DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Student leaders across the University of the Philippines (UP) system are pushing for a higher budget for the country’s premier state university as Congress prepares for upcoming budget deliberations.
The priority took center stage at the 61st General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC61) here, where delegates from all UP campuses gathered to discuss national issues and elect the university’s 43rd Student Regent Wednesday, August 6.
“The budget season is approaching, so UP as a state university needs to take a stand,” said Jay Lozano, a UP Mindanao student and nominee for the Student Regent position.
“As we clamor for a higher budget, it must also address basic student services and the needs of students.”
Hosted by UP Mindanao, the assembly opened with a mobilization in Mintal demanding higher education funding, democratic rights, national sovereignty and government accountability.
The activity was originally scheduled for Freedom Park along Roxas Avenue but was relocated after organizers cited security concerns. The new route ran from the campus through Sitio Basak to McArthur Highway in Barangay Mintal.
“We had accountability to our delegates, but that did not mean we compromised how we express our grievances,” Lozano said. “So we looked for another way to still make our campaigns heard.”
Regional campaigns
Beyond the national budget fight, delegates raised region-specific campaigns.
From Central Visayas, Student Regent nominee Athena Romulo highlighted opposition to privatization of Cebu City’s Carbon Public Market, describing it as an economic hub serving Cebu and parts of Luzon and Mindanao.
“It’s too big an issue for us not to stand up for, because public markets should serve the people. In our run as OSR (Office of the Student Regent)… we will fight to ensure that the stance of the scholars of the nation is anti-commercialization,” Romulo said.
Lozano said hosting the assembly in Davao also spotlighted Southern Mindanao issues, including calls to relocate the 11th Regional Community Defense Group (RCDG) from the UP Mindanao campus.
“We believe there is no place for the military inside our universities,” he said.
Lozano added, saying “The assembly would highlight the experiences of jeepney drivers affected by the Davao Bus Project, the conditions faced by vendors in the city, and the defense of Lumad ancestral lands.”
Romulo also urged student councils to strengthen data-driven advocacy to support their calls for increased funding.
“I hope to see more capacitated student councils that collect data scientifically about their situations,” she said.
“This is important for our budget critiques so we can compare UP’s budget against what students actually face.”
Outgoing Student Regent Dexter Clemente said he expects the resolutions adopted at GASC61 to shape student campaigns in the coming months.
“These resolutions should serve us for the next half of the year, for the best interest not just of UP students but of the Filipino people,” Clemente said. (davaotoday.com)
