Palace to students: Focus on your studies, not on walkouts

"Focus on your studies and not on walkouts." This was Malacañang’s advice to students over the weekend, even as it reassured them there is no budget cut for state universities and colleges (SUCs), and that it continues to address problems hounding the education sector. “It is their freedom to express their grievances especially on issues concerning budgets for schools. But as Education Secretary Armin Luistro said, we should go to school to study. It is better to still attend classes," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. Asked if the government will urge students not to stage walkouts, Valte said, “Sana mag-focus tayo sa studies natin, importante makatapos tayo." Earlier this week, students from SUCs including the University of the Philippines and Polytechnic University of the Philippines held walkouts to protest supposed budget cuts for SUCs in 2012. Last Friday, the students gathered at the Mendiola Bridge area near Malacañang to dramatize their plight. They also reportedly hinted at staging more protests in the future. But Valte pointed out the government is proposing a 10.1 percent budget increase for SUCs, contrary to what the students had been claiming in their recent walkouts. She said Budget Secretary Florencio Abad had pointed out the total allocation for the SUCs is actually P26.1 billion. There are 110 main campuses of SUCs and 388 satellite campuses. Abad said P23.6 billion is for the SUCs, including automatic appropriations itemized for each institution. Also part of the proposed 2012 allocation are a standby fund of more than P2 billion under the Miscellaneous and Personnel Benefit Funds for unfilled positions in SUCs, and an additional P500 million under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for SUC development. “Nakikinig naman tayo sa mga saloobin ng estudyante nating nagproprotesta. Ine-explain natin sa kanila nag-increase aggregate budget ng SUC by 10.1 percent," Valte said. On the other hand, Valte said the government continues to work on other problems in education, including the shortage in classrooms, and other backlogs and year-on-year requirements. Moreover, she said the government is tying in education in five priority areas for growth and development, including agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, business process outsourcing, and semiconductors. “President Aquino’s instructions to the CHED is to work with state universities and colleges. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and Labor Department are instructed to align the SUCs’ curricula to these priority areas," she said. — LBG, GMA News