The Official Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Mindanao Volume
PUNTO NG PONDO Sa Gitna ng Krisis sa Edukasyon
Tuwing patapos na ang taon, mainit ang usaping budget sa mga mambabatas. Bilang hindi nalalayo sa usaping pinansyal, naging banta sa mga State Universities and Colleges (SUC) ang malaking kaltas sa budget sa sektor ng edukasyon, kasama na rin dito ang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas.
Disyembre 20 ng nakaraang taon ay nilagdaan ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. ang 2024 General Appropriations Act kung saan ay ipinatupad ang Php 5.768T na budget ng Pilipinas. Sa halagang ito, Php 105.6 B ang mapupunta sa mga SUC. Tagumpay para sa mga SUC nang hindi natupad ang naging unang alokasyon na nagtangkang bigyan ng malaking kaltas ang sektor ng edukasyon. Sa konteksto ng UP, swerte na rin ang sa halip na magkaroon ng Php 2.9 B na budgetcut ay tumaas nang Php 508-milyon ang alokasyon ng pondo sa buong UP System.
Sa Php 24.771 B na pondong inilaan para sa UP, 12.5% nito ay nakalaan para sa capitaloutlaysna tinatayang tumaas nang 80% kumpara sa alokasyon para dito noong nakaraang taon. Mahalagang tuonan ng pansin na ang capitaloutlays ay pera ng unibersidad na nakalaan para sa operasyon ng makinarya at imprastraktura. Sa kabilang dako naman ay nagkaroon ng halos dalawang milyong kaltas sa Maintenanceand OtherOperatingExpenses(MOOE). Importanteng itasa na sa budgetna nakalaan para sa MOOE kinukuha ang pondo para sa scholarshipsat ibang serbisyo na binibigay ng pamantasan sa mga estudyante nito.
Para sa konteksto ng UP Mindanao, isang malaking panalo ang pagkakaroon ng pondo sa capitaloutlaysna nakalaan para sa pagpapatuloy ng mga pag-unlad sa School of Management, bagong Student Dorm, Faculty Staff Housing, Center for Advancement of Research in Mindanao, at Davao City - UP Mindanao Sports Complex.
Datapwa ay ganito ang kasalukuyang sitwasyon, ang kakulangan ng alokasyon sa mga scholarshipstulad na lamang ng StudentLearningAssistanceSubsidy (SLAS) ay problema sa buong UP System. Sa UP Mindanao, karamihan sa stipendng mga ongoingscholarsng mga nakaraang semestre ay nakatengga pa rin hanggang sa ngayon. Dagdag pa rito ang lumalaking bulto ng mga estudyante na pumapasok sa SLAS ngunit kaunti lamang ang kayang matanggap sa programa.
Isa sa mga hamon ni President Angelo Jimenez, kilala rin bilang PAAJ,
para sa UP Mindanao ang planong “Road to 5K” na layunin ang pagpaparami ng populasyon hanggang 5000 sa loob ng campus. Bagaman isang malaking oportunidad ang binukas nito para sa kabataang Mindanao, hirap na hirap ang administrasyon ng pamantasan na abutin ang hamon ni PAAJ.
Kabilang sa manipestasyon nito ay ang kakulangan sa demokratikong espasyo sa loob ng kampus. Sa kasalukuyang estado ng UP Mindanao, mayroon itong 12 undergraduatedegree programs na pinagkakasya lamang sa dalawang gusaling pang-akademiko. Halimbawa na lamang sa School of Management na dahil sa isang dekada nang nakatengga ang pagsasaayos ng gusali ng kolehiyo pilit na pinagkakasya ang mga estudyante nito sa isang klasrum at sa Lorenzo Hall na minsa’y hindi pa nagagamit dahil sa pinagdadausan ito ng mga aktibidad ng unibersidad.
Sa isang dayalogo kasama ang administrasyon ng UP Mindanao, ibinahagi nila na sila ay tila nasa isang “Gameof Chicken”. Nang dahil sa kakulangan sa espasyo, dapat may kaukulang pondo para makadagdag pa nito. Nang dahil sa kakulangan sa pondo, kinakailangang tumanggap ng marami pang estudyante. Nang dahil sa kakaunti lamang ang estudyante sa UP Mindanao, kakaunti lang din ang pondong nakalaan para dito.
Hindi mapagkakaila ang pagiging mala-urong-sulong ng lokal na administrasyon.
Sa kasalukuyan, ilan sa mga hakbang na tinatahak para sa “Road to 5K” ni PAAJ ay ang pagdagdag ng mga bagong programa tulad ng pagbukas ng BS Data Science at ang mga minamatang bagong engineeringprogramsnang mas makaakit pa ng mas maraming estudyante na magreresulta sa mas malaking budget Bagkus ganito ang kasalukuyang sitwasyong pang-kampus. “Kung hindi uumpisahan ang proyekto, hindi ibibigay ang support. Kaya kailangang magtiis muna tayo nang ilang taon para dumating ang suporta. Dahil mas madaling maghingi ng building kung kailan nagsisiksikan na,” banggit ng mga lokal na administrador. Ngunit kung ganito ang
atake natin sa prosesong pagpapalawak ng Unibersidad, tiyak na ang malawakang pagkokompromisa ng kalidad ng edukasyon ng sangkaestudyantehan. Marapat lamang na tapatan ng Administrasyong Jimenez ng karampatang budgetang kanyang hamon ng expansion sa UPMin. Sa kabilang banda naman, may responsibilidad rin ang lokal na administrasyon na magsumikhay sa pangangalampag sa UP System at sa Board of Regents na dagdagan ang pondo ng naturang yunit nang matugunan nito ang mga pangangailangan para sa kalidad na edukasyon.
“Marapat lamang na tapatan ng Administrasyong Jimenez ng karampatang badyet ang kanyang hamon ng expansion sa UPMin.”
Sa kasalukuyang materyal na kondisyon ng pamantasan, ang sangkaestudyantehan ang mananatiling kawawa at maiipit sa gitna ng pagusbong na nais ng administrasyon ng UP Mindanao. Kitang-kita ito ngayon sa kakulangan sa klasrum, nakaunat na mga oras ng klase, at ang kabuuang bawian sa basic student services. Hangga’t walang konkretong manipestasyon ng pag-unlad patungkol sa mga suliraning ito, hindi rin makakaila na patuloy ang pangangalampag ng mga estudyante bilang paalala sa Administrasyon sa mga tungkulin nito sa kapakanang pang-estudyante. Walang punto sa pagtitiis para sa karampatang pondo kung mahirap tanawin ang husay at dangal sa pangakong kalidad na edukasyon.
editorial board
JAY LOZANO Editor-in-Chief
DARLYN RIOS Associate Editor
GEORGE BAYBAY Managing Editor
JESSIE DE RAMOS Circulations Officer
MARKO TOLEDO Finance Officer
RED MASACUPAN Senior Newsroom Manager
KRIZSHA MATEO News Editor
VHEA GOSO Opinions Editor
HENRI BELIMAC Features Editor
CATHERINE DISCORSON Cultures Editor
SAMUEL SALCEDO Multimedia Editor
JAMES PUNSALAN Assistant Multimedia Editor
Staff
ELMER MUPAS
ERVINCE APATAN
CINE MALANOS
NISSI MANDANAO
LINDSAY BIYO
NHEZIEL HAJI
MIKA PIAMONTE
LEA GUISINGA
YZE CASPE
RAE OCSIO
LORA ACERO
AYAN BAUTISTA
ONNIE ISRAEL
JILL ABIAN
Contributors
RICHELLE DE ARCE
CZAR YAMAS
ANGELO PACHECO III
Address HIMATI HOUSE, STUDENT CENTER LANE, UP MINDANAO, MINTAL, TUGBOK, DAVAO CITY
Email himati.upmin@up.edu.ph
Membership College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) UP Systemwide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers’ Organizations (UP Solidaridad)
Who Qualifies?
