02 Setyembre 2010 Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas - Diliman Huwebes Ika-88 Taon Blg. 10-11 TRANSFER OF POWER the search for the next UP president begins BALITA 03 DBM slashes P13B from proposed UP budget LATHALAIN 06 Profiles of the nominees for the UP prexy post KULTURA 11 Mga tula para sa mga nawawala Unresolved he education agen- the measly education subsidy. da of Benigno “We are gradually reducing the “Noynoy” Aquino subsidy to SUCs to push them to- t III does not promise ward becoming self-sufficient and fi- genuine change, as nancially independent,” said Aquino his administration’s in his 2011 budget message. As such, plans are nothing but half-baked Aquino abandons the government’s solutions to the chronic crisis in obligation to provide education for education. all and passes it to the private sector, Using promises of change to with the underprivileged students at propel himself to power, Aquino the losing end. claimed that his education agenda This was a point clearly stressed stands in stark contrast with that in Aquino’s education agenda when of Gloria Arroyo, whose term has he included “assistance to private left a dismal legacy in the educa- schools as essential partners in ba- tion sector. However, the budget sic education.” This agenda caters to allocations for 2011 speak other- the investors who treat education as wise. Each figure reveals that even business, not to the Filipino people under the new regime, higher edu- long deprived of access to basic so- RD Aliposa cation remains at the bottom of the cial servives. Clearly, Aquino only institutions. Poverty remains a deci- government’s priorities. thinks of the private sector in draft- sive factor in the access to quality of In the National Expenditure ing his policies; the emphasis on the education and Aquino’s policies fur- Program for 2011, the allocation development of technical-vocation- ther limit the poor Filipinos’ access for state universities and colleges al skill will only further the export to quality education. (SUCs) in the country plunged by of Filipino workers to provide cheap Ultimately, Aquino’s adminis- 1.7 percent, while the budget for labor in developed countries. tration provides a skewed view on military spending increased by a Instead of addressing the root the root causes of the problems staggering 81 percent. The cause of the education that hound the education sector. government also slashed crisis, Aquino’s education If he does not arrest the problem around P2 billion from the EditoRyal agenda poses face-value by implementing structural re- UP budget – the second big- solutions to the problem. forms—like prioritizing social ser- gest budget cut in the university’s Aquino plans to extend the ten-year vices over debt servicing and mili- history. basic education cycle to 12 years for tary spending—Aquino’s term will The massive cut is part of the education in the Philippines to be- be an extension of the government Aquino administration’s newly im- come “globally comparable.” negligence as exemplified by Gloria plemented zero-based budgeting Aquino insists that the amount of Arroyo. His agenda will be one that scheme, under which the budget time a student spends in school is di- satisfies the interests of the global allotted for each government in- rectly related to the current state of market and the private sector, at the stitution depends on performance, education. What Aquino fails to see cost of the Filipino people’s right to not on the needs, of the agency. is how insufficient funding has de- quality and accessible education. q For the SUCs which receive graded basic and tertiary education. Tungkol sa Pabalat a meager budget, however, the Extending basic education to 12 Dibuho ni Nico Villarete scheme further downgrades the years would not improve the quality Disenyo ni Patricia Basmayor quality of education in these insti- of education if there are not enough tutions. The scheme will only drag classrooms and textbooks for more them deeper into the pit, as the in- than 20 million Filipino students sufficient budget granted to SUCs and if teachers still receive meager over the years has led to the decline salaries. Dropout rates have consis- of the quality of higher education. tently soared for the past few years Indeed, the scheme only legitimiz- because students could no longer es state neglect because it seeks to bear the burden of expensive educa- give the government an excuse for tion, even in government-subsidized Opisyal na Lingguhang Pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas - Diliman Philippine Collegian Opisyal na Lingguhang Pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas - Diliman PUNONG PATNUGOT Pauline Gidget R. Estella kapatnugot, Dianne Marah E. Sayaman patnugot sa Balita Marjohara S. Tucay patnugot sa grapiks Janno Rae T. Gonzales, Nicolo