GMA’s egoistic Independence Day parade underscores lack of budget for education

National Union of Students of the Philippines
National Office Office of the Student Regent, Vinzons Hall, UP Diliman, QC Telephone 9818500 loc. 4511 or 4512



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2010



GMA’s egoistic Independence Day parade underscores lack of budget for education

The National Union of Students of the Philippines held a protest to reprove President Arroyo’s P10 million legacy parade despite poor state spending on the deepening crisis on education.

“It’s a foolish splurge for Mrs. Arroyo’s Independence Day caprices considering that there are massive shortages of school essentials, like classrooms, teachers, textbooks, et al. If there is one thing the government ought to fund, it’s our deteriorating education. To expend people’s money for a parade of lies is intolerable. ” said Bugsy Nolasco, NUSP Executive Vice President.

“Under Arroyo’s administration, state abandonment on education reached its peak. Currently, the government spends P6.85 for every basic education student a day. In State Universities and Colleges, budget cuts totaled P 3.194 billion, which resulted to almost 2 million out-of-school youth in the country,” he added.

From the data of ACT Teachers Partylist for the incoming school year 2010-2011, there will be a shortage of 54,060 teachers, 4,538 principals, and 6,473 headteachers; 61,343 classrooms, 816,291 seats, and 113,051 water and sanitation facilities.

Nolasco furthered that the P10M can build 15 to 20 classrooms or 27 water & sanitation facilities or purchase 226,500 textbooks or make 9,954 seats or hire 67 additional teachers or even send 1,800 out of school youth to high school.

On the other hand, NUSP NCR Chair Marie Torregoza said that even in the remaining days of Arroyo in power, the latter never failed to use public funds for herself. She added that the egoistic parade will never change people’s demand for her immediate prosecution and incarceration.

“For nine excruciating years, we were told of unfounded accomplishments of Arroyo. But truth be told Filipinos want her to be punished for her crimes immediately.” she added. ###

Youth Artists Decry Demolition of Rizal’s Second Home

January 10, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



NEWS:

Reference: Marish Viola

Media Liason <09061907038>



Youth Artists Decry Demolition of Rizal’s Second Home



UgnaYAN, a network of youth artists, joins the people of Binan in their calls to stop the imminent demolition of the Alberto House, the 200-year old ancestral home of Teodora Alonzo, Jose Rizal’s mother, and challenges the upcoming Noynoy administration to defend our national heritage.

“The love of the people to its country is reflected on how they value their culture and how they would respect the inheritances of their history,” said EJ Mijares, spokesperson of UgnaYAN. “The Alberto house is not only an invaluable treasure to the people of Binan and Laguna, but an historical and architectural treasure that survived since 1765 to the nation as well.”

Recently, the lone heir of the Alberto family found that he could no longer maintain and repair Jose Rizal’s second home, which suffered from government neglect and deterioration. After hearing no response to his call for help from the local government, he was compelled to sell the house that lead up to its attempted demolition. Reports stated that about 20 percent of the house has already been torn down before the Binan authorities acted upon it.

“We believe that the Alberto house needs to be guarded not just with crossed fingers but with a vigilance that such an historical and culturally significant artifact deserves,” Mijares declares, “It is evident that the government’s attention to the preservation of our culture is lacking and we enjoin the president-elect to provide programs that care for our heritage and thus develops national culture.”

Recently, artists in support of the preservation of the Alberto house demonstrated their unity in a night of cultural performances of songs, poetry and the like in the town plaza of Binan.

“The deterioration of the Filipino culture can be directly attributed to the existing attitude of our responsible institutions. This is an issue of our sense of nationhood, and our willingness to promote a culture and society that is relevant to its people,” Mijares concluded. ###