Challenging the necessity of UP’s admission process
NISSI MANDANAO
If education has long been recognized as a basic human right rather than a privilege, why does one have to be regarded as “worthy” and “qualified” to receive it?
The right to education is promised by the 1987 Philippine Constitution to be protected and promoted at all levels, as the State takes appropriate steps to make it of good quality and accessible to all. This is especially important to a country that places high value on educational attainment—viewing it as the crucial pathway to secure literacy, future employment, and financial stability.
While education is promised to be accessible, the costs associated with pursuing it remain a significant barrier. A semester in some schools can range from twenty to a hundred thousand pesos. An ordinary Filipino household would struggle to provide this amount, especially the minimum wage workers who earn only around 500 pesos a day.
Nonetheless, state universities and colleges (SUCs) exist in the country, where students can obtain free tuition. One of these schools is the University of the Philippines (UP), the premier university in the country notable for its excellence in several disciplines. The university has also become the country’s household name in terms of tertiary education, with parents and students perceiving it as their “dream university.”
This dream, however, does not come easy. According to the university, they limit slots for freshman admissions “to maintain its high standard of education and to maximize its limited resources.” Thus, every year, applicants who wish to study in the said prestigious school are assessed through the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT). Widely considered one of the country’s most challenging college entrance exams, it attracts over a hundred thousand participants, yet only passes 1015 percent of its takers.
UP’s admission process, however, is far from democratic. According to the UP Office of Admissions as cited by the Philippine Collegian, private school qualifiers outnumbered public school qualifiers in 2023, wherein 4 in 5 of them were either from private schools or science high schools. They are known to have better funding, more advanced equipment, and better access to educational resources. Students from these schools also tend to be more financially advantaged and thus, have the means to purchase reviewers, look for online resources, and enroll themselves in review centers.
As UP is regarded as the leading university in the country, the rich argue that
they apply to UP because of its soughtafter quality education, and not necessarily because they are trying to steal this right from the poor. For the poor, however, UP is far from just a dream university. It stands as their hope to get high quality and free education at the same time—a thing that should have been their right in the first place.
This situation prompts a debate about whether financially advantaged students should be qualified to avail of free education, especially in a top university like UP. In turn, this also sparked a discussion of why there is an admission process in the first place since it also disregards students who are not necessarily academically gifted but are willing to pursue higher education. Some proponents argue that if education is a right, then it should not only be available to students who are regarded as smart or academically gifted.
Thus, a 2023 statement by Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno left students all over the country alarmed for their futures. He proposed reducing the number of existing SUCs. Furthermore, he stated that the proposed reform “aims to reduce the threat to the robust private school system.” If officials who release statements and proposals like these continue to sit in power, education as a right will soon become irrelevant—since portraying education as something with a price tag would undermine its status as a universal right.
In an ideal system, the University of the Philippines will not be compelled to limit its slots in accepting students and would accept every applicant despite their academic and social status. However, in a premier university where slots are scarce, the closest thing the government could do to ensure the right to education is to increase the number of state universities and colleges—especially in far-flung communities—and make them equal in quality, facility, and resources, as the top universities in the Philippines. Through this, everyone can have access to quality education, and UP would serve as a choice rather than an only chance.
However, given the money and power-driven visions of the current political climate, this solution is far from fruition. In the end, this long-endured problem by Filipino students boils down to neoliberal education, where the system profits on the people’s need for quality education, instead of providing their right to free and quality education.
TUTULAN, HUWAG PAHINTULUTAN. Fauzhea Guiani, Chapter Coordinator of Anakbayan UP Mindanao, together with progressive individuals and student leaders of UP Mindanao campaign against budget cuts in state universities and colleges during the No to Budget Cuts day of action protest on November 15, 2023.
PHOTO BY YZE CASPE.
Financial Tightrope
UP System experience budget increase on capital outlays, experience cuts on operating expenses and scholarships
KRIZSHA MATEO, JAY LOZANO
Upon the signing of the General Appropriations Act of 2024 on December 2024, the University of the Philippines system is set to face an increase in its overall budget from Php 24.236 billion in 2023 to Php 24.771 billion for 2024, the biggest increase being the capital outlay with an increase of 80.46% sitting at Php 3.097 billion.
Despite such an increase for the development of the UP system’s assets, the budget reserved for the regular programs of the university faces a Php 1.17B decrease. This budgetary allocation is delegated for education programs, research programs, and technical advisory extension programs. In addition, the budget for the higher education program also depends on the amount the regular programs receive from the budgetary allocations.
For UP Mindanao, the budget allocation was set at Php 155-Million for Capital Outlays with funds prepared for the repair of the SOM Building, and other developments around the campus. Despite it being a win for democratic spaces in UP Mindanao, the apparent budget cut for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) sets a predicament for the university constituents.
Under the budgetary decrease for the higher education program, the scholarships and financial assistance for the students also face a cut, one of which is the Student Learning Assistance System (SLAS) in which grantees are promised a monthly stipend and other modes of assistance.
The release of the SLAS grants faces multiple challenges, especially in terms of the release. The assistance from the Academic Year 2022-2023 has yet to be released to its grantees including the graduates of the said academic year.
When asked about their experiences as a SLAS grantee, Athena Ganzon from BA Communication and Media Arts expressed frustration with the delays and the lack of transparency as to when each release is to be made. “As an underprivileged person, we need to take consideration anong gagamitan namin sa ganun na amount. For example if per month, mostly mapupunta sa daily need, if tibuan, pangpa check up, pang bili ng gamit sa bahay or sa dorm,” Ganzon stated, expressing that the lack of consistency on the release impacts the financial disposition of the grantees.
Furthermore, the other parts of the grant including the gadgets and connectivity subsidy face problems. As stated in the SLAS guidelines, each grantee must be a bonafide student of UP Mindanao, which no longer applies to the 2022 grantees despite not having received their promised gadget supplements.
Due to the delayed and unreleased number of gadget assistance grants from the 2021-2022 batch, changes were made in which each grantee was given money to procure the gadget provided that proof of purchases was presented. This change allowed each grantee to purchase the gadget of their choice based on their needs.
This change in the distribution of gadgets and connectivity assistance, according to the Office of Student Affairs (OSA), may allow those graduated students
to get reimbursements for their gadget purchases from the year they received the grants.
