College students protest ‘theft of our future’

BAGUIO, Philippines – College students nationwide ramped up protests forward of the deliberate Trillion Peso March on Bonifacio Day this Sunday, November 30, denouncing what they name “the theft of our future” amid mounting corruption allegations and deepening cuts to the schooling sector.

On November 17, or Worldwide College students’ Day, college students throughout the nation condemned rampant corruption within the authorities whereas urging extra funding for the schooling sector.

Youth teams shocked many once they protested corruption in Davao Metropolis, a recognized Duterte stronghold, the place they criticized the P249 billion in unprogrammed appropriations within the proposed 2026 nationwide finances.

Throughout a Senate blue ribbon committee listening to on September 18, Rolando Toledo, a Division of Finances and Administration (DBM) undersecretary, confirmed that earlier nationwide budgets funded flood-control tasks by unprogrammed appropriations.

College students in Cebu additionally joined the nationwide protests, condemning environmentally damaging practices that worsened the results of flooding.

Cebu was among the many most affected areas throughout the onslaught of Storm Tino (Kalmaegi), which positioned it underneath a state of calamity.

Within the Cordillera Administrative Area (CAR), round 5,500 college students from main universities in Baguio Metropolis and Benguet province joined a college walkout on November 18. Additionally they known as for elevated funding for state universities in CAR, which have been hit by giant finances cuts within the 2025 Nationwide Expenditure Program (NEP).

Mountain Province State College is among the many most affected, with a projected P961.653-million finances minimize. The Abra State Institute of Sciences and Know-how, Apayao State Faculty and Kalinga State College will see P336.218 million, P86.728 million and P85.004 million in finances cuts, respectively.

On November 21, designated because the Nationwide Day of Walkout, one other spherical of pupil protests passed off.

In Metro Manila, 1000’s of scholars from colleges alongside the College Belt, Taft Avenue, Intramuros and different areas marched to protest the alleged misuse of public funds.

Protesters demanded that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. step down, saying he’s not harmless within the corruption problem, citing his position in signing or vetoing the Basic Appropriations Act (GAA).

Additionally they criticized Vice President Sara Duterte, who’s underneath investigation over the appropriation of P612.5 million in confidential funds underneath the Workplace of the Vice President (OVP) and the Division of Training (DepEd). Duterte was additionally investigated for spending P125 million in simply 11 days.

In a joint assertion launched on November 20, pupil leaders from universities underneath the College Athletic Affiliation of the Philippines (UAAP) stated the coed motion wouldn’t die down regardless of efforts by state forces to allegedly suppress pupil activists.

“At present, we stand stronger than ever, united underneath the banner of justice and accountability. We proceed to withstand within the face of assaults. We refuse to inherit a corrupt and rotten system,” the assertion learn.

After the September 21 anti-corruption protests, 4 pupil leaders have been summoned by the Philippine Nationwide Police (PNP) for his or her involvement within the Mendiola protest, the place protesters met police barricades with violence.

Amongst these issued subpoenas are Joaquin Buenaflor, the UP Diliman Scholar Council chairman; Tiffany Brillante, the Polytechnic College of the Philippines (PUP) Central Scholar Council president; Jacob Baluyot, affiliate editor of The Catalyst, PUP’s official pupil publication; and Aldrin Kitsune, Kalayaan Kontra Korapsyon deputy secretary basic and a movie pupil at De La Salle-Faculty of Saint Benilde.

The Youth Rage Towards Corruption, a community of pupil organizations devoted to combating corruption, launched a unity assertion saying the youth sector will proceed its mobilizations till November 30, the commemoration of Bonifacio Day, when one other Trillion Peso March Motion will happen.

“The plunder of public funds is not only a betrayal of belief – it’s a theft of our future. For too lengthy, corruption has stolen lives, desires and the dignity of a complete nation. To confront it, we should act along with braveness and resolve,” the assertion learn.

The assertion has 106 signatories from pupil councils, publications and organizations from universities nationwide.

Eugene Enciso, a consultant of the Nationwide Union of College students of the Philippines (NUSP), stated college students proceed to affix protests as a result of they really feel the results of corruption by the present schooling disaster, which they attribute to the federal government’s lack of give attention to the sector.

“The youth have all the time been on the forefront of protests. Ang pag-poprotesta ay isang lehitimong paraan upang ipaglaban ang karapatan ng mga estudyante sa isang free, accessible, and high quality schooling (Protesting is a respectable technique of demanding the scholars’ proper to free, accessible, and high quality schooling),” Enciso stated. – Rappler.com

Jose Emmanuel Thayer is a third-year BA Communication pupil on the College of the Philippines Baguio and an alumna of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2025.