Student suicide UP Cebu: Solutions rather than blame

CEBU, Philippines - The suicide of a student of the University of the Philippines-Manila allegedly due to financial constraints has sparked discussion on the lack of monetary allocation for state-run universities in the country.

But instead of pointing fingers on who to blame, UP Cebu Student Council outgoing chairman Chao Cabatingan says it is better to address the problem to avoid a repeat of the incident.

Cabatingan expressed their sadness over the death of Kristel Tejada, a first year Behavioral Science student in UP Manila who reportedly killed herself after she was forced to take a leave of absence when she failed to pay her tuition fees.

“Sakit gyud sa buot na makadungog na dunay namatay tungod sa problema sa kwarta ug edukasyon, labi na pareho ug skwelahan namo,” he said.

Cabatingan admitted there are really processes in the state-run university that is “not pro-student”.

He explained that there are a lot of things in the school’s system that have not been developed for the benefit of both the school and the students.

The death of the student was a manifestation of the obvious problem, said Cabatingan. But instead of blaming the government, the administration or any party for that matter, Cabatingan said that it is better to make immediate solutions.

“We should not go on blaming. Instead, we should make amends and improve the system,” said Cabatingan, adding that the government should start by increasing the allocation for state-run universities if it wants to produce more graduates and boost the advocacy of education.

During his administration, Cabatingan said that financial problems were really a concern for most students and one time a student approached him, asking for the council’s assistance for her enrolment since she did not have enough money.

Cabatingan said that even if the student applied for a financial loan from the school, she still needed to pay around P2,000 to P3,000. He said that he helped the student write a promissory note, assuring the school that she would pay the remaining balance in a later date. But Cabatingan said that the letter was rejected since the school reportedly does not allow promissory notes.

Since it was school policy, Cabatingan said that the council could only do so much to help the student and they extended the enrollment period.

Sanlakas Sugbo Vice President external and the partylist’s 3rd nominee Aaron Pedrosa said that there may be a lot of factors to consider on the death of Tejada but one of the biggest factors is the lack of budget allocation.

Pedrosa said that they have been asking for the allocation for state-run universities to be increased for a long time but instead it has been cut every year, from one administration to another.

Pedrosa said that the government should not forget their main responsibility of allocating more than enough for education, as indicated in the 1987 constitution.

Based on Article 14, Section 5 Paragraph 5 of the constitution, “the state shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.”

With this, Pedrosa said that it is not only the UP system that has failed but the mandate of the government “to mold the future of the country.”

After under investing in education for so long, he said that it is high time for the government to rebuild the current “anti-student policy” that discourages students from pursuing their education.

Pedrosa said that they will have a number of activities in Cebu to express their concern on the matter, as what their counterparts in Manila have started since yesterday with a number of protests in the university belt.   (FREEMAN)