tuition regulation, then students have nothing to rely on but our collective force. Let our collective demand be heard in classrooms, session halls, and the streets in the upcoming days,” Ridon concluded.###

“The issue at hand is imbued with great importance, such that a delay in the issuance of a TRO will cause grave and irreparable injury not just to the petitioners but to thousands of tertiary-level students affected by the illegal tuition hikes,” said complainant-lawyer Terry Ridon, Kabataan Partylist president and counsel for the petitioners.

“Apart from having sufficient legal grounds for the issuance of a TRO, the controversy at hand is also sufficiently ripe for the high court to tackle,” Ridon said. “In this light, we ask the SC to expedite the release of a TRO.”

Last May 29, youth groups led by Kabataan Partylist along with students from various colleges and universities filed a petition in the Supreme Court to stop the implementation of the newly-approved hikes in 354 tertiary schools nationwide.

The petition comes right after the CHED en banc approved 354 out of 451 tuition hike applications last May 27.

In the petition for certiorari, mandamus and prohibition filed by youth groups last week, youth and student leaders asked the high court to declare the newly-approved increases in tuition and other fees invalid for failure to being subjected to “reasonable regulation and supervision,” as stipulated in Article XIV Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution.

Specifically, the petition questions the constitutionality of Sec. 42 of Batas Pambansa No. 232 or the Education Act of 1982 and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order No. 3 series of 2012 – the two of which are the basis for approval of new and higher fees in tertiary schools – as “both law and regulation does not constitute reasonable regulation and supervision of all educational institutions as required by the 1987 Constitution.”

The petition also calls on the Supreme Court to declare invalid all increases in tuition and other school fees that were based on the BP 232 and CMO 3 even in the past years.

Respondents for the case include CHED, and several schools that increased tuition for the incoming academic year, notably the University of Santo Tomas, University of the East Caloocan and Adamson University.

Pending the resolution of the petition, petitioners also asked the SC to “immediately issue” a TRO and/or a writ of preliminary prohibitory injunction, which will prohibit respondents from implementing “all approved and previously implemented increases in tuition and other school fees.”

“There is no reason for the SC to delay hearing this petition, as for years, unsound tuition policies have transmogrified higher education into its current deregulated nature, and it will only continue if we don’t strike down the laws and regulations that allow such,” Ridon ended.###

In time for the first day of school year 2013-2014, student groups led by Kabataan Partylist, National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), League of Filipino Students (LFS), Anakbayan, and other formations stormed the offices of the Department of Education-National Capital Region (DepEd-NCR) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in separate mobilizations today.

At half past nine in the morning, student formations picketed in front of DepEd-NCR Office along Misamis Street, Quezon City, a few yards away from SM North EDSA. The students slammed the unabated tuition increases in private grade schools and high schools in the country and the “additional burden” brought about by the implementation of the K-12 program.

“As another school year begins, millions of students are to return to their schools only to find the same old education problems brought about by years of underfunding for education – shortages in facilities, skyrocketing matriculation, and for students in basic education, additional burden through the full-blown implementation of the K-12 program,” said Kabataan Partylist President Terry Ridon.

Last May 15, President Benigno Aquino III signed Republic Act No. 10533, or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (K-12 Law), which introduces two additional years in secondary education and makes Kindergarten mandatory.

“Touted by the government as a solution to the country’s ailing basic education system, the K-12 program only adds additional burden to millions of Filipino families. Essentially, it does not address existing problems in the basic public education system in the country such as shortages in rooms, educational materials, and other facilities and equipment, underfunding, the orientation of the education system, and access,” said NUSP President Victor Villanueva.

According to government statistics, for the incoming school year, the country still lacks 47,584 teachers, 19,579 classrooms, 60 million textbooks, 2.5 million chairs, and 80,937 water and sanitation facilities.

“From the data of shortages alone, we can clearly see that the government is not ready to implement K-12, and the program – which focuses on producing a surplus labor force to feed the global need for cheap labor – will not only inflict harm to students and families but would also result into a massive logistical mess,” Villanueva said.

“With RA 10533 signed into law, basic education institutions will be compelled to follow the new program, despite the fact that there has been no concrete scientific evaluation of the program’s efficiency and effectiveness after its first year of implementation. In fact, the curriculum for Grade 2 has just been finished and will be haphazardly implemented this school year without any proper assessment,” said outgoing Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino, who was one of the few congressmen who opposed the passage of the K-12 Law in the 15th Congress.

