Tabloid Issue Vol XL No 3
By Russell Jay Manglicmot and Mary Ann Suing
Development Fee, Ibasura!
Fighting for their right for free education, a total of 15, 337 BulSUans appealed to junk the 600php Development Fee (Dev’t Fee) via signature campaign instigated by Partido Pagkakaisa ng mga Demokratikong Mag-aaral (PDM) obliging the Bulacan State University (BulSU) Administration to relay the complaints to the Board of Regents this December.
Through the petition filed by PDM to effectively revoke Board Resolution No. 64 series of 2004 or the authorization for the collection of the dev’t fee, the Administration agreed to raise the issue on the next board meeting in a dialogue held at Flores Hall last September 28.
“Sa December, ‘yong next regular BOR meeting namin, I am owing you na magpadala ng isang PDM representative sa meeting namin para wala ng problema,” said BulSU President Mariano de Jesus.
According to Student Government (SG) Senator and Students’ Rights and Welfare Committee Chairman Patrick Jan Carpio, the collective appeal of the BulSUans who signed the campaign somehow paid off, but he also stated that he was dismayed with the result of the dialogue.
“Nadi-disappoint [lang] din ng konti kasi kailangan pang idaan sa Board, pero may sapat naman tayong ebidensya, kung bakit kailangan nang i-junk at mayro’n naman tayong sapat na mga pirma na tumututol,” said Carpio.
Aside from the said signature campaign, various protests and rallies were also held inside the university to condemn the collection of the dev’t fee among students.
Carpio, who is also a member of PDM, strongly believes that the existence of such fee in a State University must not be shouldered by students but by the government. “Hindi na natin kailangan pang pasanin ang problemang ito bilang iskolar ng bayan,” believed Carpio.
The senator remains firm and guaranteed that he along with PDM will push through to remove the said fee in the university. “Iyong pakikiisa ng mga BulSUans sa mga protesta at petition signing na isinasagawa ng PDM ang pinakaarmas namin para lumaban sa mahigpit na pagkapit ng BulSU Administration sa dev’t fee kaya naman lalo pa naming pinag-iigting ‘yong pagpirma nila at umaasa kaming bago mag-second sem makaabot na kami sa 20,000,” hoped Carpio.
Tracing back, Board Resolution No. 64 was approved by the board in November 2004 stating the “approving authority to collect P500 development fee per semester starting 2nd semester, SY 2004-2005 to all students and additional P100 per semester every year starting SY 2005-2006 to all incoming students only.”
The said resolution was approved by the board through the powers of Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997’s Section 4 (d) which states that the university has the right “to fix the tuition fees and other necessary school charges, such as but not limited matriculation fees, graduation fees and laboratory fees, as their respective boards may deem proper to impose after due consultations with the involved sectors.”
The collection of Dev’t Fee among students was implemented by the board to pay the Php200M debt of BulSU from Landbank of the Philippines, which was used to fund the construction of Hostel, College of Home Economics and Academic Building in 2004.
“Against ako sa dev’t fee dahil hindi na tayo ‘yong obliged na magbayad do’n e. Kaya nga sa state university ako nag-aaral para makatipid sa mga gastusin ng private university at kailangan nating lumevel-up sa quality education pero ‘di na kailangan pang gumastos gaya ng dev’t fee para lang ma-achieve ‘to,” exclaimed Shiela Marie Manjares from BS Psychology 3B.
The verdict
Despite the agreement made between PDM and the Administration, De Jesus told Pacesetter that his views on the said matter remains unchanged.
“I am not willing [to junk dev’t fee], kasi ‘yan ay legacy ng former president [Rosario Pimentel], I cannot just remove anything,” De Jesus affirmed. “If they have problems, they must have a request of removal dahil willing naman kaming tanggalin ‘yong dev’t fee kung ayaw nila ng pag-unlad, but they should know na walang ibinubulsa kahit sentimo ang Admin mula sa pondo ng university.”
