PUP students, youth leaders jab at continued budget cuts on FDF

Despite being postponed for a few days due to the inclement weather, the annual First Day Fight (FDF) celebration pushed through to welcome the academic year 2026-2027, drawing a record-high 3,000 estimated attendees, with 250 from the College of Communication (COC), according to COC-Student Council (SC) Councilor Abijah Villagomez, on Saturday, August 22. 

The program commenced with separate local programs from satellite campuses led by students and youth leaders before marching to the Main Campus for the main program at the University Avenue, where youth representatives voiced their sentiments on local and national issues and called for action from both the university administration and the government alike.

PUP Sentral ng Konseho ng Mag-aaral (SKM) President and newly elected Student Regent JP Azusano commenced the main program with a welcoming speech, highlighting the importance of the annual celebration of FDF. 

“Hindi lang po simpleng tradisyon ang First Day Fight. Hindi lamang po ito simpleng okasyon kung saan nagtitipon-tipon ang mga bagong iskolar ng bayan dito sa loob ng ating pamantasan. Dahil sa loob ng napakaraming panahon, ang First Day Fight po ay simbolo ng pagbalikwas ng mga iskolar ng bayan sa bulok na sistema at pagbalikwas para baguhin ang bulok na sistema,” Azusano stated.

Azusano continued to point out the flawed educational system and the University's persistent budget deficit after it was granted only P3.5 billion for Fiscal Year 2027, far from the proposed P15.7 billion. Azusano added that this is not the first time the students have protested over budget cuts, after PUP was allocated P3.793 billion for Fiscal Year 2026, around P291.8 million more than the budget allocated for Fiscal Year 2027.

“Nakailang First Day Fight na po ako bilang iskolar ng bayan, bilang estudyante ng PUP. At sa katunayan, wala pang pinagkaiba ang mga panawagan na nakalagay sa mga placard sa mga nakalipas na taon ng First Day Fight,” Azusano attested.

“Dumaan man ang napakaraming pangako ng administrasyon ni Marcos Jr., tunay na wala pang napapanagot sa korapsyon at wala pang napapanagot kung bakit nanatiling bungkag ang edukasyon na tinatamasa ng bawat kabataang Pilipino.”

Meanwhile, Balik Sinta Overall Head Christian Lloyd Elante slammed the administration’s lack of disaster preparedness and management, resulting in the postponement of FDF and Balik Sinta 2026, which were originally scheduled for August 18, 2026.

Elante emphasized the ‘resilient’ brand of Filipinos in times of typhoons and other natural disasters and how the administration used it to be ‘insensitively creative’ with every announcement of work and class suspensions. 

“Sasapat bang maging resilient lang tayo kapag binabagyo at binabaha na tayo sa kaniya-kaniya nating mga lugar? Maraming malalang bagyo na ang dumaan sa Pilipinas. Pero tila ba walang sense of urgency ang gobyerno to put a solution to this long-existing problem,” Elante stated. 

On the other hand, The Catalyst Associate Editor Jacob Baluyot stressed the administration’s failure to provide the students and publications with their necessities and its lack of support for campus press freedom. 

“Imbes na maglaan ng pondo at espasyo sa mga kolehiyo at programa sa College of Communication ay inuuna ang mga walang kuwentang ahensya gaya ng PNP, AFP, at NTF-ELCAC na pangunahing tumatapak sa karapatang pantao ng mga kabataan.” Baluyot stated. 

Baluyot added that instead of supporting the students’ improvement in writing and literature, the administration prioritizes red-tagging and imprisoning them. 

“Mag-iisang taon na po, habang tatlong kaso ang kinakaharap ko na isinampa ng gobyerno ni Marcos Jr. Ngayon lang tayo nakakita sa isang gobyerno na takot sa mga kampus mamamahayag.”

Baluyot is currently facing charges of Indirect Contempt, Sedition, and Inciting to Sedition arising from his participation as a campus journalist in the September 21 protests in 2025. Along with him, former SKM President Tiffany Brillante was also served a series of charges, all in connection with the same protest.

Baluyot ended with a call reminding the students of their purpose as campus journalists and members of the community: “Tandaan nating lahat na ang lapis na hindi nakasandik sa kwento ng mamamayan ay mapurol at mausay, at higit na makapangyarihan ang isang kabataang marunong humawak ng panulat sa panahon na kailangang magsalita.”

Meanwhile, Associate Professor Prestoline Suyat of Unyon ng Guro sa PUP (UGPUP) and Tatay Jun of PUP Samahang Janitorial also took part in the protest to bring attention to how they are also affected by the insufficient budget, constantly receiving delayed, unfair, and non-livable wages. 

