STUDENT activists opposed the tuition hike approved by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) for academic year 2017-2018 in 32 schools in Davao Region, urging President Rodrigo Duterte to heed the clamor of the students for free education.
Ched revealed last week that there are 32 schools in Davao Region that were approved to increase their tuition and 16 of which are in Davao City.
In previous report, the average tuition hike is 4.65 percent or P20.08 per unit, while increase in other school fees is 4.81 percent or P22.14 per unit.
Paul Dotollo, Kabataan Partylist vice president for Mindanao, lambasted Ched for their justification on the increased school tuition fees just because of the backlog of enrollees on the advent of the K to 12 implementation.
He cited that there was no loss of profit on the side of the big universities since some of them have their basic education counterpart schools where students in senior high school enrolled there instead.
There is only a transfer of profit and not entirely loss of profit as asserted, Dotollo added.
He appealed to the President to strengthen and regulate the tuition fee and other fee increases before the student would step up a militant action and decisive stand to vent out their call.
Romen Wabina, University Student Council chairperson in University of the Philippines Mindanao, criticized the comprehensive guidelines on the grant of free tuition to students in state universities and colleges (SUCs).
He said that it is only a manifestation and similar to the socialized tuition system (STS) or bracketing system imposed in UP.
The STS will be based on the household income of their parents to determine if the student could avail of the free tuition.
Wabina said that misbracketing is present and only one out of 10 can only benefit the free tuition.
According to him, it is the right of the youth to have a free education despite their socio-economic status.
Omar Mañigo, spokesperson of League of Filipino Students (LFS) Davao, said that this action undertaken by Ched as applied by the higher education institutions (HEIs) in the region is a commercialization and neoliberal of education, depriving millions of students of their right to education, adding that it will only burden the parents of the students.
They are united in challenging Duterte to change the system and enforce a reform to give students an opportunity to reach tertiary education.
Ched chairperson Patricia Licuanan said in a press statement that Ched's approach to the issue of tuition is holistic.
"We ensure that HEIs meet the guidelines provided by law, especially the requirement of consultation, the proper allocation of tuition fees, and strict adherence with the processes that seek to make tuition and other school fee increases transparent, reasonable and affordable," she said.
There are 268 private HEIs nationwide allowed by Ched to implement tuition and other school fees hike for this school year.