DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 23, 2012) – The National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) slammed schools for their continued “profiteering” in the midst of continuing price increases and in spite of making millions in profit.
“In a time when most Filipinos are hard-up, it is indecent that schools’ net profits continue to increase yearly and yet these schools still continue to increase tuition rates and add miscellaneous fees to their charges,” NUSP secretary-general Isabelle Baguisi said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.
Baguisi said: “Schools say that tuition and other fees increase to prevent possible bankruptcy and stalled school operations but, when they post hundreds of millions in profit, statements such as those are as good as lies. There is no threat of bankruptcy; there is only the possibility of a reduction in income. This is profiteering in its most naked form.”
The statement came following reports to the organization that academic year 2012-2013 will have another round of schools pushing for tuition and other fees increase. It also coincided with reports that the Far Eastern University and the Centro Escolar University in Manila netted P302.57 million and P248.12 million, respectively, from last year.
“Facing the threat of education being reduced to a mere commodity for the privileged, the youth can no longer afford to stay silent and unconcerned. Various youth groups and student councils in the country are challenging their schools to open accounting books and to justify tuition increases. We are not afraid to challenge them on this because it is our right to do so, and it is the administration’s responsibility to be forthright,” Baguisi said.
Baguisi challenged the Aquino administration and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to get involved and do their jobs. “CHED should pay attention to the failure of CHED Memorandum Order 13 and replace it with a genuinely pro-student tuition consultation guideline. This administration, on the other hand, should quit its frivolities and review the Education Act of 1982,” she said.
Students also stepped up efforts in their protests to put a stop to these new rounds of tuition fee increases. Organizations led by Anakbayan in the University of Mindanao have strongly criticized the proposal of the school to raise its tuition by 9.75% for 2012-2013.
If approved the new tuition fee will be P395.10 per unit from the current P360.00.
“Aside from tuition, the school is intending to raise laboratory fees despite complaints that some fees are not there are such fees being paid but not used by most students like the internet laboratory and Dynamic Education fee,” Jaymac Canceran, spokesman for the Anakbayan UM Chapter, said. “The administration disregarded the situation of the students. They did not consult majority of us for the proposal. The increases are mere profiteering at the expense of the students.”
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