Despite this, Ganzon also mentioned that the allotted amount per student was barely enough to cover a good-quality device suitable for at least four years of use.
With the cuts that the scholarships face, this additional assistance–gadget assistance may end, which leaves the alumni yet to receive their shares in the air.
Moreover, the SLAS still follows the scoring system for the selection of grantees from the Socialized Tuition Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) bracketing and the OSA admits that the system is outdated. Despite this, the admin also admits that change in the system remains challenging without the funds.
As the budget allocations for UP is at a system level, the constituent units receive a small percentage, hence OSA claims that there is a need to strategize to generate funds. “We have to strategize, we have to do something about it, we have to generate funds of our own.”
UP, despite being a state university, continues to struggle for funding, having its own constituent units find ways to generate funds just to support basic student services like SLAS.
2.08B 839M Philippine General Hospital
KRIZSHA MATEO
Five years since its construction in 2019, the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) held its first town hall meeting to discuss expected dormitory rates with the students, indicating its soon opening.
In comparison to the current Elias B. Lopez dormitory in use, the new dormitory holds added amenities including guest rooms, common learning spaces, rooms designed for persons with disabilities (PWD), a multi-purpose hall, and a kitchen.
The addition of the new amenities also equates to higher rent prices. OSA presented Php 1,500.00 to Php 2,500.00 as the possible monthly rate of the new dormitory, being more than 300% as much as the current rate of EBL at Php 500.00 pesos per month.
Despite uproar with the proposed prices, OSA laid out that lowering the prices will result in improper upkeep of the dormitory, especially with the budget cut of nearly Php 1.3B to Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) for the entire UP System in 2024.
“Kung babaan namin yung dorm rate, hindi siya [dorm] mame-maintain nang tama, maghihintay kami ng pondo, for a bigger subsidy. To tell you the truth, magsa-sacrifice ang dorm kasi they will prioritize supporting academics. There’s not enough money to maintain it,” OSA Director, Ma. Stella Salazar stated.
It can be noted that during the previous school year and midyear term, the EBL dormitory net Php -1.4M which was then paid with the MOOE and according to the OSA, the projected Php 1,500.00 rate for the new dorm will result to an approximate of one million pesos to be paid with the MOOE.
When asked about possible ways to increase the allocations received by UP Mindanao from the system-wide appropriations so dorm rates may be lowered, the OSA claimed that the system will favor constituent units with higher income generation.
Further, the office assured that despite the opening of the new dormitory, EBL will remain in operation, however, will start to prioritize housing for the Student Learning Assistance System (SLAS) grantees.
“Kasi pwede mangyari na hindi SLAS grantee ang mapunta sa EBL, paano yung choice ng SLAS grantees later on, wala silang choice kundi magpunta sa new dorm,” Salazar explained.
The OSA director further reiterated that staying in a dormitory in itself is a privilege and what’s necessary is free education.
“Even if CHED is paying the equivalent amount of your education to us, it is still not enough because the facilities we are trying to provide you will equal that of the private schools, yun ang ibinibigay sa inyo ng gobyerno, free education,” OSA expounded.
As UP Mindanao aims for 5,000 student enrollee count, student services and spaces such as accessible dormitories remain unattended.
“I actually attended the meeting where it was announced that the lowest possible price of the new dorm is Php 1,500. As a dormer who is both struggling financially and excited to see the new dorm, I was disappointed and discouraged since mahal talaga ang Php 1,500 para sa isang estudyante, especially if you are a working student who is struggling to survive without any financial support.
I was expecting that the fee for the new dorm would increase, but not by this much. Ang mahal po. This will also decrease the hopes of those dormers and students to save up and lessen their expenses.
Yun lang, mapapatanong ka nalang ng “Para kanino ba talaga ang UP?”
‘JD’ BA ENGLISH
“It is good that the University sought ways to establish residential infrastructures for students - given that the area in Mintal lacks boarding places. However, given that the monthly fee of the new dorm is thrice as compared to the EBL, I would still opt to stay at the EBL Dormitory - to save and allot my allowance money to my program’s requirements.”
‘JG’ BS FOOD TECHNOLOGY
LagabLABAN: UP Mindanao Student Summit 2023
UPMin students demand for better basic student services
The Office of the Student Regent conducted the Student Summit 2023, LagabLABAN: Para sa Kalayaang Akademiko at Karapatan sa Edukasyon,” on December 14, at the UPMin TTBDO.
Students from the University of the Philippines Mindanao attended the biannual forum with the 40th UP Student Regent Iya Trinidad along with the UPMin University Student Council (USC) to lobby on behalf of students’ concerns, advocate for issues, and draft resolutions to the Board of Regents.
Education under the Microscope
40th Student Regent Iya Trinidad pointed out how education in the Philippines isn’t good enough, expensive, and hard to reach for many.
Trinidad further condemned the subtle influence of neoliberalism, which, she argued, “Hindi prinaprioritize ang edukasyon kasi nakareflect ito sa budget allocation,” turning knowledge into a commodity and education into a privilege instead of a right.
UP Mindanao: A Microcosm of a Broken System
UPMin students shared their own struggles wherein the lack of classrooms, computers, and even decent dorms were among the issues raised.
“Limited lang ang pwedeng tanggapin because we don’t have the capacity,” UPMin USC Chairperson Ken Melegrito explained, highlighting the university’s struggle to accommodate its growing student population.
Delayed financial assistance, outdated curriculum, and concerns about student safety due to the presence of military personnel were also among the issues brought to light, painting a picture of a system in need of urgent improvement.
From Lament to Action
But the summit wasn’t just about issues—it was also about solutions. Students showed their commitment to making things better through campaigns like #DoBetterUPMin. “Ang pagtake ng proactive steps shouldn’t stop sa loob ng campus,” Trinidad declared, urging her fellow students to step outside their classrooms and engage with broader social issues like redtagging, human rights violations, and the fight for Palestine.
Among the solutions, Trinidad emphasized institutionalizing a student human rights committee. This committee, she asserted, would equip students with essential skills through paralegal trainings, empowering them to assert their rights effectively.
As of February 2024, the UP Mindanao University Council released a statement expressing their support in the creation of the Committee on the Promotion of Academic Freedom and Human Rights in line with the rampant attacks in the University.
NO TO JEEPNEY
Members of Transimision -
hang their wishes for pro-people modernization in their Christmas Tree during a street conference conducted on December 2023.
PUVMP consolidation deadline pushed back, masses sustain clamor for pro-people transportation
Jeepney operators and drivers nationwide are mandated by the administration to form cooperatives for the jeepney modernization program, replacing traditional jeepneys with modern vehicles.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. extended the consolidation deadline of public utility vehicles under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) on January 23.
This allowed for the submission of franchise consolidations to be pushed until April 30, 2024.
In a statement, Communications Secretary, Cheloy Garafil, announced that the deadline extension was reconsidered due to the recommendation of Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista.
ASSERT FOR QUALITY. UP Student Regent
Iya Trinidad assured the UPMin community that the clamor for basic student services will be amplified to the UP administration and the Board of Regents.
