Students demand bigger budget for state colleges and universities

At least 100 students from three universities in Cebu City held a rally on the Friday afternoon on the University of the Philippines -Cebu grounds in Barangay Lahug to call for higher budget for state universities and colleges.

The protesters from the University of the Philippines Cebu, Cebu Normal University and Cebu Technological University raised fears that the expected budget cut that trigger increases in tuition and other fees in the country’s 13 SUCs.

They voiced out their dismay on what they called as “repressive policies” in the campuses.

Edgar Florida, an education student from the Cebu Normal University, cited the strict implementation of the student manual which affected the members of the LGBT (Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community who were required to follow the policies on haircut and uniform.

Mary Rose Ampoon, UP Cebu Student Council vice chair, said they were also dismayed by the implementation of the eUP project, that replaced the manual processing of academic processes like enrollment, through an electronic student information system.

The eUP project, which cost P700 million, only delayed the enrollment instead of hastening it since the information posted online didn’t match with the students’ database.

Ampoon said that the budget for the project, which was implemented in 2011, could have been used to beneficial projects such as purchase of new books to boost the library and construction of school building with better facilities.

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago, who was in the rally, they had passed a resolution at the House of Representative that called for a congressional inquiry on the inefficiency of the eUP project.

The investigation, which would be conducted in aid of legislation, would also include the other “inefficient” projects being implemented by the SUCs./ UP Cebu Intern Patrick Gattoc