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Kabataan Newsletter (July 2011)
Kabataan Newsletter (July 2011)
KABATAAN
Higher Education (CHEd) approved tuition increases in 340 private colleges and universities nationwide. In the National Capital Region, 69 colleges increased tuition by an average of seven percent. As of 2009, approximately 7.93 million children aged 7-16 years old have been forced to drop out of school due to fee increases. In the 2009 survey by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, only 14 of 100 students who enter grade one eventually finish college. Misguided solutions It is clear that the solution to this problem is an increase in government subsidy. However, the Aquino administration continues to overlook this fact, and instead implements the K+12 program, said Christopher Pasion, national deputy secretary general of CEGP. Under the K+12 program, or universal kindergarten plus 12 years of basic education, the students will have more time to consolidate acquired academic skills and competencies, according to the DepEd briefer on the K+12 plan. But adding two years to basic education will not improve the worsening quality of education, said Recedes. The length of education cycle has no strict correlation to the quality of education, as students in other countries garnered excellent scores in aptitude exams even though the cycle is shorter than the Philippines, he explained. Adding two more years to the K+12 program requires an estimated P150 billion for new classrooms, teachers, books, and seats. However, it is not certain if the government has enough resources to effectively implement the K+12 program, said Gardon. According to DepEd Order No. 37, schools
RIZAL THE REVOLUTIONARY. In commemoration of Jose Rizals 150th birthday, youths wearing Rizal face masks staged a protest action in Mendiola against current social ills like poverty and corruption. They likewise called on the youth to be active agents in nation-building.
without kindergarten classrooms shall utilize available classrooms, library, science laboratory, home economics building, resource center, and other available spaces. DepEd Order No. 37 details the implementation of the K+12 program, which will start by offering universal kindergarten for all children aged five years old.
Ganito ba ang patakaran ng isang matinong gobyerno? Hihikayating mag-enrol ang lahat ng limang taong gulang kahit wala palang classroom na paglalagyan, kaya pagkakasyahin na lamang sa kung saan, sa any available spaces? said ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio. (Article reprinted from the Philippine Collegian with permission.)
LARO SA LIMOT. To promote the Philippine Games Bill (House Bill 809), KPL held itsfirst Larong Pinoy Philippine games festival at Barangay Old Capitol Site in Quezon City, near the University of the Philippines Diliman campus.
experiencing. We have to get the real picture however dismal that may be. As such, our help desk is also an alternative to the expected job fairs on May 1 which we fear will only give false hopes about this so-called sunshine industry, Torres said. Reports earlier this year said that BPO workers suffer from health problems due to their intense workload and shifting work schedule. BPO workers have also complained about the lack of job security and democratic processes like the forming of unions. BPO workers have to stand together and speak up because the issues that confront us will not be resolved if we dont. We have to understand that our rights and welfare are at stake here, Torres said. There are currently 525, 000 BPO workers in the country, majority of which belong to the youth sector. Last year, Kabataan Partylist together with BPO workers filed in Congress HB no. 2592 or the BPO Workers Protection and Welfare Act.
mitted to an educational institution regardless of socio-economic status, political beliefs and sexual orientation, among others. Earlier, KPL also filed HB 4287 or the Campus Press Freedom Bill which seeks to repeal the Campus Journalism Act and institute mechanisms to uphold and protect campus press freedom and the rights of student journalists. According to KPL National Coordinator Athena Gardon, the existence of many of these student organizations and publications is being repressed in many of our schools. For instance, some schools disallow the formation of
student councils or in many cases where they are allowed to exist, their autonomy and independence are assaulted by stringent school measures and oher forms of repression that threaten the very material existence of these student organizations, Gardon said. School organizations and publications have served as venues through which our students realize their involvement in nation-bulding. What is more, it is also through these student organizations where they gain added knowledge and skills beyond the four walls of a classroom, according to Gardon.
