UP-Cebu raises concern on P2 billion budget cut

CEBU, Philippines - Students and teachers of University of the Philippines-Cebu have expressed concern after the announcement that the UP system will suffer a P2-billion budget cut in 2016.

 France Degamo, chairperson of the Nagkahiusang Kusog sa Estudyante – UP Cebu, said this will be the fourth budget cut for the UP system under the Aquino administration that intends SUCs to be self-liquidating institutions and earn their income through tuition fees and selling of idle assets of the school.

 The P2-billion reduction in capital outlay in 2016 is considered to be the biggest budget drop under the Aquino administration. Aside from UP, 58 more SUCs will suffer funding cuts next year.

 “Sad kaayo paminawon nga even if public university ta, daghang students nga di maka-afford di na lang modayon sa UP kay tungod mahal kaayo ang tuition sa UP,” Degamo said.

 Degamo explained that based on statistics commissioned by UP, 60 percent of the total number of UPCAT passers do not show up during enrolment, primarily because of high tuition fees and high cost of living.

 Degamo said that the socialized tuition system implemented in UP would discourage potential students to pursue education in the public institution since they would have to prove they cannot pay for tuition to have access to free education.

 Degamo said that while there are a number of students who do not pay for their tuition, it only comprises of roughly ten percent of the total population of the students.

 Klen Quinañola, convenor of the Rise for Education – UP Cebu, echoed the same sentiments of Degamo, saying that the government has the duty and responsibility to shoulder the school expenses of their student scholars and not cut the budget intended for the latter.

  Quinañola said that a UP-Cebu student whose family’s annual income reaches P1 million pays a maximum of P1,000 per unit. For every semester, a student has 18 to 21 units of courses.

 “Mura’g niskwela na lang pud mi sa private university kay pareha ra man sa public. Gigatas na mi og maayo sa gobyerno,” she said.

 She said they planned to put up posters stating their objection against the socialized tuition system last year but were allegedly given a gag order by the school administration not to do such. Dyan Gumanao, vice chairperson of the National Union of Students of the Philippines-Visayas, also said that the government has neglected its duty to regulate the rise of school fees and eventually privatize public educational institutions instead.

 “The budget cut is the manifestation of the liberalization and commercialization of the Philippine education because under the current administration, gi-consider na ni as business instead of service to the Filipino students,” she said.

Professor Phoebe Sanchez, a faculty member of UP Cebu and a member of All UP Academic Workers Union, joined the students in their outcry and said that a student who is granted with a scholarship grant should not be obliged to pay for school fees.

 “If that is the case, way Iskolar ng Bayan. Storya ra na. Dapat wala’y tuition. Education is a right,” she said.

 Sanchez further said they also fear the school personnel might suffer lower salaries yet heavier workloads once the budget cut will be implemented.

 She said that the government aims to cut the cost of SUCs by downsizing and labor maximizing of public teachers and school staff even if the institutions need more working personnel.   Sanchez said that the government has been too focused in building infrastructure in schools that they have forgotten to attend to the lack of teaching and working personnel.

 She said that the budget cut might result to teachers handling a class of 60 to 200 students from the usual number of 35 students per class. Yet, she said, they will be paid for the same amount of salary good for three units per class.

 Sanchez said that public teachers who will face no salary increase yet additional burden may opt to work abroad instead, adding that she foresees 40 percent decrease of teachers in the future.

 “Wa’y magmaestra diri. Kinsa man ganahan molahutay ana? Adto na lang ka sa gawas kon mao na ang kalaki. Di na maayo diri unya bukbukon pa ka og trabaho,” she said.  — (FREEMAN)