Iloilo Students March for Education Reforms

By Juliane Judilla

More than 600 students from various universities in Iloilo staged a walkout on November 15 to mark National Students Day 2024.

The protesters marched from West Visayas State University to the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, demanding a larger education budget, the abolition of the K-12 curriculum, and a halt to the fast-tracking of Senate Bill No. 2034.

National Students Day, established under Republic Act 11369, was signed into law on August 8, 2019. It recognizes students’ vital contributions to freedom of expression and dissent and is celebrated annually on November 17.

Kabataan Party-list, a co-author of the law, emphasized the importance of the student movement in addressing issues that affect students inside and outside school premises.

“The youth are continuously being silenced and oppressed by a political system that is neither pro-student nor pro-youth. Instead of addressing their needs, the state responds with red-tagging and student repression,” said Atty. Renee Co, Kabataan Party-list National Spokesperson.

Atty. Co reiterated their opposition to mandatory ROTC and their push for the Students’ Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Bill, which aims to protect the rights of students and young people.

Act Teachers Party-list Representative France Castro highlighted the urgent need to increase the education budget, particularly for public elementary schools and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).

“There is a shortage of classrooms, forcing schools to rely on online classes, which we know is ineffective,” Rep. Castro said.

She added, “The call must be to increase the education budget and address the legitimate and genuine demands of students and the masses.”

Multi-sectoral groups joined the protest, asserting that student and youth issues intersect with broader concerns affecting the Filipino public.

Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Secretary-General Jerome Adonis called for a livable wage, noting its direct impact on the ability of workers to support their children’s education.

“How can we meet the needs of our children for quality education when workers earn only PHP 480 a day?” Adonis said.

He urged the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), the removal of confidential and intelligence funds, and the realignment of the budget to support free, quality education, healthcare, and social services.

Kabataan Party-list, along with its Panay chapter and the Western Visayas Youth and Student Alliance, organized a three-day series of forums, consultations, and activities leading up to the event.