NEWS
On a mission
NEWS
CALAMBA 7 RELEASED UPON P12K BAIL ALAMBA CITY The seven activists arrested last June 19 after holding a lightning rally during President Benigno Aquino IIIs speech in commemoration of Jose Rizals 150th birth anniversary in Calamba, Laguna were released after posting a P12,000 bail. Collectively known as the Calamba 7, the group includes Kabataan Partylist-UP Los Banos members Michael Jayson Mozo, Catherine Gigantone, Ruffa Solano, Ynik Ante and Bhen Aguihon and Anakpawis-Southern Tagalog members Joefrey Barreto and Rodel Badayos. The charges of public disturbance and tumult filed against them, however, were not dropped by the court. We are calling for the immediate dismissal of the charges filed against the seven activists that were illegally arrested and detained. Unless the case is dropped, justice is not served to the Calamba 7, John Paolo Bautista, Kabataan Partylist-ST coordinator, said. He added that the seven activists were merely exercising their Constitutionally-guaranteed right to freedom of expression. The Presidential Security Group and the Calamba police arrested the activists after the militant youth group began chanting calls such as Walang pagbabago sa ilalim ni Aquino!, Edukasyon karapatan ng mamamayan! and Tunay na reporma sa lupa, ipaglaban! midway through President Aquinos speech commending Rizals commitment to the fight for social justice. Bautista said the Calamba 7 owe their release not to the good graces of the police and the Aquino administration but to the unwavering support of individuals, groups and alliances that rushed to their aid since they were arrested last Sunday.
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House approves anti- no permit, no exam bill on 2nd reading
he House of Representatives approved on second reading the bill introduced by Kabataan Partylist prohibiting the no permit, no exam policy in colleges, universities and vocational schools nationwide. Originally filed by the sole youth party-list during the 14th Congress, the bill seeks to address the problem of students incurring incomplete grades and being embarrassed by failure to take midterm and final examinations because of unpaid school fees. HB 4791, the consolidated version of the bill endorsed by the Committee on Higher and Technical Education stipulates that it is unlawful for any tertiary educational institution, including those offering vocational courses, to disallow any student from taking exams because of pending arrears. It also imposes a fine of P20,000 to P50,000 for every violation committed by any school official, dean, coordinator, adviser, professor, instructor, or employee. The original version of the bill, HB 807 included all levels of all educational institutions in the country but was opposed by congressmen notorious for defending the interests of some private schools. Palatino said he is hopeful that the Senate version of the bill would cover primary, secondary and tertiary schools in the country. The Senate committee on education, arts and culture is set to adopt the bill from the Lower
REGIONAL NEWS
Kabataan Partylist in partnership with the Health Alliance for Democracy and the Brg. Old Capitol Site (OCS) Neighborhood Association held a medical mission last May 29. Around 200 beneficiaries received free check-up and medicine from KPL.
he United Nations has recently declared internet access as a basic human right and the government must undertake concrete steps to ensure universal access to the internet, said Kabataan Party-list (KPL) Rep. Raymond Palatino, a pioneer in Congress in the advocacy of democratizing internet access for active citizenship and nation-building. Todays era of information technology has brought about rapid development in wiring billions of people to the internet. The UN report affirms our campaign in making this technological development available to all Filipinos. The internet is undeniably useful to aid our collective quest for personal and social progress, Palatino said. According to a UN report, the internet is one of the most powerful instruments of the 21st century for increasing transparency in the conduct of the powerful, access to information, and for facilitating active citizen participation in building democratic societies. Early this year, Palatino filed in Congress House Bill no. 4271 or the Free Public Wi-Fi Act which aims to make free internet connection available in buildings of all governmentrelated offices including regional and satellite offices, municipal halls, provincial capitols, state universities and colleges, public parks and plazas, public hospitals and public transportation terminals such as airports and bus stations. Palatino clarifies, however, that free internet access should be an aid, rather than a replacement, to political forms of social engagement with genuine change and progress as goals.
ic consultation and decision-making process. The utterly deregulated character of tuition and other fees sadly finds basis in our existing laws and policies. That should be remedied with the creation of new law that will strictly regulate the tuition increases and allow students, parents and members of the academic community to have democratic participation in the decision-making process, Palatino said. The National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) cited that in 2001 the national average of tuition and other fees in private higher educational institutions (PHEIs) was P257.41 per unit. It stressed that the rate has gone up to P501.22 (94.72%) in 2010. In the National Capital Region (NCR), on the other hand, the average rate of tuition and other fees in 2001 was P439.59; it has increased to P980.54 (123.06%) in 2010. The NUSP said that that a college student in the NCR with a 21-unit load has to produce an average of P20, 591 per semester, excluding other school needs such as food, materials and transportation. Palatino noted that tuition and other fee in tertiary schools nationwide increase an average of 10-15% yearly. He added that most increases do no undergo any form of democratic consultation with students, parents and other concerned sectors. The unabated tuition and other fee increases have effectively transformed our schools as ripe venues for aggressive profit-making. Many rich and powerful businesspeople have already ventured into owning schools, allowing them to rake in millions yearly. Despite their high earnings, yearly tuition and other fee increases are still imposed as schools reason out that more money is needed for operation expenses, Palatino said. Palatino clarified however that while it is true that a number of schools need the increase to prevent themselves from closing down, this remains the exception rather than the rule. The fact remains that the process of increasing tuition and other fees takes place within the context of rampant deregulation, big school earnings and the lack of democratized participation from students, parents and members of the academic community. The countrys education system has become so commercialized to the point that it is now a custom that private schools increase tuition and other fees yearly, he said. The tuition increase will definitely aggravate the effect of the current price hikes. We have to foment a critical mass movement to crub this trend, he added.
