PUP and GMA's Extravagance

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines is in turmoil. A 2000% increase is set to be imposed on science and engineering courses on incoming freshmen. University officials attribute the increase to augment the university's funding problems. At present, government funding is at P570 million a year. More than half of this goes to salaries while the rest to operational expenses. Some of you may say that paying P12/unit is almost nothing, many of the poor who desire to get a good college education enroll here. A P6000 per semester may sound cheap, but to a family who loves hand-to-mouth, this is a big dent on their family's small budget.

The schools would have had adequate funding if only GMA would have been less extravagant in her trips or if only she put to good use her pork barrel. Instead of spending billions on useless trips and ads that try to make her administration look good, the PUP could do away with its tuition fee increases. Student leaders lament that they had to endure lack of facilities for their classes. Imagine attending a computer class with a ratio of 5:1 for a computer. Makati is better off as there is 1:1 ratio.

I must admit that the school officials' hands are tied. They have to make do with the meager funding the government gives them. The problem lies in the allocation of government funds. How can the country churn out competitive graduates when the president would rather spend hundreds of millions on her district in Pampanga for her congressional bid? How many tables and chairs or even computers could have been bought with the presidential fund? How can this administration claim that they are addressing the problems of the education sector?

Chartered flights, multi-million peso dinners, midnight flights to China to witness a signing of a botched scandalous project, these are just some of unnecessary expenditures this government has undertaken. Government agencies also have PR and intelligence funds that could given additional funding to our state universities and public schools. Education was never this administration's priority, making money for their caprices is. I no longer wonder why we have a skyrocketing dropout rate. Our children are being deprived of education. I suppose Gloria thinks that an uneducated people can be easier duped and controlled.

It's a classic practice of dictators to keep the populace uneducated and demoralized. The PUP case is not isolated. It's a microcosm of the what's happening around the country. Education is no longer a right but a privilege. How can a nation progress if we have leaders that totally disregard our youth? I suppose the government thinks there's always the private sector that would step up to the plate. The reality is that private support is dwindling due mainly to the fact that they have become milking cowa of the government. Gloria issued an EO that orders all government agencies to conserve. Where did these savings go? It went to bonuses and advertising of officials in preparation for their political plans.

Gloria's legacy is one of despair. Our people are left with nothing. She and corrupt politicians have drained our coffers dry. Our social services would not be left wanting if only our leaders honestly served our people. We are not asking for a slice of paradise. The Filipino people just want to have a little dignity and a decent life.

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He Was Too Busy With His C-5

Located in Pamplona, The Las Piñas High School is in need of a new building that would accommodate its growing population. Las Piñas has the same problem that plagues the entire nation, it lacks classrooms. While NGOs have taken up some of the slack, their limited funding simply cannot address the shortage. This also the reason why some children have given up their education. There are simply no facilities to accommodate them. Sure there is a shortage of teachers but the fact of the matter is that with no facilities, the education system wouldn't work. Kids will simply lose interest and would rather seek ways to help their parents to survive the daily grind.

Three years ago, construction of a new high school building in Pamplona was undertaken. Today, the shell of the new building stands unfinished. Students had to be content with pursuing their education in makeshift classrooms which are poorly ventilated and cramp as well. With the Villars sitting in congress and the senate, why does this building remain unfinished? I'm sure their PDAFs can easily fund this project. How can Manny Villar's ad say that he will bring education ro rhose who want it? Totoo bang mapag-aaral ka niya? I suppose that his C-5 was more important than the education of his constituents. Here are the pictures, I'll let it speak for itself.

The photos will show the unfinished building in the background and the makeshift classroom in the foreground.

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A Stinking Hellhole

School is suppose to educate and energize the youth. It's the least we can do to give our kids a brighter future. But the government's lack of foresight and penchant for kickbacks have caused serious harm to our once great education system. With life getting harder by the day, migration from private schools to the public has been rising every year. As more and more transfer, it overcrowds our public schools. Lack of classrooms, tables and chairs to the very latest shortage, comfort rooms!

To address the shortage of classrooms, public schools have three shifts a day to be able to accommodate the students. Up to 80 students are packed into classrooms built for only for 45. Construction of classrooms is overtaken by the huge population of every school. Teachers are overworked as well as more and more of their ranks are forced to seek employment elsewhere.

But schools have learned to adopt to the changing times. To address the growing numbers of enrollees, no space is wasted. Every square inch of school grounds are used just to accommodate the kids. The quality of education is dropping fast. With it is the lessening proficiency of our students. Teachers are swamped with too much work and with very little pay. They are left to their own devises just to be able to remain true to their unholy vows. The sufferings do not end there, with the lack of rooms comes the lack of comfort rooms as well. Certain schools have make do with 600 persons for every comfort room. This is simply unimaginable with many more unusable.

The school is our children's second home. It is a place where our children should learn. The government both local and national is duty bound to see to it that the needs of the students are met. Despite the numerous taxes we pay, the government is unable to construct the needed facilities for our students. Already cramped like sardines, the last thing they need is a stinking CR. Because of our governments ineptness, our public schools have become stinking hellhole!

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