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NORDIS
WEEKLY April 10, 2005 |
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Anakbayan-UC slams UC-SSG’s approval of 10% fee hike |
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BAGUIO CITY (Apr. 7) —University of the Cordilleras (UC)-Anakbayan today condemned the UC Supreme Student Government (UC-SSG) for its “blatant disregard” of an earlier agreement with student organizations for a 5% tuition increase instead of the 10% hike. During the April 2 consultation with the University President, the SSG accepted the proposed 10% fee increase without due consultation with other student leaders. “The acceptance of the SSG to the 10% tuition hike is a betrayal of the students’ trust. Instead of asserting the students’ rights and welfare, the SSG has now become a party to the detriment of the students’ interests. They no longer have the credibility to represent the UC students,” said Mark Anthony L. Trinidad, Anakbayan-UC Chairperson. On March 30 The UC SSG conducted a consultation with the school administrators led by Ebusca, UC VP for Finance. The SSG negotiating panel finally agreed to a 5% tuition hike. However, Mr. Ebusca said they could not decide on the students’ proposal, pending the approval of the University President. Last April 2, the UC President called the SSG negotiating panel for another dialogue. Hannah Lee Antonio, member of the negotiating panel from the College of Nursing revealed that “prior to the dialogue, the panel agreed that they will stick to the 5% tuition hike but during the consultation, a piece of paper written with “Let’s confirm the 10% increase. Yes or No?...” was passed around. After a while Hermilia Banayat, SSG Speaker of the House confirmed the 10% tuition increase for school year 2005-2006 with a condition that the UC administration must prove that the increase should go to its intended purpose…” Antonio said that “without the expressed consent and approval of other student leaders in the panel, the SSG accepted the 10% fee increase. Labio Calingayan, SSG President was silent during that time,” Antonio revealed. “I can no longer take the injustice being perpetuated by the SSG against their fellow students so I decided to leave the training center”, she added. “We are dismayed by the move of the SSG because it will hinder some of our fellow students from continuing their studies. However, this will not stop us from our fight against excessive and unnecessary school fee increases. We are determined to continue with our investigation on the implementation of the 70-30 incremental proceeds, Land, Infrastructure Maintenance, Acquisition and Development (LIMAD) fee and the call for transparency in the College of Nursing. Our questions have remained unanswered. We have the right to know where our money goes. After all, it’s us and our parents who pay the fees,” Trinidad said. Trinidad added “though we have not succeeded in lowering the tuition hike, we have successfully launched an information drive to the wider public. The students vowed to maintain vigilance and militancy in upholding and asserting the students’ rights and welfare. “We are willing to unite with other democratic sectors inside and outside the university for the sake of transparency; accessible and quality education; just wages and salaries for teachers and employees. The tuition hike campaign has taught us that we can achieve our academic and democratic rights through united and concerted actions of the students,” Trinidad reiterated. # via NORDIS |
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