KABATAAN PARTYLIST PANAY TO HOLD ILONGGO YOUTH CONVENTION abataan Partylist-Panay is spearheading the Ilonggo Youth Convention 2011 of over a hundred Iloilo-based youth and student leaders to tackle the worsening crisis of the educational system and demand urgent solutions from government on July 9, 2011 at the UPV Iloilo City campus. The youth party will also hold a State of the Youth Address nationwide protest on July 19and join massive youth and student rallies during the July 25 State of the Nation Address (SONA) alongside the pushing of an education reform agenda within the halls of Congress. Youths and students were the first to lead massive protests against the Aquino administration last year with nationwide campus strikes and walkouts and almost a thousand angry students marching in the streets of Iloilo City against education budget cuts. We can expect the same if Aquinos administration continues to pursue the same anti-youth, antipeople, and anti-education policies," Kabataan Partylist-Panay Regional Coordinator Karlo Mikhail Mongaya said.
and culture is set to adopt the bill from the Lower House. The youth solon said that he finds as academically questionable the school measures that gauge the students intelligence based on their capacity to pay school fees before the set deadline. Why should a student get a failing mark just because he or she is not able to pay the skyrocketing fees on time? This glaring practice in many schools smacks of corporate profiteering and is devoid of any nurturing quality that schools should ideally have in abundance, he said. Palatino said, The government should ensure that the youths right to education is not compromised due to financial difficulties. Dapat lamang na parusahan ng gobyerno ang mga kolehiyo at unibersidad na itinuturing ang edukasyon bilang isang negosyo. Educational institutions should not act as capitalisteducators especially in light of low wages and rising cost of basic commodities. Palatino said the no permit, no exam policy contributes to the already dire situation of decreasing access to education under the Noynoy Aquino regime. Maraming estudyante ang hindi nakapagpapatuloy ng kanilang pag-aaral dahil hinahayaan ng gobyerno ang mga kolehiyo na mag-impose ng ganitong mapagsamantalang regulasyon sa mga paaralan, he said.
KABATAAN PARTYLIST ILOCOS SET UP KABATAAN WALL POST FOR EDUCATION AN FERNANDO, La Union Kabataan Partylist Ilocos greeted the first day of classes with an activity on the state of education in the province of La Union at the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University- South La Union Campus and at the San Fernando City Playground Area. Weve come up with the idea of posting comments on a giant Facebook wall to air the remarks of students, parents and the youth regarding tuition and other fee increases, said Dennise Galang, Chairperson of College Editors Guild of the Philippines-La Union Chapter. The giant Facebook wall was flooded with comments and calls on education issues and local problems. Among the posts said: Nangina ti tuition, agsakit pat ulok nga makakita aglalo ti bulsa ni mama ken papa. Five digits gamin e; sana libre nalang ang tuition fee para sa mga kabataan; sana makagamit rin ang mga batang mahihirap ng book. According to data collated by Kabataan Partylist-La Union, four private institutions were granted tuition fee increase by the Commission on Higher Education. The list includes Lorma Colleges, Union Christian College, Saint Louis College and La Union College for Science and Technology; by 5 to 10 percent rate up on tuition fees. Miscellaneous fees had also gone up based on the assessment forms of students collated by the group. From P368.689 per unit last semester, a regular nursing student enrolled in UCC must pay for P405.55 per unit, a P36.87 pesos additional expense on the tuition. On the other hand, a nursing student in Lorma Colleges shall pay an average of P20, 000 per semester for the tuition and other miscellaneous fees.
