Campus journalists decry education budget cuts, corruption

By Juliane Judilla

Campus publications and journalists under the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP)–Panay have called on the government to prioritize education funding over corruption as student journalists across the region prepare for the National Students Day protest and “Walkathon Kontra Kurapsyon” on November 17.

According to CEGP–Panay, the oldest and widest alliance of student publications in the Asia-Pacific region, the education sector has suffered from chronic underfunding for consecutive years, resulting in delayed operations, deteriorating facilities, and shrinking support for campus publications.

“These are the very institutions that serve as the voice of the student body,” the group said.

“Each year, we witness budget cuts that cripple our schools and universities,” said CEGP–Panay spokesperson Symon Vacunawa.

“Campus journalists are forced to sustain their work through personal sacrifices, while the government allows corruption to thrive,” he added.

The Guild cited a 44 percent budget cut at West Visayas State University (WVSU), slashing its proposed PHP 5.23-billion allocation under the 2026 National Expenditure Program, leaving student publications scrambling for operational funds.

Staff are often compelled to shoulder expenses for printing and travel out of pocket, the group said.

They also pointed to ongoing “institutional neglect” at the University of the Philippines Visayas, where campus publication offices have reportedly been turned into storage rooms, and the university still lacks a university-wide student publication — the only UP campus without one in the past 50 years.

CEGP–Panay reported that student participation in campus journalism across Iloilo, Aklan, and Capiz has declined under the output-based education system.

The Guild described the approach as “commercial, colonial, and repressive,” saying it prioritizes productivity over critical thinking.

It added that in private universities, insufficient subsidies from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) have driven up tuition and other fees.

The group also condemned what it called rampant corruption and lack of accountability among public officials despite repeated exposés on budget insertions and kickbacks.

“Despite numerous exposés of politicians involved in kickbacks and budget insertions, no one has been held accountable,” Vacunawa said.

“It is the student journalists and leaders—those who stand in the picket lines and call out injustice—who face state-issued subpoenas and harassment,” he added.

“This is a blatant attack on the students’ right to free expression and a clear attempt to silence dissent while protecting the powerful.”

In response, CEGP–Panay is urging students to “reclaim the streets” with other youth groups and civil society organizations to amplify calls for higher education funding, press freedom, and government accountability.

“As long as students suffer from state neglect, corruption, and repression, our fight will continue — in our publications and in the streets,” the Guild declared.