When Taming is Over

A century of wisdom. . .
A century of bravery. . .
A century of militancy. . .


This is UP Trademark. University of the Philippines has been tagged as the ‘university for the poor’ because it offers quality education that is accessible to the masses and to the proletarians.

Since the implementation of the STFAP (or the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program) twenty years ago, which is just a ‘defensive mechanism’ of the UP Administration to cover the issue of Tuition Fee Increase, the essence of being a state university have slowly faded and the duty of the state in providing quality and affordable education to the youth has deviated.

The main reason for the high cost of education of the university is the low budget allocation of the government to UP. It is proposing this certain amount, but what is being approved by the government is lower than the proposed one. To cover up and to compensate to this ‘budget deficit’, students pay high matriculation.



Article 2
Section17. The State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development.

Article 14
Section1. The State shall 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.

Section4.(1) The State recognizes the complementary roles of public and private institutions in the educational system and shall exercise reasonable supervision and regulation of all educational institutions.

Section5.(5) The State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.



It is ironic, indeed. It is stipulated in the Philippine Constitution that the state is responsible in providing basic services, like education, to the people, especially to the youth. Cutting the UP Budget seems to be an initiative of the government to separate itself from the institution. RA 9500 makes it more obvious. So does the Board of Regents (BOR), since the majority of the BOR are allied and are appointed by ‘your’ President GMA.

We have been created and tamed by the government for a century. We then become satisfied and dependent to it through state subsidies.

The university’s push for fiscal autonomy is a violation to what is stipulated in the constitution (well unless this is also, at the same time, their initiative for a ‘Constitutional Amendment’).

UP should not be separated from the state. This will make its legacy which lasted for more than a century already perish. If this occurs, what will happen to the youth? The cost of UP education will continue to soar higher for it to generate revenues and for the system to continue working. This high cost of education deprives youth, especially the majority who are poor, from acquiring this education that should be given by the government. Their life might end up in misery.

It is indeed a prejudice to the poor youth if the UP Administration pushes fiscal autonomy and the government, at the same time, will continue to decrease our budget and perhaps, will end up subsidizing us.

Will you let the students and the youth suffer the consequence of protecting the interest of the government? You should be ashamed to the poor, where in the midst of the economic and political turmoil are the first who are affected.

Separation is not an option. Let is collectively demand our administration, especially the BOR, to be more aggressive in demanding the government to provide us the budget we deserve. If they [UP Administration], let us take the initiatives. We will fight for our rights! We will not let the government stop in subsidizing us because in the first place, it is their duty. We will not stop the struggle for a truly democratic society to shun the epoch that the youth will be forsaken.