mid proposals to abolish the Sangguniang Kabataan, Kabataan Partylist is pushing for reforms in the youth body and proposes to transform the SK into a youth watchdog versus corruption and misgovernance. We should not put to waste this large network of young Filipinos who want to participate in government and community service. Why not tap the SK and launch a nationwide campaign against corruption and misgovernance, train the youth to be advocates of new politics from the barangay level up? said Palatino. Palatino said this will invigorate the SK and will help develop a new breed of leaders. He said that the young people just need a little encouragement and a progressive framework. The youth solon said that while the reasons
Sulong SK
put forward by the SK abolitionists such as corruption and misgovernance are legitimate and not without basis, the proposed abolition is :somewhat an exaggeration and not substantial enough to convince me that it is the best solution to address the problems besetting the youth institution. Indeed, there is corruption in the bureaucracy from the national to the local levels. Unfortunately, even some SK leaders are involved. Political dynasties are also extending their nefarious sphere of influence down to the SK level. (Trapo for adults and Bimbo for young politicians Batang Itinulak ng Magulang sa Pulitika). The idealism of the youth is wasted when SK leaders mutate into young trapo monsters, he said. He added, These negative features of the SK reflect the bankrupt character of Philipine
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Kabataan Party-List gave an afternoon seminar for the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation of Ilagan, Isabela during on their Lakbay Aral trip in Subic, Zambales.
DEPEDS ADM NOT A SOLUTION TO CLASSROOM SHORTAGE- KPL DAVAO AVAO CITY Kabataan Partylist expressed dissent towards the Alternative Delivery Mode that is being eyed by the Department of Education as a solution to address shortage of classrooms. In reducing the number of school hours, merging different grade levels, and using computer-aided instruction, the DepEd is worsening further the crisis in the educational system, said Ronnie Clarion, Kabataan Partylist Southern Mindanao Region Spokesperson. Under the ADM, the DepEd requires students at home to make use of computer-aided instructions to study as an alternative to the teacher-student approach in learning the lessons when not in school. This, however, would mean another burden to the parents especially for those who cannot afford to buy computer units and pay for a home internet access, Clarion said. The DepEd is actually not considering the condition of families while it is making education less serious in an attempt to let the students, without supervision, study their subjects. Moreover, by leaving the burden to the parents in providing their children the computer-aided instructions which the DepEd primarily recommends, is essentially avoiding responsibility to provide essentials such as books and other materials, Clarion said. DepEd has also eyed the multi-grade schools usually observed in rural areas as another option to resolve the insufficient number of teachers. Multi-grade schools are schools where 1st and 2nd grade pupils only have one teacher, same with 3rd and 4th grade pupils. Classes are held simultaneously. The DepEd is driving at a point to further intensify the dire condition of our students and teachers. This is a blatant admission of irresponsibility. While we are expecting this government to equally address the condition in basic education both in rural and urban areas, it is more willing to make as an option the old-fashioned means of teaching our students, Clarion added.
Kabataan Party-list is seeking a congressional probe into the discrimination faced by lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders in schools. In filing House Resolution 1333, which seeks to investigate prejudicial, discriminatory, and unjust practices and policies against LGBTs implemented and tolerated in schools, the youth representative hopes to shed light on the plight of LGBTs in the academic setting. According to KPL National Coordinator Athena Gardon, students who are LGBT, or are perceived to be LGBT, or who associate with LGBT people have been and are subjected to pervasive discrimination, including harassment, bullying, intimidation and violence, thus depriving them of equal educational opportunities. Gardon stressed the need to highlight such issues especially since our schools should be a place that is nurturing and caring, not sexist, homophobic and transphobic.
PROGAY, a progressive organization of LGBTs in the Philippines, has recorded several discriminatory practices inside schools, among which are: the humiliation by classmates, teachers and other school personnel; the prohibition and even expulsion of LGBTs who cross dressi.e. gays and transgenders wearing blouses or lesbians and tomboys wearing pantsinside schools; the conduct of arbitrary examinations intended to measure the masculinity of applicants for the school, with the intention of weeding out gay students and with those failing the said examinations facing unjust probation; the discrimination of LGBTs when applying to join student organizations, fraternities and sororities. Gardon said that the culture of hate, discrimination and violence against LGBTs being reinforced inside the academe does not bode well for the development of the LGBT youth inside the academe. This also hinders the realization of their full potentials as human beings who are members of the society. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
Members of Kabataan Partylist Ilocos set up a Facebook Wall Post for Education wherein the demands for higher education budget, recognition of students rights and welfare, and decent jobs for the youth were posted.