First day hike

Meanwhile, student groups also denounced DepEd’s approval of tuition increases in 1,144 private basic education schools for the incoming school year.

“The government tries to cover up the deregulated nature of the basic education system by saying that parents always have the option to enrol their students to public schools, where education should supposedly be free. Yet this reasoning does not answer the fundamental issue of having schools that charge a fortune for something that should supposedly be free,” Villanueva said.

Ridon, meanwhile, criticized DepEd’s Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE), which will be given a whopping P7-billion budget this year, a marked increase from the P6.3-billion GASTPE budget in 2012.

“DepEd says that GASTPE is the solution for families who want to enrol their children to private schools but cannot afford the tuition. We have two main points of contention against this – first, the solution to ease access in private institutions does not lie in providing dole-out funds that don’t even suffice to cover full matriculation. Rather, the solution is to strictly regulate tuition to ensure that tuition rates in private schools remain reasonable and affordable,” the youth lawyer said.

Ridon continued, “Second, GASTPE is essentially a program that siphons valuable funding that could have gone to public schools into the pockets of private school owners.”

Illegal increases

Meanwhile, at around 2:00 p.m., student groups also stormed the CHED main office in Diliman to protest the approval of new and higher rates in 354 colleges and universities nationwide.

“Despite clear opposition from student groups, and the filing of complaints regarding bogus tuition hike consultations, CHED still approved tuition hikes for 354 schools, which is more than the 222 schools it allowed to increase tuition the previous year,” Villanueva said.

“By approving these hikes, CHED has once again showed how it serves as a mere stamp pad for pre-approved hikes. And that’s the same reason why we decided to elevate this issue to the Supreme Court,” Ridon said.

On May 29, Kabataan Partylist along with other youth formations and students filed GR. No. 207119, which seeks to stop all tuition increases in tertiary schools. Specifically, the petition asks the high court to issue a temporary restraining order against the implementation of the approved hikes, and invalidate all previous hikes by virtue of violating the “reasonable regulation and supervision” clause stipulated in Article XIV Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution.

“The pending petition is one way to fight against the deregulated nature of education in the country. But at the end of the day, mobilizations such as the one we’re holding today, play important roles. If students all over the country will jointly oppose such policies, the government will be compelled to take action,” Ridon ended.###

In the 47-page petition for certiorari, mandamus and prohibition docketed as GR. No. 207119, youth and student leaders asked the high court to declare the newly-approved increases in tuition and other fees invalid for failure to being subjected to “reasonable regulation and supervision,” as stipulated in Article XIV Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution.

Specifically, the petition questions the constitutionality of Sec. 42 of Batas Pambansa No. 232 or the Education Act of 1982 and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order No. 3 series of 2012 – the two of which are the basis for approval of new and higher fees in tertiary schools – as “both law and regulation does not constitute reasonable regulation and supervision of all educational institutions as required by the 1987 Constitution.”

The petition also calls on the Supreme Court to declare invalid all increases in tuition and other school fees that were based on the BP 232 and CMO 3 even in the past years, and compel schools to issue refunds if necessary.

“The petitioners also ask the Honorable Court, pending a final resolution on this petition to issue a preliminary prohibitory injunction and/or a Temporary Restraining Order, prohibiting the respondents, and anyone acting under their authority, stead, or behalf, from implementing the approved increases in tuition and other school fees,” part of the petition read.

Respondents for the case include CHED, and several schools that increased tuition for the incoming academic year, notably the University of Santo Tomas, University of the East Caloocan and Adamson University.

The petition comes right after the CHED en banc approved 354 out of 451 tuition hike applications last Monday.

“The youth sector has always been at the forefront of the fight against unabated tuition hikes in the country. This time around, we are determined to put an end on illegal and unconstitutional tuition increases once and for all by exhausting all means – both legally and in the parliamentary of the streets,” said complainant-lawyer Terry Ridon, Kabataan Partylist president and counsel for the petitioners.

“For years, unsound tuition policies have transmogrified higher education into its current deregulated nature, and it will only continue if we don’t strike down the laws and regulations that allow such,” Ridon added.

“Policies that merely serve as a stamp pad for approving hikes and are powerless in controlling the actual tuition rate in the country are unconstitutional and should therefore be expunged, with tuition hikes approved using the said policies rendered illegal,” the youth lawyer said.###

Yesterday, Comelec proclaimed 14 partylist groups that obtained the 2-percent of the votes cast for the party-list polls. According to the National Board of Canvassers Resolution 0006-13, the proclamation is “without prejudice to the allocation of additional seats, or the proclamation of other parties, organizations, or coalition which may later on be established to be entitled to one guaranteed seat and/or additional seat.”

Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes was earlier quoted in media reports as saying that the commission has not yet proclaimed other winning partylists that have not reached the 2-percent mark as the NBOC has yet to finish the canvassing of votes.

However, as of May 20, the NBOC has already tallied over 95 percent of the total national and overseas votes, with the partylist votes already reaching 28.29 million votes.

“The remaining uncanvassed votes for the partylist elections comprise less than a percent of the total partylist votes, and Comelec can already proclaim all of the winning partylists yesterday if it wanted to. However, it only opted to proclaim the top 14 partylists,” said Kabataan Partylist President and first nominee Terry Ridon.

Kabataan Partylist, for example, has already obtained 337,950 votes according to the May 20 NBOC canvass report, ranking 28th in the partylist race and entitling it to one seat according to the guidelines set by the Supreme Court under the Banat vs Comelec case.

Brillantes said the Comelec will issue another resolution on Monday to proclaim all winners alongside the seat allocation.

“The issue here, however, is the fact that Comelec is again delaying the proclamation of other partylists, thus opening the partylist elections to further suspicions of fraud and vote manipulation to favor well-entrenched partylists that are at the tail-end of the ranking,” Ridon said.

“Rich and well-entrenched partylists that are lagging behind the elections can use their power and money to manipulate the remaining uncanvassed votes in their favor to catch up in the partylist race,” Ridon added.

“Maaaring may mga grupong ginagamit ang kanilang impluwensiya at pera para maigapang pa ang kanilang pagkapanalo sa partylist elections. Many nefarious activities can still occur while Comelec has not yet proclaimed all of the winning partylists,” Ridon added.

The youth leader also criticized Comelec for again threatening progressive partylists with disqualification using “trumped-up” charges of election offenses.

“Rich partylists can also push for the disqualification of partylists like Kabataan for them to clinch a seat. Clearly, Comelec is using the disqualification case against progressive partylists as a trump card that it can use against its strong critics like Kabataan,” Ridon added.

Kabataan Partylist has earlier criticized Comelec for anomalies hounding the 2013 midterm polls.

“We call on Comelec to push through with the proclamation of all winning partylists as soon as possible, and stop using baseless charges to silence critics,” Ridon ended.###

Originally, 451 colleges and universities applied for tuition increase in the coming academic year, but CHED regional offices only forwarded 344 applications to the CHED main office. According to Licuanan, the earlier reported 344 approved hikes have yet to be decided upon by the commission en banc.

However, Kabataan Partylist President Terry Ridon pointed out that several colleges and universities with pending tuition increase proposals have already begun the enrolment period. This includes De La Salle Araneta University and Lyceum of the Philippines University, which proposed a 5-percent and 7-percent tuition increase, respectively.

“Though on paper it’s not yet approved, schools are already charging the new and higher rates. So what CHED en banc will be doing on Monday will just be purely ceremonial,” Ridon said.

“Schools can cite portions of CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 3, series of 2012 to justify their collection of new and higher fees even without CHED approval,” Ridon said.

According to Section 9.1 of CMO 3, “Should the CHEDRO (regional office) fail to act within 30 days from the filing of application but in no case later than April 15 of the same calendar year the intended increase shall be implemented, would mean (sic) that the CHEDRO has no objection to the said application.”

“In essence, the proposals are already pre-approved and CHED has once again served as a mere stamp pad to these increases,” Ridon added.

Kabataan Partylist has earlier announced that it will file a petition to the Supreme Court to halt the implementation of tuition hikes by tomorrow. However, as CHED will still meet on Monday to approve the pending tuition hikes, the youth group decided to adjust the day of filing to Tuesday, May 28.

“We want to include the CHED memorandum as one of the basis for our petition in the SC, so we’ll wait for the CHED en banc decision,” Ridon said.

“We are again witnessing how inutile our government is in protecting the interest of the masses in the way it is turning a blind eye to the worsening state of education in the country. We will not let this new spate of increases go unnoticed. Students believe that these hikes are exorbitant and unsubstantiated and must therefore be stopped at all costs,” Ridon ended.###

Youth groups led by Kabataan Partylist and the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) denounced the approval of a new spate of tuition increases in 343 colleges and universities, and 260 elementary and secondary schools across the country.