PHOTO BY GEORGE BAYBAY.
“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista’s recommendation, granting an additional three months until April 30, 2024 for the consolidation of public utility vehicles,” Garafil stated.
This allowed for those who did not meet the consolidation deadline on December 31, 2023 to forward the consolidation for their operating licenses and franchise.
“This extension is to give an opportunity to those who expressed intention to consolidate but did not make the previous cut-off,” the communications secretary added.
In preparation for the PUVMP, Davao City PUV operators and drivers are not affected by the consolidation deadlines but are pressured into signing under the local Davao Bus Project franchises in the face of the jeepney phaseout.
Under the program, traditional jeepneys are replaced by mini buses to invoke changes in the transport sector of the city.
The Davao Bus Project was heavily opposed by the local based transport group Transmision-Piston due to its effects on the PUV drivers and operators in the city.
This led to a transport strike on December 27, 2023 effectively paralyzing the jeepney routes of Obrero, Tagakpan, Maa, Tigatto , Matina Aplaya, Matina Crossing, Toril, Sasa, Bunawan, and Tibungco.
The local government of Davao City opened five social compensation packages for the affected drivers during the project. This includes a one-month cash-for-work program under the Department of Labor and Employment and Php 10,000 health assistance under the Department of Health.
In addition to the package, jeepney drivers and operators who signed the consolidation agreement are given Php 200,000 to Php 300,000 as subsidy.
Larry Argilles, spokesperson of Transmision-Piston, stated that these are only band-aid solutions to the problem as this will only be a one-time assistance.
Even faced with countless oppositions, the Davao Bus Project is steadily set in motion as the funding has been secured through loan agreement by Asian Development Bank and the Department of Finance, loaning over Php 52 billion, with the total bus project to cost Php 73B.
The PUVMP’s final implementation is set in 2025 which will affect approximately 30,000 PUJ drivers and operators leading to the phasing out of traditional jeepneys nationwide.
ERVINCE APATAN, ONNIE ISRAEL
LINDSAY BIYO
PHASEOUT.
Piston
PHOTO BY ERVINCE APATAN.
Duck, Cover, Hold
eli hellfire Palestinian journalists through the Isra
The earth shakes when there’s a strike.
For those who are privileged enough to not be woken up by baombs in the near distance, the ground moving could only mean a natural crisis: an earthquake. But for those forced to survive through the heaps of rubble and unsorted waste brought by bombing, like Amira, an interviewee of Bisan Owda, said, “The earth shakes when there’s a strike.” And it shakes no matter what hour, no matter at a school, mosque, or hospital—it shakes everywhere in Palestine.
The attacks against millions of civilians, children and women included, has reached up to the point where the United Nations Humanitarian Chief Martin Griffith has stated that Gaza, the most populous state in Palestine, has become uninhabitable. This is the condition millions of Palestinians are left to face, and the reality Palestinian journalists like Bisan Owda are made to cover.
In one of Owda’s vlogs under “Voices from Gaza’’ posted by Al Jazeera Plus on YouTube, she mentioned that their current state could only be described as “Marmata.” ”Marmata means that it’s literally the hardest circumstances that we’ve been through in a lifetime,” Bisan added. The vlog continued with her talking about it being the seventh time that she had to flee during the war, since the Israeli forces had started bombing Nasser Hospital, the largest medical facility in southern Gaza.
Owda is a 25-year-old Gazan who started as a filmmaker curating Gaza cultural videos, and now, with only her mobile phone, she has become a crucial documenter of the aftermath brought by Israel’s atrocities. In her most recent video, only two days ago as of this writing, she has expressed how it has become harder to share videos—the only means of journalists and Palestinian media to reach everyone else.
It was further shared in the said video that Israel controls the only fiber optic internet line that connects Gaza to the outside world, and through an interview with one of the Palestinian Telecom workers, it was revealed that as they were given permission to fix one of the mobile communication buildings, they were surprised by a drone strike.
Even though journalists are protected under the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) against direct attacks when covering armed conflicts and wars, such law has been proven futile with the number of journalist casualties provided by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) during the Palestinian Genocide: As of Feburary 23, 2024 since October 7, 2023, 88 have been confirmed dead; 16 injured; 4 missing; 25 arrested; and there have been multiple threats, cyberattacks, censorships, and family members being killed due to their relative’s line of work.
Although the media like the likes of Owda are still alive and able to cover about the war, they have become nothing but forced survivors being deprived of their liberty to live, access basic needs, and the ability to fulfill their works as journalists with how their needed equipment and instruments are actively being destroyed and made to dust.
With the continuing bombing and armed siege, internet blackouts, forced famine, and directed public health outbreaks (people having to cut their hair due to lack of body care necessities, infants being forced to eat solids due to lack of baby food, those with special needs and medication, and dental care being left unmonitored), if not given a ceasefire, all those left in Palestine, and Owda herself, will sadly soon succumb to
ART BY ELMER MUPAS
HENRI BELIMAC
CATHERINE DISCORSON, LORA ACERO, ANGELO PACHECO III
“Sino sila, Nay?”
Tanong ko sa aking nanay habang malinaw kong nakikita mula sa maliit na butas ng aming nakasarang pintuan ang pagdating ng mga hindi pamilyar na tao. Iilan lamang sila at hindi ko kilala ang mga bagong mukha na dumating sa aming baryo. Dulot ng umalingawngaw na tahol ng aming mga alagang aso, napatingin ako sa aking nanay na tila ba’y alam na hindi panatag ang aking loob. Simple lamang ang naging sagot niya sa akin—tutulungan daw nila kami.
Ika ng aming mga magulang na ang mga bisita ay narito upang tulungan kami makapagpatayo ng paaralan. Iniisip ko pa lang na papasok kami ng mga kaibigan ko rito na nakasuot ng uniporme katulad ng mga bata sa lungsod, dala-dala ang isang bag, at uupo sa loob ng silid-aralan habang magtuturo ang kikilalanin naming guro ay hindi ko na mapigilang magayak.
Magiging matagumpay ka raw sa buhay kung mag-aaral ka nang mabuti at kung makakapagtapos ka sa pagsasanay para sa propesyong gusto mo. Mula noong bata pa ako, gusto ko na maging pulis. Iyon ang aking ninanaisnais at pinapangarap paglaki. Ang ganda siguro sa pakiramdam na sinusunod at nirerespeto ka ng mga tao, at higit sa lahat ay nakakatulong ka pa sa mga kapwa mong nangangailangan. Ganun din sa aking mga kaibigan na may mga mithiin.
Si Kokoy ay gusto maging doktor. Maging isang guro naman ang kay Minda. Habang si Janjan ay sundalo.
ang pinakamagandang estruktura na naipatayo sa aming lugar.
Inaanyayahan kami ng mga nagpatayo na pumasok sa paaralan. Noong una, hindi ko pa alam kung ano ang pwedeng itawag sa kanila, pero sabi ni nanay, boluntirs daw ang mga ito. Siguro kung mas marami pang boluntirs ang dadayo samin o sa mga ibang baryo na kagaya samin, mas maraming paaralan ang maipapatayo. Maraming batang kagaya ko ang makakapag-aral.