The prexy then related the contribution of dev’t fee to the growth of the university and its future aid to the construction of more facilities such as the Amphitheatre, International Center, among others.
“For many years, malaki na ang naitulong ng dev’t fee. Nakita n’yo naman, most of the projects here are galing sa dev’t fee, kaya I don’t see any reason why they are interested na tanggalin,” explained De Jesus.
Likewise, Vice-President for Administration and Finance Evangelina Custodio said that the possible removal of the said fee would result to the absence of development in the university.
“If they want to remove the dev’t fee, then it’s okay for us. Kung gusto nilang walang mga equipment, bagong buildings at magandang facilities, it is not our problem anymore. We will not give quality education if they wish too. Kung gusto ng mga estudyante ng chalk, blackboard, sirang kisame at silya, siguro magbalik tayo sa umpisa without dev’t fee,” Custodio threatened.
Carpio countered that BulSU’s income-generating projects would already suffice to the needs of the university.
Excessive fund?
Auxiliary and Service Director Felicitas Mirabuenos on the other hand cleared the issue of the alleged ‘excessive funds’ that was circulating around the university through flyers from PDM and BulSU Student Alliance for Education.
Based on the flyers, the university has a projected income of Php374 million for 2012 but the Administration will be only using Php217.236 million, having an excess of Php157 million that will go straight to the university’s trust fund.
Also, it is stated on the said flyers that only Php17 million out of the total Php34 million estimated collection of dev’t fee will be used on the said year.
“Ito kasi [figures stated in the flyers], estimated collection lang, hindi kaagad mina-maximize ang utilization no’n. Kung hindi man ma-utilize ang kalahati no’n, sa susunod na year, kung may mas malaki pang pagkakagastusan ang BulSU, do’n ‘yon inilalagay. Pero hindi namin ‘yan ginagasta nang basta-basta, kung ano mang natira d’yan, nando’n pa rin ‘yon [trust fund],” Mirabuenos explained.
Meanwhile, BulSU Budget Office Officer-in-charge Anacleta Santos said that half of the proposed utilization of dev’t fee will be used for this year and half of it will be allotted for the construction and procurement of buildings and equipment.
“Sa dev’t fee pa rin napupunta ‘yong sobra para the following year, magagamit ulit,” Santos said. “Ikaw ba gusto mo kapag kumita ka, lahat uubusin, e paano kapag nagka-emergency, nagkasakit? Ibig sabihin, paraan ng pagba-budget ‘yan.”
Furthermore, the prexy assured that the administration makes use of the fund appropriately and for the betterment of the university.
“Walang nasasayang na bayad ang mga estudyante natin kasi sinisigurado ng BulSU Admin na napupunta ‘yan hindi lang sa pagbayad ng utang kundi pati narin sa pagpapaganda ng ating unibersidad at sino ba ang unang makikinabang nito? S’yempre kayong mga estudyante rin,” De Jesus secured.
Despite the petition and demonstration around the university, there are students like Mark Anthony Villanueva from the College of Engineering who showed support for the collection of the dev’t fee.
“Sang-ayon ako sa paniningil kasi kahit naman state university tayo, at least dapat pa ring priority ng BulSU ang pagpapaganda sa mga buildings para naman makasabay tayo sa ibang university at ‘yon naman talaga ‘yong gusto nating lahat ’di ba, quality education kaya kung ito ‘yong solution, I will go for it,” Villanueva defended.
On the other hand, SG said that there are no formal proposals presented to their office with regards to the dev’t fee matter. Also, SG President Julius Dado expressed his side on the issue.
“Hindi ko malaman kung bakit hindi nila makita ‘yong mga development na ‘yon. Katulad ng sa APP, ngayon hanggang 8pm ‘yong pasok do’n, pa’no na lang kung hindi natuloy ‘yong building na ‘yon? Baka maging hanggang 10pm pa [‘yong pasok]. Kaya before we react, we have to know the situation first,” reasoned Dado.
