On Friday December 13, due to the newly-approved administration-sponsored school policies fee increase, the University of the Philippines (UP) students, faculty members, administrative personnel and staff from Diliman, Manila and Cebu picketed Quezon protest, to help change the approved policies of the school.
The university’s policies includes the revision of the university’s Board of Regents (BOR), which is the highest policy-making body of the university and as well as the socialize Tuition Fee (–foul word(s) removed–)istance Program (STFAP), Articles 430 and 431 of the UP Code and the increase in the Chemical Engineering student’s laboratory fee.
As it was remembered, UP Manila Behavioral Science student Kristel Tejada, committed suicide due to the inability of paying her tuition fees and nine months after her death, the BOR approved the revision.
In approving the administration-sponsored revisions to the STFAP, the BOR voted 7-2 in favor with these list of implementation:
- simplification of the basis for (–foul word(s) removed–)igning STFAP brackets to students
- upward adjustment of the income cut-offs of Brackets A, B, C and D
- increase in the monthly allowance of bracket E2 students
- streamlining of the bracket (–foul word(s) removed–)ignment, among others
Articles 430 and 431 of the UP Code, on the other hand, will change UP’s policies on admission and matriculation.
In regard with these, students and even employees criticized the decision and pointed out the revision alone will never work for the reason that STFAP itself is the problem.
UP Diliman University Student Council (USC) Chairperson Alex Castro said, “Ang sinasabi naman natin, kahit anong revisions pa ang i-present, kahit sa [UP] Codal provisions pa ‘yan or sa STFAP, it still won’t solve the root of the problem. Kailangan na i-repeal ‘yung STFAP because we see it as [the administration’s] opportunity to increase the tuition fee.”