Noong unang araw ng pasok namin ay binati ko ang mga boluntirs nang may ngiti sa aking mukha. Sa katunayan, ayoko na tawagin silang boluntirs, mas gusto kong teacher ang itawag sa kanila.
ako na umabot ito ng mahigit sa isang daan at para sa amin daw iyon lahat. Hindi ko alintana na labis ang tuwa ko noong magamit ko ang mga makukulay na krayola sa unang araw ng skwela.
Hawak ang isang dilaw na krayola, rinig ko ang sambit ng aming teacher sa akin.
“Wow! Gusto mo pala maging pulis, Iboy?”
“Opo, Teacher! Gusto ko po na ako ang magtatanggol sa mga tao dito po sa baryo namin,” sagot ko habang binigyan ako ni teacher ng lapis.
Matapos ang anim na buwan, naipatayo na ang paaralan sa gitna ng aming munting baryo. Hindi man gaano ito kalakihan, pero para sa akin, ito
Tinuruan nila kaming magbasa, magsulat, magbilang, pero ang pinakapaborito ko ay noong pinaguhit nila kami kung ano ang gusto namin maging paglaki. Nilabas nila teacher ang isang malaking kahon na mayroong mga papel, lapis, at mga krayola. Mayroon rin naman akong mga lapis at krayola, pero hindi ganoon karami. Ang sabi sa amin ay pwede raw naming gamitin lahat ng nakapaloob na kulay sa kahon. Nagulat
“Kung ganoon, mag-aral ka nang maigi. Pwede mong isulat gamit ang lapis na ito para matupad ang iyong gusto. Alam ko na balang araw ay makakagraduate ka rin,“ dagdag niya.
“Graduate? Ano po yun, Teacher?” nalito ako sa sinabi ni teacher.
“Yung makakapagtapos ka ng pagaaral, Boy,” sagot niya sa akin.
Ang mga buwan na lumipas ay mga pinakamasasayang buwan ng buhay ko. Sana ay andito lang palagi ang paaralan
GUSTO KONG MAGING PULIS EDUKASYON X
sa Sitio Talaingod. Sana andito lang ito palagi hanggang sa tumanda ako.
Bawat hakbang ko sa loob ng paaralan ay pawang hakbang paabante sa aking mga pangarap; sa aming mga pangarap. Bawat araw at umaga ay panibagong misyon na aking kailangang tahakin para matupad ang aking mga inaasam-asam sa buhay.
Ngunit, mali pala ako. Hindi pala ganoon kadali.
Kagaya ng mga nakaraang araw, handa na akong pumasok muli nang may narinig akong ingay mula sa labas ng aming bahay. Nakasilip ulit ang aking mga mata sa mumunting butas ng aming pintuan. Bago rin ang kanilang mga mukha at hindi ko rin sila kilala. Mga lalaking naka-berdeng uniporme at tila ba’y alam ko na mga tagapagtanggol sila ng bayan, kasama ang mga pulis dala ang kanilang mga naglalakihang baril.
Napaisip ako kung sila ata ay mga dagdag na volunteers para sa aming paaralan. Ngunit bakit tila walang ngiti o tuwa ang nakapinta sa kanilang mga mukha?
KARAPATAN
Palabas na ako ng aming bahay para batiin ang mga bagong dayo sa aming lugar pero bigla akong pinigilan ng aking nanay. Nalito ako sa kaniyang pagpigil sapagkat mababait naman ang mga dayo sa aming baryo. Binalaan niya ako na manahimik at hindi ko akalain na sa pag-aalingawgaw ng isang boses ay guguho ang aking mundo.
“Sir! ‘Wag po sir! Maawa po kayo, wala po kaming ginagawang mali! Nagtuturo lang po kami rito!”
Dinig na dinig ko ang hagulhol na nagmumula galing sa sentro ng aming baryo at kilalang-kilala ko ang boses na iyon—kay Teacher. Ang tinis ng kanyang tinig na nagsusumamo at nagmamakaawa ay umaalingawngaw sa buong Sitio Talaingod. Lumaki ako na alam na ang mga pulis at mga sundalong naparito ay mga tagapagtanggol ng bayan.
Ngunit, bakit? Bakit kailangan ni Teacher magmakaawa para lamang kami ay makapag-aral?
“Hindi! Bawal ‘tong ginagawa ninyo! Nangre-recruit pa kayo ng mga magiging rebelde rito sa bundok ha!?”
Banas at pasagot na sigaw ng lalaking naka-uniporme. Rebelde?
Rebelde ba ang mga gurong dumayo sa amin para magturo? Sa ilang araw na sila ay namumuhay dito, tila ba’y mas gumaan ang aming buhay. Nabigyan kami ng pag-asa para patuloy na umunlad ang aming baryo, na kami ay makakapaggraduate kagaya ng sabi ni Teacher. Ano nga ba ang kahulugan ng rebelde? Sino nga ba ang rebelde?
“Pakawalan niyo si Teacher!” ang tanging sigaw ko mula sa aming bahay. Dinig na dinig ko ang mga yapak na papalapit sa amin. Mula sa mga mata ng aking nanay, nakikita ko ang repleksyon ng galit na nagmumula sa aking mukha. Walang takot. Marahil puno ng pighati at pagtataksil ang aking nadama.
Sa mga panahong iyon, may isang bagay akong napagtanto.
Kung hindi man ako magiging pulis, alam ko na bitbit ko pa rin ang mithiin kong ipagtanggol sa mga tao rito sa baryo—kasama na roon ang aking Teacher.
SAVE OUR SCHOOLS
Kung totoo ang katagang hindi lamang nalilimitahan sa apat na sulok ng classroom ang pagkatuto, bakit dito sa loob ng unibersidad kulang-kulang ang mga ito?
Hindi ko alam kung dapat ituring na kompetisyon kung sino ang mas hirap sa aming dalawa, ang pagkakaroon ng maliit na lupang tirahan naming mga baka o ang kakarampot na student spaces ng mga estudyante?
Parehas kaming sakop ng unibersidad. Kung kaya’t sa ayaw o gusto man, hindi rin maiiwasan na hindi kami magsalisihan. Sadya man o hindi, siguro mas malaki ang tsansang maiiwasan ito kung may kani-kaniya kaming komportableng mga puwesto.
Kataka-taka na kahit malawak ang unibersidad, ay nagsasalubong pa rin ang landas namin. Kung minsan sa daan, kumakaripas agad sila ng takbo kahit hindi pa naman kami gaanong malapit. Mayroon namang mga walang pakialam at diretso lang kaming nilalampasan. Minsan naman ay sa field, umulan o umaraw, ay patuloy ang ensayo ng mga estudyanteng-atleta ng football team. Kasabay namin silang tumambay maghapon habang kumakain kami ng damo. Sa aming isip, sobrang tibay ng kakayahan nilang magtiis.