he history of the nation is replete with heroic and gallant deeds of young Filipinos. From the battle for independence during the time of colonialism to the struggle for democracy at the height of martial rule, the youth was a vibrant force for change. We witnessed another display of the dynamism of the youth during People Power II. Students and youth contributed immensely in this fight by swelling the ranks of people who believe in change and infused the movement with zeal, vigor and purpose. After the ouster of President Estrada from power, leaders of Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students, Student Christian Movement, National Union of Students, College Editors Guild and members of the Estrada Resign Youth Movement held a caucus in Anakbayan office in Padre Noval, Sampaloc, Manila to discuss the means to advance further the concerns of the youth in the politics of the country. The group recognized the important role of the youth in the society but noted the lack of a reliable party that will consistently fight for their interests. Recognizing that the youth continue to be a marginalized force in the society, the group agreed to form a youth sectoral party that shall serve as an accompanying weapon in the fulfillment of youth empowerment in the cou try. Out of this consensus, Ang Nagkakaisang Kabataan Para sa Sambayanan (United Youth for the People) or ANAK ng BAYAN was borna united youth waging a crusade for a bright future through genuine nation-building and social transformation. The new party seeks to advance the politics of struggle and hope against the dominant politics of the country which promises a bleak future for the youth. This is the political party of the youth, by the youth, and for the youth. The founding convention of the Party was held on June 19, 2001 at the Vinzons Hall, UP Diliman. Attended by 25 representatives of different youth organizations, the Convention approved the Partys constitution, by-laws, general program and elected its national officers. The birth of ANAK ng BAYAN coincided with the 140th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, the countrys national hero and an exemplary role model for the Filipino youth. Like Rizal, the Party
believes that the future of the nation lies on the youth and their commitment to love and serve the country must be exhorted at all times. Recruitment of members and establishment of chapters in the regions followed soon as it sparked enthusiasm among the youth. The first National Council meeting held on May 23, 2002, in Malaybalay, Bukidnon reported that ANAK ng BAYAN has reached a membership in nine regions of the country, which means the group already has a national constituency. During the expanded National Council meeting on June 8-12, 2003 in Angeles, Pampanga, the Party decided to run in the 2004 elections as the youth representative in the party-list elections. ANAK ng BAYAN participated in the 2004 elections despite meager resources and lacking in electoral experience. However, the Party was able to marshal the overwhelming support of student and youth organizations throughout the country. Thousands of young volunteers helped during the electoral campaign. Local leaders from different provinces endorsed ANAK ng BAYAN. ANAK ng BAYAN fared well in the surveys before the election but during the counting of votes, it failed to clinch the minimum number of votes to gain a seat in Congress. The Party was a principal target of military harassment and dagdagbawas (vote padding and shaving). The Partys loss was blamed on electoral violence and cheating. After the elections, ANAK ng BAYAN continued its mission of promoting the welfare of the youth. It sponsored various activities in schools and communities to articulate the problems of our young people. It conducted vigorous lobbying efforts in various government agencies to advance the interests of the youth sector. There were proposals from regional chapters to change the name of the Party to avoid confusion with other partylist groups with names sounding similar to ANAK ng BAYAN. The decision to change the Partys name was endorsed by the National Council to the National Convention last November 2005. After a nationwide consultation, the leaders and members of ANAK ng BAYAN adopted Kabataan Party as the new name of our youth sectoral party. Kabataan Party continues to make history for being the only youth party in the country.
Kabataan Partylist with endorsed candidates, 2007 Anak ng Bayan Mural, 2004 Mobilization against electoral fraud, 2005 SUCs Budget Hearing, 2010
Kabataan Partylist nominees for the 2007 elections, 2007 Mobilization against electoral fraud, 2005
Isang Dekada
Pakikisangkot. Pakikitunggali. Pagbalikwas. Pagsulong. Pagpapatuloy. Maraming mga salitang maaaring magsalarawan sa isang dekadang lumipas, ngunit mahirap marahil na ibuod sa isang salita ang daang tinahak ng Kabataan Party-list. Bukod sa pagiging natatanging kinatawan ng kabataan sa Kongreso ngayon, ang KPL ay isang organisasyong gumagap sa tunay na interes, karapatan, at aspirasyon ng kabataang Pilipino at nagbuklod sa mga kabataang nangahas na ipaglaban at isulong ang mga ito.
