BAGUIO CITY (Jan. 25) — Students of the University of the Philippines (UP)-Baguio staged a protest rally last January 23 and a candle lighting last January 24 to oppose the impending tuition fee increases in UP campuses.

The UP Board of Regents (BOR) is planning to implement tuition hike for incoming freshmen and transferees in major campuses. From the current P200 per unit UP Baguio incoming students would be paying P600 per unit. Tuition hikes in other UP campuses including Diliman, Los Baños and Manila is higher, from P300 per unit to P1000 per unit.

Protesters included members of Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students (LFS), student Christian movement of the Philippines (SCMP), Progressive Igorots for Social Action (Pigsa), Gabriela Youth and College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP).

Kabataan partylist representative, John Panem said that their protest is addressed particularly on the Arroyo government. Their call urges the government to lower the budget for payment on foreign debts, military allowance, and allot more budgets on education. Access to high quality education as he said is the right of every individual.

“Although, the proposed increase in tuition is effective for freshmen and transferees only, it is still unfair to put the burden on these students who deserved a high quality education in an equal and fair amount” Panem said in behalf of the affected ones. # Abegail Lachica for NORDIS