Cebu student leaders decry state of education in Marcos’ 3rd SONA

Student leaders in Cebu have voiced their concerns over the neglect of the education sector, which they believe is worsening the crisis faced by the youth in the region.

Ahead of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.'s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22, youth representatives participated in a multisectoral mobilization at Colon Street.

They urged Marcos to offer concrete solutions to the pressing issues in the education sector.

Kabataan Partylist Cebu Coordinator Hannah Taboada highlighted the widening gap between the promises in the Philippine Constitution and the reality faced by students.

“Bisan tuod giingon sa atong Konstitusyon nga ang edukasyon usa ka batakang katungod sa katawhan, makita nato karon nga gigamit kini aron pagsilbi sa interes dili sa katawhan kon dili sa pipila lang,” Taboada said in her speech.

(Although our Philippine Constitution states that education is a fundamental right of the people, we can see now that it is being used to serve the interests not of the people but of a select few.)

Grover Perez, Chairperson of the University of the Philippines Cebu (UPC) University Student Council, criticized the president’s education plans as “lackluster.”

“No detailed and concrete plans were set to address the neglect of the government in providing sufficient financial allotment to the education sector,” Perez said in an interview on Monday.

Perez pointed out the persistent lack of support for state universities and colleges (SUCs), highlighting the constant annual budget cuts faced by the education sector. 

According to reports from the IBON Foundation, although the budget for SUCs increased by 2% in 2023, it decreased by 6% in 2024.

He also raised concerns about the government’s focus on enhancing certain educational programs that cater to the global labor market, which he believes turns Filipino education into “diploma mills serving large foreign entities.”

Sylvie Amores, Chairperson of Kabataan Partylist - Cebu Normal University (CNU), shared his disappointment after the president’s SONA speech.

Despite Marcos mentioning the importance of fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills, Amores argued that the current education system is “output-based” rather than “genuine learning.”

“We study to provide an output and not to make sense of our social realities and how we can better improve our situation,” Amores said.  

Amores also acknowledged the need for more classrooms and student spaces but pointed out the limited number of SUCs and the scarcity of scholarships and grants as significant barriers to education. 

Former Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman Prospero de Vera III stated that flexible learning is necessary to address classroom shortages.

Aside from the lack of classrooms, a Bulatlat report also highlighted how SUCs are facing lack and outdated facilities, such as computers. 

He noted that students should not have to compete for access to a basic human right and highlighted the difficulties faced by students trying to get into the few available SUCs in Cebu.

Currently, there are only three SUCs in Cebu, which are UPC, CNU, and Cebu Technological University. 

“At CNU, the slots are very limited, and there is a big possibility that you will not be able to get into the course or degree program you want. You end up being forced to study a degree program you do not like since access to free education is scarce,” Amores shared.

Hans Balila, University of San Carlos Supreme Student Council President, expressed disappointment and frustration over the unaddressed concerns of the students during the term of Marcos' administration. 

Balila highlighted the lack of progress on the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) equality bill, which remains a pressing issue for the queer community.

“Students in the university are made to out themselves through a gender declaration form before they are allowed to dress according to their gender expression,” Balila said.

In May of this year, the SOGIESC Equality Bill advanced to the plenary discussions in the House of Representatives. However, the call for swift passage is necessary in order to address discriminating strict rules due to their gender expressions. 

Just this year, some graduating high schools and college students in Quezon City were denied the moment to march during their graduation ceremony due to how they expressed their gender identity.

Balila also pointed out that the accessibility of education has deteriorated due to the implementation of the Tuition Offset Fund for Infrastructure (TOFI) amid economic crises

“In the previous academic year alone, the average tuition fee of programs in USC ranged from ₱36,301.30 to ₱74,215.40,” Balila shared.