Student Strike vs. Education Budget Cuts, 2010 Birthday Anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal and KPL Anniversary, 2009
FEATURES
Privilege Speech of Rep. Raymond Palatino Delivered on May 30, 2011 development that there is a slight increase in the budget of basic education. From a P175 billion budget last year, it grew by 18% to P207 billion this year. Yet this despite this increase, it is crucial to note that the increase remains grossly insufficient in addressing the needs of basic education. This lack of budget, regrettably, imperils a smooth school opening as shortages in textbooks, chairs, classrooms and teachers continue to plague basic education. Mr. Speaker, colleagues, how can basic education qualitatively function in the context of these dire shortages? Our students cannot properly learn if, in the first place, there are no sufficient classrooms to study in, chairs to seat on, teachers to learn from, and textbooks to read. Our basic education woes force many public schools to pass the burden of making ends meet to the students and parents. Despite DepEds voluntary pay policy, students and parents complain of dipping into their limited resources to pay for various fees used for the Parent-Teacher Association, books and materials, class requirements like film showings, school events, and so on. Recent results from international tests which gauge the quality of basic education also do not paint a rosy picture for our country. The low scores of the Philippines in the Testing in Math and Science of Students (TIMSS), for instance, indicate that much still has to be improved in the quality of our basic education. Aware of the implications of these international indicators, the Department of Education has been vocal in committing itself to focus on improving the quality of our basic education. The solution, or so we are told, is to add two more years in the basic education cycle. This plan is packaged as K-12. For the record, Mr. speaker, I very much understand that added learning and training period in elementary and high school could be beneficial for our youth. The K-12 proposal, however, is rendered problematic by the context within which it is set to be implemented and the direction it intends to take. In a study entitled Length of School Cycle and the Quality of Education, educators Abraham Felipe and Carolina Porio aver that there is no correlation between the length of the school cycle and the quality of education. What is interesting is they made use of TIMSS as the basis for their study, the same indicator used by DepEd to justify improving the quality of education through K-12. The findings of the study underscore the clear and irrefutable evidence that some countries with the same school cycle as the Philippines have high scores; other countries with longer cycles than the Philippines have low scores. In addition to this issue of non-correlation between the length of school-cycle and quality of education, it is important that we also grasp the framework of K-12. Simply put: the plan wants to rapidly generate employable of the means to reorient the SK. Palatino said that HB 1963 was formulated upon consultations with the SK National Executive Board, the National Youth Commission and communitylevel SK leaders. Included in the bill are the following proposals for reforms: -Changing the age requirement for SK candidates from 15 to 18 years old to 18 to years old to ensure that they have the legal capacity to perform their functions; -Requiring SK units to deposit their funds in a bank preferably government-owned and granting SK units fiscal autonomy over their allotted budget; -Requiring SK units to release a quarterly financial report to practice transparency and to curb corruption -Mandating that the Katipunan ng mga
FEATURES
high school graduates that will fill in the demands of the foreign market. Mr. Speaker, I believe that to genuinely improve the quality of basic education, we should put a stop to plugging the dreams of our people to the demands of foreign market. Instead, our focus should be completely re-oriented to produce a holistically trained workforce that contributes to national industrialization and development. It also strikes the eye that there is a clear disconnect between the daring K-12 plan and the budget commitment from the government. In light of the budget deficits to finance the shortages of our basic education, K-12 cannot but appear as a recipe for disaster should DepEd push through with the plan. As it is, DepEd needs at least an additional P140.43 billion to eradicate the shortages, including funds for the growing number of our out-ofschool youths. Just as the current basic education problems require careful analysis and logical solutions, so do the problems confronting tertiary education. Salient among the problems of higher education are quality and accessibility. In the last three years, the passing rate in licensure examinations continues to decline across all disciplines [insert slide]. CHED also reveals that only 5.5% or 100 HEIs can be assumed to have adequate facilities [insert slide]. Amidst this decline in quality, tuition and other fees continue to increase which makes higher education inaccessible for our people. CHEDs argument that tuition and other fee increase (TOFI) translates to better facilities and higher salaries for teachers does not hold because 1) despite TOFI, majority of schools still have poor facilities. 2) the salary of many of our teachers does not automatically increase every TOFI, and in fact, has remained inadequate for the past years. All these while many school owners rake in millions every increase. Kabataan (KK) function as the highest policy making body of the SK responsible for holding regular consultations with other youth-based organizations in the community; -Empowering and encouraging the SK to engage in promoting basic rights such as quality education for all, secure youth employment, sustainable development, human rights and social justice. KPL has also launched a series of leadership training and seminars to introduce to SK leaders progressive leadership and the value of social engagement in political issues, among others. SK assemblies were held at Taguig, Cavite, Ilagan (Isabela), Santa (Ilocos Sur), Vigan (Ilocos Sur). Zamboanga del Sur, Pagadian, Santa Maria (Ilocos Sur), Dinalupihan (Bataan) and Davao City.