Renzo T. Villarete, Chris Martin T. Imperial tagapamahala ng pinansiya Mila Ana Estrella S. Polinar PINANSIYA Amelyn J. Daga TAGAPAMAHALA SA SIRKULASYON Paul John Alix SIRKULASYON Gary Gabales, Ricky Icawat, Amelito Jaena, Glenario Omamalin MGA KATUWANG NA KAWANI Trinidad Basilan, Gina Villas PAMUHATAN Silid 401 Bulwagang Vinzons, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Diliman, Lungsod Quezon TELEFAX 981-8500 lokal 4522 EMAIL [email protected] WEBSITE http://philippinecollegian.net KASAPI Solidaridad: UP System-wide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers Organizations, College Editors Guild of the Philippines Philippine Collegian BALITA Huwebes, 02 Setyembre 2010 03 As Aquino continues to reduce SUC funding DBM slashes P13B from proposed ’11 UP budget Marjohara Tucay university. “The P18 Billion proposal is a ITH THE AQUINO wish list that we submitted. We did administration continu- W not really expect to get everything ing the policy of reducing that we wanted,” UP President Emer- subsidies for public higher linda Roman said. She added that the education institutions, the Depart- DBM-approved P5.5 billion budget ment of Budget and Management will still undergo deliberations in (DBM) only approved P5.53 billion both houses of Congress, where UP for UP next year, less than a third of may obtain additional subsidy. the P18.53 billion proposed by the UP Unanswered plea A student writes a plea for justice at the NCPAG lobby on August 31. Earlier, NCPAG students held a tribute Last year, DBM only approved A NGELA NASTACIO administration for 2011. for Cris Mendez on the third anniversary of his death. This case of frat-related violence still remains unresolved. P5.28 billion of UP’s 18.24 billion Along with UP, all 112 state uni- budget proposal for 2010. However, versities and colleges (SUCs) in the in the final General Appropriations country will also face a reduced budget P654 million for maintenance and Act passed by Congress, UP received next year. In the National Expenditure other operating expenses (MOOE), an additional P1.6 billion, raising the Program submitted to Congress last a 52 percent decrease from the cur- Mahigit 200 pamilya sa Brgy. total government subsidy for this August 24, the DBM approved only rent P1.36 billion. The P704 million decrease in UP Campus, nanganganib Percent of MOOE is due to “non-recurring UP System’s proposed items” in the budget, which are sums mawalan ng tirahan Year proposed budget (in Approved given to the university for specific re- budget Kevin Mark R. Gomez demolisyon sa loob ng UP, kabilang billion pesos) search and construction projects in a approved ang mga dating residente ng Pook Ri- certain year, Roman explained. INATAYANG 200 PAM­ 2007 8.08 4.78t 59.16 ilyang naninirahan sa carte, Palaris at Dagohoy. T Nagsimula nang magbahay-bahay 2008 11.25 5.72 50.84 STATE NEGLECT Pook Daan Tubo malapit “The President’s mes- sa Katipunan Avenue at ang mga kawani ng MWSS at MWCI 2009 15.35 7.06 45.99 sage about reducing subsi- Pook Libis sa tabi ng Sikatuna Village sa mga apektadong lugar, ani Rina dy to higher education is not ang maaaring mawalan ng tirahan bun- Manangbao, residente ng Block 1 ng 2010 18.24 6.92 37.94 sod ng pagsasaayos ng linya ng tubig different from the previous admin- Pook Daan Tubo. Aniya, tinanong 2011 18.53 5.53 29.84 at paglalapat ng mga bagong tubo na sila ng mga kawani kung papaya ba si- istration’s position…This is why UP nakatakdang isagawa ng Metropoli- Source: 2011 National Expenditure Program lang magiba ang kanilang mga tirahan has been trying to generate resourc- tan Waterworks and Sewerage System es from other sources and its land (MWSS) at Manila Water Company, bunsod ng proyekto. P23.4 billion SUCs, which registers a year to P6.9 billion. grants,” Roman said. Inc. (MWCI) simula ngayong buwan. Samantala, wala pang pormal na 1.7 percent or P800 million decrease The bulk of the P13 billion budget Based on DBM’s computations, Kasalukuyang pinag-aaralan ng abisong natatanggap ang mga resi- from the current P23.8 billion budget. cut is due to the government’s policy UP will need to collect P2.2 billion MWSS at MWCI ang lawak ng mga ko- dente ng Pook Libis, ani Lina Asido, In his 2011 budget message, Presi- of zero allocation for capital outlay next year from internal sources such munidad na sakop ng Brgy. UP Campus tagapamuno ng mga taga-Block 1 ng dent Benigno Aquino III said, “We (CO), the component of the budget as tuition from students, grants, do- na posibleng maapektuhan ng pagsasaa- Pook Libis. “Bali-balita lang ang na- are gradually reducing the subsidy to used for the construction of new nations, and other sources to aug- yos ng mga linya ng tubig, ani Vincente sasagap namin, at matunog ang Block SUCs to push them toward becoming buildings and purchase of equip- ment the government subsidy.