Noon siguro ay may kaunti kaming inis sa mga tao, ngunit sa tuwing naririnig namin ang mga hinaing nila, napaisip kaming mga baka na parehas lang naman kami ng gusto. Tunay na mahirap ang may kahati. Kung minsan kahit na walang kahati, masaklap pa ring isiping hindi matamasa ang dapat na karapatan mo. Bakit kaya pinagkakait ang mga bagay na para naman talaga sayo sa simula’t sapul pa lamang?
Katulad naming mga baka ay ginigipit din sila sa puwesto. Kung kami ay marahas na pinapaalis sa mga lupang tirahan, sila naman ay pilit tinitiis ang kakulangan sa mga lugar na dapat nilang pag-aralan. Hindi ba dapat kasama na sa package iyon, kapag naging ganap na estudyante ka na ng paaralan, kaakibat
na rin nito ang pagkakaroon ng access sa facilities at equipments na mayroon dito.
Sa lawak ng campus, tunay na kataka-taka na kulang sa espasyo na pwedeng gamitin ng mga estudyante, hindi lamang upang gumawa ng kung ano mang konektado sa akademiks kundi pati na rin upang magsilbing pahingahan pagkatapos ng mahabang araw. Nakakaawang malaman na dumating na rin sa puntong kinakailangan magklase ng iba na hati ang classrooms at kung minsan magkaklase sa mga lugar na talagang inconvenient pagdausan ng kung ano mga acad-related event.
Paanong hindi kukulangin sa mga classroom kung sa una pa lang ay wala ring sariling building na dapat maghihiwalay sa bawat colleges?
Umabot pa sa punto na wala ng pagitan pagdating sa espasyo ng admin at estudyante. Kailangan ring maghintayan ng bawat seksyon upang salitan na makagamit ng classroom. Dumarating sa punto na nakatunganga pa sa labas ang iba imbes na maayos na makakaupo upang hintayin ang pagdating ng kanilang professor. Dumating kang presko pero wala pang kalahati ng araw ay para ka ng tumakbo nang ilang kilometro dahil sa kalagayan mo.
Ang mas malala ay ang pagkakaroon ng kumpol-kumpol na estudyante sa Kalimudan at sa iba pang mga kantina ng unibersidad. Hindi upang kumain, kundi upang tapusin ang mga requirements nila, dala-dala ang kani-kaniyang mga gadgets at readings materials. Sa unang tingin, mukhang ayos naman dahil sa preskong hangin, ngunit hanggang saan kaya ang kakayanin ng mga estudyanteng nagsisiksikan matapos lang ang mga gawain nila? Hanggang kailan sasanayin
ng administrasyon ang mga bata sa ganitong sitwasyon? Hanggang kailan gagawing pansamantalang solusyon ang pagiging madiskarte ng tao at ang kakayahang magtiis sa hirap ng buhay?
Sa patuloy na paggipit sa budget ng UP System, tila malabo pa ring magkaroon ng tsansang makita ang mga agarang inobasyong magbibigay benepisyo sa bawat mag-aaral sa mga susunod na taon. Mas titindi lamang ang pagtitiis ng bawat graduating students sa pag-uunahan na makagamit ng laboratories na limitado lamang ang kayang okupahin na tao. Mas titindi lamang ang pagtitiis ng mga freshman students na nais sulitin ang bawat araw na pananatili sa unibersidad. Patuloy lamang mahihirapan ang bawat estudyanteng nagsusumikap na gawing makabuluhan ang bawat oras na mayroon sila.
Mahalagang pagtuunan ng pansin ang pag-implementa ng nasyonalismo, siyentipiko, at makamasang edukasyon kung saan mas nakapokus ang pag-aaral sa pangangailangan ng bansa at ang mga teoryang tinuturo ay konektado rito, higit sa lahat ay pagiging accessible nito sa lahat.
Kung patuloy ang pagsasalamin sa sistema ng edukasyon ng ibang bansa, magiging replika lamang tayo nila, at paniguradong hindi nito matutugunan ang tunay na pangangailangan ng masa. Maliit din ang tsansang makatulong ito sa pagresolba ng mga kontemporaryong isyu ng bansa. Magiging kanais-nais kung tuluyan nang matauhan ang gobyerno sa kung gaano kabulok ang kanilang pamamalakad lalo na sa sistema ng edukasyon natin ngayon. Huwag nating hayaan na hindi matupad ang ating mga baka sakali at tuluyan
ART BY NHEZ HAJI, RED MASACUPAN
CINE MALANOS
Sabi ni Manong barya lang sa umaga, pero paano kung ang barya ay hindi na rin napagkakasya?
Sabi ni Manong barya lang sa umaga, pero paano kung ‘di pa nagsisimula ang araw, simot na ang barya?
Sabi ni Manong barya lang sa umaga, pero paano kung pati perang papel wala ako ni isa?
Sa pagtatapos ng senior high, aminin na tila kawalan ay parang nakawala ng hawla dahil sa wakas dumating na rin ang panahon na pinakahihintay—ang pagtuntong ng kolehiyo. Asikasuhin muna natin ang checklist: school na papasukan? CHECK. School supplies? CHECK. Panghuli, ang dormitoryo na tutuluyan? Iyan ang wala pa. Kung inaakala ng iba na madali ang paghahanap ng dormitoryo, mas hindi madali ang maglipat ng mga gamit. Kung inaakala ng iba na madali ang matulog kasama ang hindi mo kakilala, mas hindi madali ang matulog mag-isa habang iniisip ang pamilya.
Mukhang may kulang pa sa checklist— ah, tama, ang allowance na pwedeng makuha! Bukod sa pagtira sa isang dormitoryo, isa rin ito sa pinakahihintay. Tila masyado yatang positibo ang pagtingin sa
culture
Kung sa una masaya isipin na mas tataas ang baon ngayong kolehiyo, sa panahon ngayon, ano pa ang silbi nito kung sumabay rin sa pagtaas ng presyo ang mga bilihin? Hindi pa natatapos ang araw, ang papel na pera ay naging barya na.
Limang minuto lamang ang byahe mula dorm papuntang unibersidad kung sasakay ka ng traysikel. Ngunit, umaabot ito ng bente hanggang trenta minuto kung pipiliin mong maglakad. Sabagay may impresyon naman na kapag UP Student ka, sanay ka na sa mahabang lakaran. Kung dati, hindi naman pilit at ayos lang ang araw-araw na paglalakad, ngayon sinanay na lang ang mga estudyante na magtiis dahil sa krisis sa ekonomiya. Pagod ka na sa mahabang lakaran, gutom ka pa.
Pagkatapos ng isang mahabang umaga, oras na para sa pananghaliang magpapakalma sa tiyang kanina pa may bagutbot. Dagdag gastos lang kasi ang agahan, kaya babawi na lang sa tanghalian. Singkwenta para sa isang kanin at isang ulam. Sana nga sapat na dahil hindi na kaya ng bulsa ang isa pang order ng kanin. Hindi na ata aabot ang barya.
Uwian na at naaamoy mo na ang niluluto ni Ate Lings. Gustuhin mang magmeryenda, ‘di bale na lang kasi ang isang turon ay katumbas na ng halaga ng pamasahe mo pauwi. Nakakahiya na rin kasing umutang muli sa kanya.
