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UC students protest fee hikes

BAGUIO CITY (Mar. 1) — After a deadlock regarding tuition and miscellaneous fee increases, students from the University of the Cordilleras- Baguio Colleges Foundation (UC-BCF) took the battle to the streets.

The UC administration failed to provide pertinent documents and justifiable answers during the Feb. 28 consultation, thus the negotiating panel composed of student representatives from the Democratic Party for the Youth (DAP-AY), Progressive Igorots for Social Action (PIGSA), Political Science Society (PSS), College of Business Administration Kalipunan (CBAd), College of Arts and Sciences Kalipunan (CAS), and Legal Management Society (LMS) walked out from the negotiation. They instead initiated a signature campaign, picket and candle light vigil against the imposed redundant miscellaneous fees particularly in the College of Nursing, and the proposed 10% tuition fee increase.

The students, aware of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memo #13 which states that the “Seventy percent (70%) of the proceeds to be derived from the tuition fee increase shall be used for the payment of increase in salaries, wages, allowances and other benefits of its teaching and non-teaching personnel and other staff…,” asked the administration about the breakdown of the anomalous fees such as Related Learning Experience (RLE), LIMAD and other fees specifically in the College of Nursing. The administration however, remained disturbingly quiet about these.

Further, the student protesters said that the UC administration is notorious for faking consultation attendance. They said the students who were present during the event were made to sign attendance sheets which were later used by the administration to back up its claim that the undersigned agreed to the proposed tuition fee increase.

In their letter to CHED Regional Director, Dr. Magdalena Jasmin, the students said they grew suspicious about the February 16 pre-consultation. They believe that the administration devised it to survey student grievances to enable them to answer all these in the consultation proper. Surprisingly, the administration, they say, was still feeble in the consultation proper.

The CHED director was not present when the students submitted their letter.

On Friday, the students’ protest action was intensified. According to the March 4 statement of DAP-AY, PIGSA, Anakbayan-UC-BCF and College of Nursing, UC-BCF students boycotted their classes and staged another march-rally to CHED to follow up the petition letter they submitted last Monday. About 160 students joined the said march-rally.

The same statement mentioned that CHED Director Jasmine promised to intervene and investigate the said issue. The students believe that CHED will act in their favor. CHED’s response is expected on Monday (March 7).

“Be pro-student”

Jerber Jan Luy, PIGSA chairperson called on CHED to act in favor of the students’ interests. He also condemned the UC-BCF-Student Supreme Government (SSG) vice president for not upholding the interest of the students. He added that the SSG did not call for a student assembly to form the united stand of the students.

Anakbayan-Metro Baguio Chairperson Antoni Karl Riva stressed that there had been many students’ battles won through the unity and persistence, urging the protesting students to carry on in their issues.

He mentioned the experience of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in 1986 when the students ousted PUP President Pablo Mateo. He also cited the recent victory of the Baguio Central University (BCU) nursing students over the costly affiliation fee imposed by the administration, where students’ concerted actions reduced the said fee by 71%. They will now be paying for at least P8,000 for the affiliation fee compared to the P24,000 fee originally set. # Rona Dale Ortiz/CGEP-Baguio Benguet and Kim Quitasol for NORDIS

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