“The youth will not stand silent on this fundamental issue of students. We denounce in the strongest possible terms the approval of unjustified fee increases in schools all over the country. The speedy approval of tuition hikes despite the clear opposition of student groups clearly illustrates the deregulated nature of education in the country in all levels,” said Atty. Terry Ridon, Kabataan Partylist President.

Tuition hikes in colleges and universities

Out of 451 higher education institutions that applied for tuition increases, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) approved the application of 343 schools, the names of which the commission has not yet divulged.

The number of schools that CHED allowed to increase tuition this year is higher than the 222 colleges and universities it allowed in 2012.

According to CHED, the average increase this year is 8.3 percent or about P40 per unit.

“As more colleges and universities were allowed to increase tuition this school year, more students will be affected by the impending hikes. A P40 per unit increase translates to a P840 increase per semester if a student enrols a full load of 21 units, or a P1640 increase for the whole academic year – and that’s just on the average. It’s clearly an additional burden for students and their families, especially at a time when prices of basic commodities are also increasing while salaries and wages remain flat,” Ridon said.

NUSP and Kabataan Partylist have earlier filed complaints regarding the conduct of tuition increase consultations in several universities, including UST, La Salle, FEU and others. However, CHED has “not even lifted a finger to address these concerns and has instead served as a mere stamp pad for pre-approved hikes,” said NUSP President Victor Villanueva.

NUSP added that several private universities such as Far Eastern University and Centro Escolar University even earn millions in profit annually and should not be increasing tuition. “Is it too much to ask school administrators to cut back a little on their income and not pass the burden of increasing operating costs to students?” Villanueva asked.

“We are again witnessing how inutile CHED and our government is in protecting the interest of students. Instead of approving tuition hikes, the government should impose a moratorium on tuition increases in light of the worsening economic crisis,” Villanueva stressed.

Youth groups to seek legal action vs. tuition hikes

Meanwhile, Atty. Ridon also revealed that Kabataan Partylist along with student groups and youth leaders is set to file a petition in the Supreme Court on Friday to stop the implementation of the newly-approved hikes in colleges and universities.

“We will question the constitutionality of CHED Memorandum Order No. (CMO) 3, series of 2012, which sets the guidelines for tuition increases in colleges and universities, with the immediate petition for the court to halt the implementation of bogus fee increases in 343 schools that CHED allowed,” Ridon said.

Ridon explained that CMO 3 does not qualify as “reasonable supervision and regulation” as stipulated in Article XIV Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution.

“A policy that merely serves as a stamp pad for approving hikes and is powerless in controlling the actual tuition rate in the country is unconstitutional and should therefore be expunged, with tuition hikes approved using the said policy rendered illegal,” the youth lawyer added.

Basic education woes

Youth groups also assailed the Department of Education’s approval of tuition hikes for 260 private basic education institutions nationwide, saying that it would further aggravate the situation of basic education in the country.

“Many parents are forced to enrol their children to private schools to escape the horrors of public schools, such as the lack of facilities and various shortages. Yet if primary and secondary institutions also continue to increase tuition, students will again be forced to return to public schools, or even drop out of school,” Ridon said.

The youth leader added that even with DepEd’s Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) program – which provides P10,500 for each student in the National Capital Region and P6,000 for each student in other regions as aid in their matriculation in private schools – students still find it difficult to pay for the remaining fees, which could reach well over P50,000 in some schools.

“The problem with GASTPE is that it doesn’t actually relieve the burden of students and their families. Rather, it only serves as a business guarantee for private school owners. Imagine the government using almost P4 billion worth of taxpayer’s money just to guarantee profit for private schools. Why not realign that budget to improve public schools instead?” Ridon pointed out.

“Coupled with the implementation of the K-12 program – which has been signed into law despite opposition – the new spate of tuition increases in basic education will surely aggravate the education crisis in the country,” Ridon said.

Ridon called on the government to implement policies that would curtail the spiralling cost of matriculation in the country. “At the minimum, we call for a nationwide tuition moratorium. At the maximum, we call for the passage of a stricter tuition regulation law,” he said.

The youth leader also called on the administration to allot more funds for basic and tertiary education. “Education is a right that should not be taken away from our youth just because of financial constraints. Yet with the government continuing to be in cahoots with private firms to deprive us of this basic right, the youth will also intensify the fight for affordable and accessible education,” Ridon ended.###