After the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) declined the proposed 6.9 billion budget of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) to 2.8 billion, students of the university launched a Budget Increase Alliance (BIA), which aims to collect signatories for the petition paper calling for a higher subsidy starting November 2 until November 8.
Based on the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP), 30 state universities and colleges (SUCs), including PUP, will face budget cuts where the university suffered a 4.1 billion decrease. The 400 million “additional budget” from this year’s 2.4 billion also appears to be insufficient, as seen in the worsening shortage of classrooms, old facilities, and inadequacy of resources on the campus.
With PUP facing a lack of capital next year, progressive groups organized the alliance as a collective effort to withstand a higher budget relevant to campus current affairs by collating 10,000 signatories for the petition paper. BIA will propose to the Senate this Thursday, November 9.
PUP BIA asserts all the complaints and hardships of PUPians at present—lack of conducive classrooms, continuous power outages, limited slots for enrollees, dissolving of the accountancy program in other branches and campuses, the threat of dissolution in the main campus, inadequate salaries of janitors, delayed salaries for teachers, and various difficulties under hybrid learning—are all rooted in the failure of the state to give the university enough funds.
Conveners, student councils, and members of BIA grounded the founding of the alliance on the history of the PUP community in winning fights through mass movements, including the 2017 Free Tuition Law, the No Dress Code Policy, and the PUP Ligtas na Balik Eskwela (LBE) Policy, which partially opened the university to students.
The PUP College of Communication Student Council (COC SC) expressed their support in asserting the rights of the students, teachers, personnel, and staff members to a sufficient university budget, encouraging COCians to read and understand the call for increased funding and sign the petition paper.
COC SC President Aem Kimberly Ignacio highlighted that PUPians shouldn’t be providing for their academic needs, reiterating the lack of equipment for communication students, such as printers, cameras, and production allowances.
“Dapat mayroon nang printer ‘yung college natin. Dapat mayroong mga camera na pwedeng rentahan sa mababang presyo, kung hindi talaga kaya na libre. Dapat may allowance tayo kapag gagawa ng mga film kung tutuusin. Parang ang demanding pero sa aktuwal, karapatan natin kasi nagde-demand sila sa’tin ng magandang output. Mayroon ba tayong napakagandang rekurso para mabigay ‘yung output na ‘yun,” Ignacio emphasized.
She also questioned the necessity to pass the commercialized and repressive National Polytechnic University (NPU) Bill first before every Iskolar ng Bayan enjoys a conducive learning system.
“Itong Budget Increase Alliance meets the odds. Ito ‘yung kailangan namin, mas mataas na pondo. Ibigay niyo siya sa’min nang hindi nangangailangan na i-privatize ‘yung lugar namin,” the COC SC President pointed out.
Student alliances, including COC SC, firmly stand that PUP can provide better facilities for students and competent salaries for officials, staff, and faculty members if the state gives the 6.9 billion—8 billion less than the proposal in the NPU Bill.
As of writing, the signatories needed for the petition paper is not yet reaching half as the alliance plans a seven-day room-to-room discussion and flyer distribution as well as various teams to accumulate signatories from lagoon concessionaires, janitors, teachers, and President Manuel Muhi as the fight for a higher subsidy is not for the students alone.
BIA also ensures that once the government grants the call for a budget increase, several government bodies, such as the Office of the Vice President for Finance (OVPF), the Student Council Assembly (SCA), the Office of the Student Regent (OSR), and part of the Board of Regents (BOR) will ensure transparency of the allocation of the budget in the university.
The said alliance reiterated that the advocacy for higher funding will not stop at the passing of the petition paper as mass movement will continue the call for a higher subsidy, and the government’s verdict will prove whose interests they are serving.
Article: Arlin Fabaliña
Graphics: Aldreich Pascual
Photo: John Emil Flores
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