Suyat explained how the professors are busy gathering their requirements to submit for their promotion in compliance with the joint circular of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), officially known as DBM-CHED JC No. 1, series of 2026, titled Enhanced Implementing Guidelines of DBM-CHED JC No. 3, Series of 2022. 

“Ang mga guro sa ngayon ay nagkukumahog para maghanap ng mga requirements para lang maitaas ang kanilang mga rank upang itaas ang kanilang mga sahod at benepisyo,” Suyat stated.

This provision requires professors seeking a higher academic rank and salary to undergo a points-based faculty reclassification system, in which their qualifications and accomplishments in instruction, research/creative work, extension, and professional development are evaluated within a three-year cycle. 

This effectively makes promotion another layer of work: professors must compile a complete, accurate, and organized portfolio of documentary evidence, such as certificates, evaluation records, publications, instructional materials, and other proof of accomplishments, for submission to the Institutional Evaluation Committee, turning higher pay into a process of continually producing and documenting work. 

Meanwhile, Tatay Jun brought attention to how the continuous inclement weather is also affecting their wages. He said that their agency gives no assurance as to whether or not they will receive their salary for the days of suspended classes. 

“Hindi namin malaman kung babayaran kami ng aming ahensya, dahil po sana ang PUP mismo ang magpukpok sa aming ahensya na kami ay babayaran. Kulang na nga ang aming araw, mababawasan pa ang aming kinikita dahil sa kapabayaan [ng] aming ahensya,” he stated. 

Tatay Jun ended with a reminder that money is not the only thing that the government robbed from the students, but also their dignity and right to education: “Lahat tayo [ay] apektado, hindi lang tayo ninanakawan—kayo [rin] mga Iskolar ng Bayan—ng tinatawag na pera kundi ang dignidad n’yo at karapatan n’yo[ng] mag-aral ay ninanakaw ng mga walang hiyang mga kawatan sa ating gobyerno na hanggang sa ngayon [ay] iilan lamang ang naparusahan.” 

Expectations vs. reality of every PUPian

At the start of the program, SR Azusano addressed the internet clamor surrounding the necessity of conducting the FDF at the start of every academic year. Critics claimed that youth leaders and political figures were taking advantage of the occasion to lay down their ‘political machinery’ and ‘political positioning’ to consolidate their organizations and patronize the incoming freshmen. 

In a public post, PUP-FDF Main Command Michael Dave Bolima separately retaliated, defending the FDF’s organizing process and emphasizing that the protest was not intended to serve as a platform for political recruitment or organizational patronage among incoming students. He maintained that the FDF is a protest organized around students’ and the public’s interests, stressing that its mobilization was a collective effort of students, volunteers, organizers, councils, and donors. He added that participants joined because of issues they personally experienced, from enrollment to entering the university, and not because they were manipulated or recruited by a particular organization.

Lodiliane Quejada, a freshman from the College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA), corroborated the statement, saying that they knew about the event through social media campaigns and were excited to be present at the actual event instead of just seeing it on the internet. 

“Iba po kasi siya kapag nakikita siya sa social media and actual. Kapag social media po, parang hindi mo po ma-feel ‘yong nararamdaman ng mga tao dito. Pero kapag pumunta ka po in actual, mararamdaman mo po ‘yong mga nararamdaman ng kapwa estudyante mo… Galit sa gobyerno, dahil nga nabasa ko po na binawasan na naman po ‘yong budget ng PUP,” Quejada stated. 

Quejada stated that she had anticipated a suitable learning environment, but the P1.5 billion-funded construction of the nine-story North Wing building was still far from complete when she arrived at the university.  This building is just one of the essentials for the university to finally have enough facilities and proper study spaces to accommodate its students. 

Additionally, Quejada stated that they anticipated being exposed to politics during her four years at the institution, and that the FDF had already educated her about the institution as well as the social issues and political controversies of the nation.

“Mahalaga po ‘yong pagdalo rito, kasi sa mga katulad kong hindi gaano[ng] aware sa mga ganitong nangyayari, nagkukulang po kami sa information pagdating sa politika. So, pagdating ko po dito, ito na nga po, nalaman ko po kung ano talaga ‘yong nangyayari sa bansa natin, lalo na sa mga estudyante ng PUP,” Quejada stated.

Quejada is one of more than 106,500 students entering the PUP System this academic year who will experience firsthand the limitations brought by inadequate government funding, from insufficient learning spaces to the lack of essential university facilities. Her experience reflects how budget cuts are not merely institutional concerns but directly shape the quality of education and the everyday realities of PUP students.

Article: Mary Joy Laurel

Graphics: Jaydel Calma