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the contagion PHOTO BY Karen C. Salunga
HAU concedes, freezes TOFI The student body through united, and independent representations composed of petitions, protest actions, and dialogues pulled off a victory as the University announced the halting of the 6% Tuition and 22% miscellaneous fee increase for the Academic Year 2020 - 2021. “Ipinapakita rin nito na ang pwersang nagkakaisa ng masang estudyante at ang alyansa ng mga publikasyon, organisasyon at mga student council departments na posibleng maigpawan ang anumang pahirap na polisiyang nais ipatupad ng pamantasan.” said HAU Speak Now, an alliance of student councils, publications and organiza-
tions in Holy Angel University. This move of the University was made possible through dialogues, petitions and protest actions initiated by the student body. Actions such as the 4-point position paper appealed by the University Student Council resulted into a series of College Student Council - Admin consultations and the 7-Point demand petition and the #HAUyokoNa online protest in a combined effort of the University Student Council ,The Angelite and Anakbayan HAU with College Student councils, publications and organizations through the HAU SPEAK
NOW alliance. Nationwide TOFI fight amidst COVID “Student councils, as the premiere youth formation in colleges and universities, stand in solidarity with the people directly and indirectly affected by the Covid-19 crisis, which is a factor mainly of a system that perpetuates the commercialization of both education and health services,” said the National Union of the Student Philippines as stated in their 5 Student Demands petition. The union also said that the lack of preparedness of the government when
signed by 32 University Student Councils in both public and private institutions across the country including the Holy Angel University Student Council. TOFI continues - CHED “On the part of the universities they may need a bigger tuition increase because they have to compensate for lost income because for example if there is no summer class, there is no revenue on the part of the private universities for summer.” said Commision on Higher Education Chairman Prospero de Vera.
BY Jhon Marco D. Magdangal
Mga manggagawa ng GL, nagwelga
PHOTO BY Marienel C. Calma
BY Klenia Ern B. Mendiola
USC painted green and yellow BY Jhon Marco D. Magdangal
After four years of the USC being dominated by a single party, fifth year engineering Sibul candidate claims victory for the chairmanship position in the 2020 - 2021 USC elections alongside Kayabe’s external and internal VP candidates. “Patungkol sa maaaring iba-iba kami ng pamamaraan, makakatulong yun upang matimbang namin kung ano ‘yong mas makakabuti para sa ating lahat. Actually, the three of us were already coordinating with each other, given that
it comes COVID - 19 gave rise to the inability for the educational sector to adjust to the situation including also unprioritized public health care, and weak policies protecting our workers, and among others. The 5 student demand includes the call suspension of online classes, stop collection of fees and impending tuition and other fees incr ease, sustain teaching and non teaching staff salaries, preserve student representation through genuine student councils, and to stop the railroading of anti - student and repressive policies such as ROTC. The petition is supported and
the summer period is our preparation before we start our term, and I find it productive and harmonious as early as now. We work as a team, and so far, the chem works.” said Paul Ernest Carreon, the USC chairman elect, when asked on how will the USC chairpersons work together in lieu if their differences. Along with Carreon is, with Jonard Balilu as Vice President - External (Kayabe) and Clarisse Elizabeth Revestir as Vice President - Internal (Kayabe).
Iba’t ibang unyon ng mga manggagawa mula Gitnang Luzon ang sunod-sunod na naglunsad ng kilos-protesta bitbit ang kanya-kanyang mga panawagan simula Pebrero hanggang Marso laban sa mga kumpanya na kanilang kinabibilangan. Sa Clark, Pampanga ang Kapit-Bisig ng Manggagawa (KBM) ng Asian Sports Apparel Philippines (ASAPHIL), ang Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng Cherubin (NMC) ng Meycauayan, Bulacan at kamakailan lang ang mga manggagawa ng Yokohama Tires Philippines, Inc. sa Clark, Pampanga. Ayon kay Angel Gulpan - Adorza, treasurer at tagapagsalita ng KBMA, katapos ng pagkapanalo ng kanilang unyon noon Certification Election noong nakaraang taon ng ika-1 ng Hunyo, naglabas ng abiso ang kumpanya na isang buwan na force leave sa mga manggagawa, na nagpatuloy hanggang ipinabatid nito sa Department of Labor and Employment Region III (DOLE-Region III) na ito ay ipasasara noong ika28 ng Nobyembre, 2019.
“Ang pagkasa namin ng picket-protest laban sa kumpanya ng Asaphil ay para labanan ang mga paglabag sa aming mga batayang karapatan bilang manggagawa.” saad ni Adorza. Nagpa-abot din ng suporta ang Worker’s Alliance in Region III (WAR III) and National Federation of Labor-KMU (NAFLU-KMU). Mariin namang kinokondena ng WAR III ang ASAPHIL Inc. sa paglabag ng batayang batas ng mga manggagawa at ang hindi pagkilala sa nabuong unyon. Ayon kay Pol Viuya, ang tagapangulo ng WAR III, “Ang pagpapalabas ng abisong force leave ay isang paraan ng union busting at refusal to bargain. Ito ay isang karaniwang gawain ng mga kumpanya hindi lamang upang makakuha ng kita kun’di ginagamit itong instrumento upang atakihin ang mga bagong tatag na mga unyon.” Maging ang punong kalihim ng NAFLU si Tony Pascual ay nakiisa rin sa laban ng unyon, “The illegal closure of the company without prior consultation to avoid negotiation with the elected union of the workers should be
denounced.” “Hangga’t walang malinaw na pagtugon ang kumpanya, hindi kami aalis sa kinatatayuan namin. Ang laban na ito ay hindi lang laban ng unyon namin, kundi laban din ng mga manggagawa sa loob ng Clark para sa kanilang karapatan sa tiyak na trabaho, sapat na sahod at karapatan mag-union.” Dagdag ni Pascual. Protests across the region Matapos ang piket-protest ng mga manggagawa ng ASAPHIL, sinundan naman ito ng mga Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng Cherubin (NMC) - NAFLU - KMU mula Cherubin Gardens sa Meycauayan, Bulacan, para irehistro ang kanilang mga panawagan hinggil sa kasiguraduhan sa trabaho at pagkilala sa kanilang unyon. Nagsara ang Cherubin Gardens sa Meycauayan, Bulacan matapos ang sama-samang pagkilos ng mga manggagawa at pagtatagumpay na maitayo ang kanilang unyon. CONTINUE TO PAGE 3