CINE MALANOS, CATHERINE DISCORSON, MARKO TOLEDO
Kaya hihintayin mo na lang ang pagsapit ng ala sais. Babawi ka na lang sa hapunan.
Pagkatapos ng hapunan, hindi mo mawari kong busog ka ba o hindi dulot ng napakaraming tubig na ininom mo. Masarap sanang bumili ng panghimagas, pero naisip mong huwag na lang at dagdag gastos pa. Itatabi na lang ang pera dahil baka may kailangan pang i-print na readings.
Pagkauwi, sinipat mo ang iyong pitaka. Makapal nga ito, hindi naman pera ang laman. Sa katunayan, mas makapal pa ang kumpol ng mga resibong naipon kaysa sa buwanang allowance na hindi man lang tumagal ng isang linggo. Hindi mo rin magawang humingi ulit sa mga magulang dahil ayaw mong maging pabigat. Baka lalo lang silang mag-alala.
Masaklap mang isipin, ito ang realidad na bumubungad sa’yo sa pangaraw-araw bilang estudyante. Baka nga ganito talaga sa kolehiyo. Kapalit ng tinatamasang kalayaan ang paghihigpit ng sinturon. Dito mo mapagtatanto na talagang mahirap mabuhay, na lalong nagiging mahirap sa lagay ng ating ekonomiya ngayon.
Sa tingin mo malas nga bang mamuhay sa panahon ngayon ni Marcos Jr.? Kailangan pa nga ba itong tanungin kung kita naman ang lugmok na kalagayan ng bawat Pilipino, mapaestudyante man o manggagawa. Habang ang pangulo ay walang humpay sa paglustay ng pera na hindi naman kanya, ang sambayanan naman ay nagdurusa sa krisis sa ekonomiya. Iniinda natin ang krisis na hindi naman ginusto.
Ano pa nga ba ang magagawa, kundi ang mamaluktot. Magtitiis na lang muna. Sana sa susunod, aabot na ang barya.
ART BY CZAR YAMAS, SAMUEL SALCEDO
Iskolar ng Bayan, Iskolar na ba ‘yan?
RED MASACUPAN
Iskolar ng Bayan, ngayon ay lumalaban! Ang tao, ang bayan, ngayon ay lumalaban!
Ito ang sigaw na unang naririnig sa pagtungtong sa UP. Ngunit labas sa mga pantig na ito tila ay lumalabo na ang linya kung ano nga ba ang dapat na katangian ng mga ito.
Bungad ng kaliwa’t kanan na black propaganda laban sa mga lider masa, ang pagtanaw sa mga Iskolar ng Bayan ay nahahati sa tatlo. Una, sa perpesktiba ng karaniwang Pilipino, ang mga Isko ay ang “Pag-asa ng Bayan” buhat ng pagiging tanyag ng Unibersidad bilang “premiere university” ng bansa. At kung hindi, pampangalawa, ang pagtingin naman nila ay sadyang maiingay lang ang mga ito at masyadong pulitikal.
Pangatlo, para naman sa nakararaming Isko, ang diwa ng Iskolar ng Bayan ay nakalatay sa kanyang kakayanan na pagsilbihan ang masang Pilipino. Laking pasasalamat ng mga ito sa mga mamamayang dugo’t pawis ang alayy na makapagbigay ng buwis na nagpapaaral sa kanila kung kaya’t marapat lamang na maibalik sa mga ito ang kanilang pamumuhunan.
May iba’t ibang porma sa pagsisilbi sa masa ang mga Iskolar ng Bayan; may mga propagandista, lider-estudyante, lider-masa, akademiko, at iba pa. Ngunit kung ang pag-aaral ng mga ito ay hindi nakatuon sa programa ng pambansang demokrasya, sino ba talaga ang pinagsisilbihan ng kanilang edukasyon? Ika nga ni Lean Alejandro, “The tragedy of silence, indifference, is the most pathetic tragedy of all.”
(Ang sakuna buhat ng katahimikan, ang kawalan ng bahala, ay ang pinakanakakasuklam na kalunusan sa lahat.)
Ngunit nga’t dahil ang katatagang Honor and Excellence ay pilit na kinukulong sa loob ng apat na sulok ng Unibersidad katambal ang bugso ng pandemya, ang pagseserbisyo sa masa na nakaugat sa paglubog sa piling ng masa ay tila nakakalimutan na ng mga Iskolar ng Bayan. Ang Husay at Dangal na walang layuning Serve the People ay bumabagsak lamang bilang Husay at Dangal para sa pansariling kapakanan. Wala sa danak ng tinta sa mga bluebook ang tunay na layunin ng Iskolar ng Bayan; ni wala ito sa apat na sulok ng silid-aralan kung patuloy na komersyalisado, kolonyal, at represibo ang sektor ng edukasyon.
Nakalipas man bugso ng pandemya, naka“lockdown” pa rin ang kaisipan ng kabataan. Imbes na kumalas mula sa mga neoliberal na polisiya ng remote learning, nasemento pa lalo ang 24/7 mentality ng mga ito para sa gawaing pang-akademiya. Kung kaya’t kahit
sa mismong pagkilos nito — bagaman may kakayahan namang lumabas at tumungo sa lansangan — ay nananatiling mala-keyboard warrior na lamang na purong teorya na lang na hindi isinasapraktika.
Samakatuwid, patunay lamang ito na ang diwa ng Iskolar ng Bayan ay hindi nakabatay sa Unibersidad na pinanggagalingan. Bagkus, ito ay nasa kasikhayan ng isang Iskolar na maksimahin ang kanyang pribilehiyo na baguhin ang sistema ng edukasyon at hubugin ang isang edukasyon na magsisilbi para sa mga estudyante at nakararami.
Ang ugat ng diwa ng isang Iskolar ng Bayan ay nasa responsibilidad nitong pag-aralan ang lipunan at paglingkuran ang sambayanan. Tungkulin n’yang magpalalim ng kanyang pampulitikal na edukasyon upang mas maintindihan pa ang bunga ng mga saligang suliraning panlipunan. Obligasyon n’yang mapaunlad ang kanyang proletaryadong kamalayan sa “klasrum” ng mga masang api; sa mga palayan at pabrika kasama ang mga anakpawis, sa ilalim ng programang nakabatay sa materyal at istorikong kondisyon ng mga ito.
Hindi man eksklusibo ang akademya mula sa pagkilos, mananatiling babasahin lamang ang mga titik sa libro at artikulo kung hindi ito magmamateryalisa sa hanay ng masa. Hindi magsisilbi ang ating pinag-aralan kung walang pambansang industriyalisasyon at tunay na reporma sa lupa. Makapagtapos man tayo sa pamantasang hirang, walang kahit anong industriya ang kikilala sa pakikibaka ng mamamayan kung pinagmamay-arian ito ng mga mananakop, makasarili, at mapagsamantala.
Mula rito, hamon sa mga bagong tipo na balikan at magsumikhay sa kanyang pagaaral nang patuloy na lumawak ang ugat at hangganan ng pakikibaka. Unti-unting talikuran ang mga petiburges na mga tendesiya at paypayan ang dagitab ng tunay na demokrasya.
