Youth Groups Celebrate Cebu Youth Day of Protest
Several youth groups and party lists took to the streets as they spearheaded this year’s Cebu Youth Day of Protest (CYDP) near Fuente Osmeña circle today.
The youth groups held a public hearing concerning the situation of the youth sector and policies implemented by the Aquino administration that are deemed to be anti-youth.
Present during the CYDP were members of Anakbayan, National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) Cebu chapter, College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) Visayas, Rise for Education Alliance, Nagkahiusang Kusog sa Estudyante-UP Cebu and Student Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (STAND) – USC.
Different student representatives gave their responses and complaints against Aquino’s regime. The group pointed out the issues about the increase in tuition fees, student repressions, illegal collection of development fees and other fees, and the recent program of the Aquino administration which is the Road Map to Public Higher Education (RPHER).
“Ang pagtaas sa tuition sa mga private higher educational institutionsand ang pagkarepressive sa educational systemparticular na sa case sa USC4 kay nagpakita lamang na dapat na jud batukan ang mga polisiya nga dili makatarungan sa mga estudyante,” stated Ken Ecarma, spokesperson of the Rise for Education Alliance. He also added that the different policies violate the constitutional rights of the students in all the universities and of other sectors.
The group also called for the accountability of the administration on the lack of proper allocation for the budget in education and the issue on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
Kath Abugan from Anakbayan, Bon Luzon from STAND, Vince Francis Ding-Ding from UP and other representatives also gave their retorts to the current issues of the youth.
CYDP is an event held days before the State of the Nation Address of President Aquino to show the current state of the youth sector. The youth protest also serves as the opening activity for the weeklong State of the Youth Address (SOYA).
CYDP, now on its 3rd year, continues to inspire and to call the attention of the people about the prevailing issues the country is facing under President Aquino’s administration.
