Iloilo youth groups hold SOYA ahead of Marcos’ SONA

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By Juliane Judilla

Youth and student groups in Iloilo held their annual State of the Youth Address (SOYA) on July 26, ahead of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The event, organized by the Western Visayas Youth and Students Alliance (WVYSA), gathered student councils, youth organizations, campus publications, Sangguniang Kabataan officials, parents, and teachers.

Themed 2025 State of the Youth Address: Collab Edition, the activity served as a counter-narrative to the administration’s claims of progress.

WVYSA criticized what it called “illusions of progress” and accused the Marcos administration of neglect, repression, and misplaced priorities—especially in the education sector.

The group described the current national condition as a “state of neglect” driven by a colonial, commercialized, and repressive education system.

“Three years into this regime, we have seen nothing but the worsening of the education crisis, skyrocketing prices of goods, massive budget cuts to social services, and intensified militarization in campuses and communities,” WVYSA said.

While the President’s SONA reportedly highlights recovery and development, WVYSA claimed the reality for many Filipino youth is worsening.

They pointed to budget cuts in education and social services, dilapidated school infrastructure, underpaid teachers, and a K–12 curriculum that offers limited job prospects.

They also alleged that billions of pesos are funneled into intelligence funds and military spending, while agencies such as the NTF-ELCAC red-tag youth groups and subject them to harassment.

The youth alliance also condemned the government’s push for mandatory ROTC and heightened campus surveillance, claiming these are tools to suppress student dissent.

“This is not the state of a nation that values education,” they said.

“This is not the state of a nation that protects its youth.”

Among their demands were the scrapping of the K–12 program, a moratorium on tuition and school fee hikes, increased funding for state universities and colleges, and stronger protections for student rights.

Former Kabataan party-list representative Raoul Manuel also spoke at the event and emphasized the role of youth in nation-building, particularly in grassroots organizing and national advocacy.

The groups called on fellow youth and the public to join the upcoming People’s SONA on July 28 to demand accountability and present what they described as the real state of the nation.