Mga Iskolar ng Bayan, huwag ninyong hayaan na ang iyong pag-aaral ay tuluyang humadlang sa iyong edukasyon. Pakatandaan, UP man o hindi, isa at iisa lang ang ating kahilingan kundi ang tunay at demokratikong pagbabago sa lipunang ginagalawan.
Amidst the Rapid Flow of the Mainstream
A Precedent to the Nation’s Eradication of Lumad Schools
The difference between Indigenous Peoples and others is their distinct way of life varying from their tapestries, policies, and tending the land. The late Chad Booc, a Lumad teacher, stated that the right of Lumad education empowers the youth and the Indigenous People to defend their ancestral lands. Unlike other Lumad communities that have their traditional schooling, the Bagobo Klata in Barangay Los Amigos live in a privately-owned compound of their own—far from their ancestral lands and surrounded by mainstream culture.
Clad in their white polo and skirt or brown slacks, the children of Bagobo Klata descent would often walk to reach their home in Barangay Los Amigos. With their native language foreign to them, conversations are usually communicated through Bisaya or English. Nestled in the middle of the urban and busy streets of Davao City, some Indigenous communities find themselves conforming to mainstream norms including the Bagobo Klata.
Socioeconomic conditions compel the Bagobo Klata to prioritize their day-today necessities. Without ancestral land to nurture and the continuous struggle for survival, the elders’ hope rests on state scholarships for their children or financial aid by government institutions. With the pressure to assimilate, to conform to a homogenized education system, many Lumad families see this mainstream education as the only path to survival. It poses the question: Why is there a need to conform to only attain mendicant-given policies?
The continuous eradication of Lumad schools is proof that the State does not acknowledge the existence of various cultures that make up our diverse nation. As Lumad children enroll in formalized institutions, neoliberal education continues to prosper and only serves the interests of those in power to take control of Lumad resources through relentless red-tagging and forced closure of Lumad schools.
In the current landscape, it is almost indistinguishable to differentiate Lumad children from others unless they are wearing their Indigenous garments sewn by their elders out of cheap fabric and sequins for a school performance. Compelled into schools where their language is a foreign tongue and their traditions deemed irrelevant, Lumad children lose connection to their heritage. Their unique characteristics and their culture begin to unravel, replaced by a bland uniformity becoming subjects to a cultural extermination—only to be seen as performative and commercialized by the State.
As the elders find themselves living in an oxymoron of preserving their identified culture amidst the influence of acculturation, they are at a crossroads—to preserve their traditions, or to conform to societal norms. They watch their grandchildren navigate the present-day society, donning Western clothing, and words of Bisaya, English, and Tagalog. The elders carry a heavy burden—the weight of a fading legacy. They hold cultural knowledge within them, stories, songs, and practices passed down through generations. But with each passing day, the fear grows—the fear that these traditions will die with them, unpassed to a new generation adrift in a sea of foreign influences.
Perhaps, it is easier for some to assume that it is beneficial for the Lumads to conform with the formalized schooling
to become more globally competitive and attain higher education status. Perhaps, for a more uniform progression, some find it fit to dissolve all Lumad schoolings. Perhaps, some ought to box themselves from the idea of multi cultures coexisting and the various facets of development. We should ask ourselves if we are part of those who carry such beliefs and start to contest such ideas.
We, the youth, believe ourselves to be beacons of generational hope—to carry the ideologies we have been accustomed to and teach others the respect we rightfully receive. Writing this article is far from the woes of the government’s idea of what’s best for our Indigenous People. It is an outright question to the State’s given opportunities to Lumad communities and challenges the idea that the eradication of Lumad schools is justifiable for it is only suppression that transpires.
The fight to preserve these schools is not just about the past; it’s about the future amidst the rapid flow of the mainstream. It’s about ensuring that these children inherit not just a collection of artifacts, but a living, breathing culture and teachings that connect them to their ancestors and empower them to face the challenges of the modern world.
DARLYN RIOS, RAE OCSIO
Shackled by Golden Chains
JAY LOZANO | COVER ART BY RICHELLE DE ARCE
As our education system continues to serve those in power, it will always be apparent that we are going to be deprived of education as a basic human right.
Under the premises of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the State is mandated to “protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.”
While this is what the Supreme Law of the Land demands of the state, current conditions seem to be counter-intuitive relative to our goals.
“As education becomes marketed as a business venture with rising tuition fees, less and less Filipinos will have a chance to experience the free quality education they are entitled to receive.”
In the Philippines, basic education at the elementary and secondary levels are free at the expense of limited classrooms, unforgiving teacher-student ratios, and scarce resources.
At the same time, tertiary level education provided by State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) are supposed to be free. However, budget allocations do not suffice the necessary funding for these universities to operate effectively in which students, even at public SUCs, are required to pay amounts to experience quality education.
Come 2022, SUCs around the country seek to increase rates for tuition and other fees (TOF) as the moratorium
lapses. The steep rise in tuition fees persisted until present time. In 2023, members of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) filed to impose another moratorium on tuition and other fee increases as economic boons continue to plague the country citing “skyrocketing prices, falling family incomes, and growing economic volatility” as reasons among others.
It should be important to note that as tuition fees continue to increase it bolsters the manifestation of neoliberal policies that govern the commercialized, colonized, and anti-democratic state of our education system.
In our country where 9 out of 10 schools are privately owned by business tycoons, education rather than being free becomes extremely expensive and bears the question: Who does our education system rightfully serve? For whom do we study for?
For local context, in Davao City the total annual cost of tuition and other school fees are ranging between Php 40,000 to 150,000 for private higher education institutions (HEIs). At the same time, in Region XI, the daily minimum wage of 443 Pesos would yield a total of Php 106,320 in total annual salary for a minimum wage earner. It is rather unfortunate that these numbers add up. In a system where even education is governed by the rich ruling class, education has become a business venture for them to become richer.
The increase of school operating fees is also a manifestation of the country’s investment on the internationalization and globalization of our education system. When the K-12 Curriculum was first introduced, Filipino graduates being at
par with students from other countries was the talk of the town. This, while leaving the narrative of graduates being marketable to foreign countries behind.
Moreover, the enactment of the Transnational Higher Education Act of 2019 opened the doors for foreign HEIs to market their education here in our country through existing educational institutions. This prompts our universities to increase their tuition fees to suffice the needs for such transnational investments. With such policies, SUCs and HEIs in our country are left to function as “diploma mills” that produce middle-skilled workers to work outside the country.
Through and through, as education becomes marketed as a business venture with rising tuition fees, less and less Filipinos will have a chance to experience the free quality education they are entitled to receive.
Now more than ever, it is our fight for education that is self-serving that should stand atop our calls. With localized learning objectives, there would be no need for a drastic increase in TOF. Rather than investing on “globalization and overall marketability,” allocating our resources on opportunities for local sources and production would pave the way for national industries and development to prosper.
The struggle onwards the fight for a nationalistic, scientific and mass-oriented education system, can forge a path that will allow education to be affordable and genuinely accessible for the masses. But until then, free quality education will always remain as a basic right that never was.