In a 2011 ranking of colleges and universities in Asia which placed four Philippine schools in the top 200, the result underscores the dismal state of tertiary education in the country. It is worth noting that majority of the top Asian schools, including the leading Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, are universities substantially funded and supported by their respective governments. This appreciation for tertiary education starkly contrasts with the existing education policies in our country. Our State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), for instance are neglected to utter destitution and are increasingly pushed to commercialize themselves. [insert gdp slide) Mr. Speaker, it will probably take me one whole day to thoroughly discuss the worsening state of Philippine education. The aforementioned education realities may no longer sound new to many. It is also true that we have exerted countless efforts to alleviate the education crisis. Yet one cannot fail to notice that despite these efforts the education crisis continues to intensify. This necessarily requires us to rethink timeworn education frameworks which legitimize government neglect of the education sector, hence opening this very field to be devoured by the market. Clearly, the policies that govern our education sector have to undergo a merciless rethinking in order to save the hope our youth possess. Without breaking away from education measures that compulsively fuel the very same problems weve had since time immemorial, we cannot expect to provide quality and accessible education for our youth. In the absence of quality and accessible education, it will be very hard for our youth to realize their historic role to help inaugurate genuine change and prosperity for our nation. The challenge for us lawmakers is to instigate effective political solutions which will make these education problems a thing of the past. LGBT... from page 3 She furthered that discrimination, bullying, intimidation and violence in school are contributing factors to high rates of absenteeism, dropout, adverse health consequences and academic underachievement among LGBT youths. It is high time for Congress to look into the issues confronting the LGBT sector. Concretely, Congress should enact measures that provide a legal definition of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression and what constitutes discrimination against LGBTs. There should also be criminal or administrative punishment to ensure that those who commit such violations are penalized, the youth leader said.
When I was still in the Guest House, I asked for the logs which listed those who had visited President Marcos. I compared them with those visiting President Aquino. They were the same people they came from the same companies, shared the same business views, the same mindset, and they went to the same parties. Joker Arroyo, June 28, 1992 Sunday Inquirer Magazine Cory used her People Power mandate to restore the wealth and influence of the pre-Marcos oligarchs. Despite being a revolutionary president for a brief period, the only revolutionary legacy left by Cory was the revival of the privileges of the cacique class to which she belongs. Meanwhile, Gloria tapped the unfinished potential of People Power to assume the presidency. But unlike Cory, she didnt establish a revolutionary government to clip the powers of her predecessor. She preferred instead to maximize the built-in authoritarian features of the political system to strengthen her rule. Cory the People Power president was caricatured as Cory Calamity at the end of her term. On the other hand, Gloria the second people Power president would become the most unpopular leader in the countrys modern history. Will Noynoy, the new yellow king, suffer the same fate of Cory and Gloria? In 1986 and 2001, there were visible collectives in the streets. People Power was understood as the concrete and determined set of actions of the people, of the boss, in public spaces. Today, the streets are quiet. Wangwangs could be heard because the visible collectives have been silenced. Despite the desperate but pathetic attempt of the liberaloids to replay the People Power sequence, there was no spectacular public uprising this year. Indeed, Noy apologists summoned the eternal appeal of People Power but they did so for electioneering purposes. They reduced People Power into miniature and safe political actions by advising the public to wear yellow ribbons and to vote for Noy. After Edsa Tres, Gloria rejected the idea of People Power since she was afraid of its real subversive potential to refashion a new social order. Noy and his factotums are perhaps worse than Gloria since they diluted the radical content of People Power by transforming it into an election tactic. The absence of visible People Power means the people, the boss, have weaker influence in the new government compared to traditional power groups like big business, the U.S., and Danding. The threat of People Power is essential to demand small but symbolic reforms from the new president. People Power
The task is not just to unmask PNoy. The greater challenge is to finish the revolutionary project of the 20th century.
