Tuition, miscellaneous fees hikes
Students and youth organizations stormed the national office of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on April 19 to protest the impending increases of tuition and other school fees (TOSF) in private higher education institutions (HEIs).
Despite the passage of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, commercialization of education remains as state policy. Private HEIs still have the power to annually increase TOSF while CHED still acts as a stamp pad of these fees hikes. In fact, in Metro Manila alone, 78 private HEIs intend to increase TOSF.
Aside from its contentious provisions, the “free education” law is a mere palliative reform especially because the higher education system remains dominated by the private sector, with 1,710 (89 percent) private HEIs and only 112 state and 107 local universities and colleges. Close to 55 percent of tertiary-level undergraduates are enrolled in profit-oriented private HEIs where they suffer high tuition rates, burdensome fees, and annual increases.
Instead of institutionalizing a nationwide tertiary education subsidy system and student loan program, the government should democratize access to free public higher education system by prohibiting the collection of all fees at all levels and by constructing more campuses or branches of SUCs. The private sector’s dominion of the higher education system must end.
The struggle for free education continues as neoliberal policies remain in place. The student movement will stage bigger and bolder protests until genuine universal access to education is guaranteed.--National Union of Students of the Philippines
Oaminal’s claim
Clarence Paul Oaminal, in his Tell It to SunStar letter, writes that the Chinese government is sending drugs to the Philippines. This is totally absurd.
A couple of weeks ago, a shabu lab with Chinese chemists was raided after China gave information to government authorities.
Drug syndicates operate here despite the war on drugs because of the abolition of the death penalty, the enactment of a law favoring juvenile drug couriers and anti-Duterte forces attacking the war on drugs at every turn.--09478969316