CATHY MIRANDA/黑料社
MANILA, Philippines鈥揝tudent activists marked the opening of classes on Monday with an anti-tuition hike protest near听Malaca帽ang听Palace.
Anakbayan听members held up placards and chanted 鈥淓dukasyon,听karapatan听ng听mamayan听(Education, right of the citizens)鈥� as they passed by private universities and colleges along听Mendiola听St. in Manila.
They also called President听Benigno听Aquino III 鈥淭uition Hike King鈥� amid the Commission on Higher Education鈥檚 (Ched鈥檚) approval of the tuition increase proposals of 287 higher education institutions (HEI).
Jacqueline Tan, secretary general of听Anakbayan鈥檚听Metro Manila chapter, criticized Aquino for the 鈥渋ncessant鈥� increase of the cost of education under his watch.
The group pointed out that the recent tuition hike of the 64 schools in Metro Manila results in an average increase of P6,000 per semester for each student.
鈥淎quino gave the go signal for schools to hike fees, he is the enabler of the deregulated status of education. He deserves to be called king, the Tuition Hike King,鈥� Tan said, referring to Aquino鈥檚 earlier statement that听Ched听may allow the increase as long as there is due process.
鈥淗ow will the majority, the struggling families, keep up with the rising cost of education when their wages aren鈥檛 even enough?鈥� she added.
At present, the minimum daily wage in the National Capital Region is P466. For the provinces, the wage rate ranges around P213 to P362.
鈥淭he people鈥檚 wages are nowhere near the rates of increase among schools fees. Even professionals and OFWs are already complaining on the alarming cost of education. Most college students are now sons and daughters of OFWs because of the economic crisis,鈥� Tan said.
Anakbayan听and other youth groups like the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) last week filed graft and other charges against听Ched听chairperson Patricia听Licuanan听and her fellow commissioners for alleged neglect of duty.
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