SOME students of the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu staged a protest rally Monday, October 3, against the school administration's new policies on rental fees and wearing of students' identification cards (ID).
Syrum Quinto, chairperson of the UP Cebu Student Council, said the rally Monday was a combined effort of different organizations at UP Cebu.
He said the student council was the first to be informed regarding the expensive rental fees of school facilities and equipment, and mandatory wearing of IDs.
He said that he received an email about the rental fees last week and informed the other school organizations, which he said were also shocked.
Based on the new policy, the rental fee for the Performing Arts Hall, for instance, is P12,000, while the UP High School Grounds is worth P800, among other facilities and equipment.
For non-academic activities, all UP-based recognized organizations may use the room for free, but they will be required to pay for the air conditioning units inside the room.
"Tradition sa UP organizations basta mo host og activities, ma-waive gyud siya. Naa'y rental fees pero ipa waive gyud sa organizations. Pero ang nahitabo karon, bisag mu-request sila nga mo waive sa fees, pabayron gyud sila sa admin," Quinto said.
He said the students were not consulted by the administration about the new policies.
"Wa ta gi-consult sa admin ug wa kuhaa ang reaksyon sa mga students. Diha nagkawala ang public character sa UP," he said.
Quinto said that aside from the rental fees, the students are now required to buy and wear ID slings to be able to enter the school.
He added that based on the memorandum issued by the school, failure to abide by the policy to wear the ID sling has corresponding sanctions.
But students and school security guards do not know what these sanctions are, Qunito said in the interview Monday, adding the school security guards still have to refer to their head on what sanctions to give.
"It is a manifestation nga dili na gyud public. Privatized na gyud tanang services sa UP. Dili na public university ang UP because of these policies," Quinto said. (Tovya Galeon, USJR intern)