convinced Cory to release political prisoners in 1986 and to enact a token land reform program in 1987. People Power forced Gloria to resume the peace talks with armed rebels in 2001. If there is People Power today, it has been copyrighted already by the yellow army generals surrounding Noy. Beware: these creatures are behind the billion-peso peace bonds racket and the Strong Republic mantra of the early Arroyo years. If there was no People Power, how did Noy win? Arroyo was intensely hated by the public and Noy benefited by fanning the anti-Arroyo flames in the country. He also had to thank Kris for the masa appeal and kamag-anak Danding for the billions. Journalists have already exposed the substantial contribution of Wall Street to thecampaign kittyof Barack Obama. When will local journalists report that Noy spent more than his rivals during the campaign period? When will the media identify the big business campaign donors of Noy? Noys hairline is unimportant. What is crucial is to name him for what he really is: a conservative politician representing the interest of the landlord elite. Noynoys adoption of the PNoy persona popularized by erstwhile critical media networks is (to rephrase Pierre Bourdieu) a very smart and very modern repackaging of the
REORIENT... from page 2 politics. We have been bad role models for SK leaders. Instead of teaching them the principles of good governance, we have only exposed them to the worst features of politics. The weaknesses of SK point to the failure of the government to empower young people since the institution which is supposed to harness the leadership potential of the youth had been corrupted over the decades. It is shameful that dynasties are even using the SK to strengthen their monopolistic control of local political power. Palatino said, If the SK is ineffective, it means we didnt guide them correctly. We didnt introduce creative types of projects and other services which the SK can implement in the grassroots. Kabataan Partylist has filed HB 1963 as one
NEWS
OUR LEGISLATIVE WORK (JUNE 2010- JUNE 2011)
BILLS
807 808 809 1962 1963 2355 2356 2592 2676 3061 3062 3063 3397 3708 3838 4112 4113 4197 4237 4254 4271 4286 4287 4332 4337 4553 4576 4842 Anti-No Permit No Exam Bill Upgrading Public Libraries Philippine Games Bill Debt Servicing Repeal/ 6% of GDP for Education SK Reform Bill NSTP Reform Bill CAT Abolishment/ Social Action Program Bill BPO Workers Welfare and Protection Bill Styrofoam Ban in Schools Abolishment of Random Drug Testing in Schools Human Rights Education Bill Indigenous Studies Bill Free SPED Bill Tuition Moratorium Closed Caption Bill Ban on Name Placemeent on Government Projects National Book Drive Week Basic Computer Literacy for Senior Citizens National Young Martyrs Day Scholarship to First-Born Child of Public School Teachers Public Wifi Bill Tuition Regulation Bill Campus Press Freedom Bill Strictly Enforcing Occupational Safety and Health Standards in Workplaces Alternative Classes Bill Bonifacio Bill Philippine Cinema Appreciation Bill Students Rights Bill
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RESOLUTIONS
125 136 271 272 359 360 407 434 527 748 799 832 960 975 995 1090 1091 1092 1093 1142 1149 1180 1256 1286 1332 1333 1387 Truth Commission Office Oil Contracts Inquiry Live Streaming of Plenary Sessions and Committee Hearings Resolution on Violent Dispersal of High School Students Anniversary of Rejection of Bases Treaty Urging the DENR to create an E-waste Recycling Plan Inquiry on Quality of Broadband Services Inquiry on Nursing OJT Fees Occupational Safety of BPO Workers Adman 11 Overseas Filipino Workers Scrap Broadband Cap Inquiry on Dubious Miscellaneous Fees Inquiry on new NSCB Poverty Threshold Inquiry on Implementation of Lobbying Law No Frills Graduation Rites Proliferation of Language Centers UP Cebu Controversy Situation of Fastfood Workers Inquiry on classification of Internet as Value Added Service Condemning US Armed Aggression vs Libya Inquiry on Philippine History Curriculum Inquiry on Navotas Demolition Status of E-governance in the Philippines Inquiry into the Killing of Anakbayan Member Jerwin de Antonio Inquiry on NSTP Fees Inquiry on LGBT Discrimination in Schools Urgin the Govt to Undertake Steps to Ensure Universal Access to Internet in light of UN Report
ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT
PRIVILEGE SPEECHES
13 125 191 247 She Who Cannot Be Named in the Plenary On Campus Strikes EDSA Babies Unite State of Philippine Education
PROJECTS
Repair and Rehabilitation of Charlie del Rosario Building, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sta. Mesa, Manila
CONGRESS +63 (02) 931-5504 +63 (02) 931-5001 loc. 7378 Room 419, North Wing Batasang Pambansa Complex, Batasan Heights, Quezon City
CONTACT US
Some of the completed projects of the Office of Rep. Raymond V. Palatino for the First Tranche of Fiscal Year 2010 funded under his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). be part of change. join us.
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS +63 (02) 352-1054 118-B Scout Rallos St. Brgy. Sacred Heart, Quezon City