By Russell Jay Manglicmot and Mary Ann Suing
Development Fee, Ibasura!
Fighting for their right for free education, a total of 15, 337 BulSUans appealed to junk the 600php Development Fee (Dev’t Fee) via signature campaign instigated by Partido Pagkakaisa ng mga Demokratikong Mag-aaral (PDM) obliging the Bulacan State University (BulSU) Administration to relay the complaints to the Board of Regents this December.
Through the petition filed by PDM to effectively revoke Board Resolution No. 64 series of 2004 or the authorization for the collection of the dev’t fee, the Administration agreed to raise the issue on the next board meeting in a dialogue held at Flores Hall last September 28.
“Sa December, ‘yong next regular BOR meeting namin, I am owing you na magpadala ng isang PDM representative sa meeting namin para wala ng problema,” said BulSU President Mariano de Jesus.
According to Student Government (SG) Senator and Students’ Rights and Welfare Committee Chairman Patrick Jan Carpio, the collective appeal of the BulSUans who signed the campaign somehow paid off, but he also stated that he was dismayed with the result of the dialogue.
“Nadi-disappoint [lang] din ng konti kasi kailangan pang idaan sa Board, pero may sapat naman tayong ebidensya, kung bakit kailangan nang i-junk at mayro’n naman tayong sapat na mga pirma na tumututol,” said Carpio.
Aside from the said signature campaign, various protests and rallies were also held inside the university to condemn the collection of the dev’t fee among students.
Carpio, who is also a member of PDM, strongly believes that the existence of such fee in a State University must not be shouldered by students but by the government. “Hindi na natin kailangan pang pasanin ang problemang ito bilang iskolar ng bayan,” believed Carpio.
The senator remains firm and guaranteed that he along with PDM will push through to remove the said fee in the university. “Iyong pakikiisa ng mga BulSUans sa mga protesta at petition signing na isinasagawa ng PDM ang pinakaarmas namin para lumaban sa mahigpit na pagkapit ng BulSU Administration sa dev’t fee kaya naman lalo pa naming pinag-iigting ‘yong pagpirma nila at umaasa kaming bago mag-second sem makaabot na kami sa 20,000,” hoped Carpio.
Tracing back, Board Resolution No. 64 was approved by the board in November 2004 stating the “approving authority to collect P500 development fee per semester starting 2nd semester, SY 2004-2005 to all students and additional P100 per semester every year starting SY 2005-2006 to all incoming students only.”
The said resolution was approved by the board through the powers of Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997’s Section 4 (d) which states that the university has the right “to fix the tuition fees and other necessary school charges, such as but not limited matriculation fees, graduation fees and laboratory fees, as their respective boards may deem proper to impose after due consultations with the involved sectors.”
The collection of Dev’t Fee among students was implemented by the board to pay the Php200M debt of BulSU from Landbank of the Philippines, which was used to fund the construction of Hostel, College of Home Economics and Academic Building in 2004.
“Against ako sa dev’t fee dahil hindi na tayo ‘yong obliged na magbayad do’n e. Kaya nga sa state university ako nag-aaral para makatipid sa mga gastusin ng private university at kailangan nating lumevel-up sa quality education pero ‘di na kailangan pang gumastos gaya ng dev’t fee para lang ma-achieve ‘to,” exclaimed Shiela Marie Manjares from BS Psychology 3B.
The verdict
Despite the agreement made between PDM and the Administration, De Jesus told Pacesetter that his views on the said matter remains unchanged.
“I am not willing [to junk dev’t fee], kasi ‘yan ay legacy ng former president [Rosario Pimentel], I cannot just remove anything,” De Jesus affirmed. “If they have problems, they must have a request of removal dahil willing naman kaming tanggalin ‘yong dev’t fee kung ayaw nila ng pag-unlad, but they should know na walang ibinubulsa kahit sentimo ang Admin mula sa pondo ng university.”
The prexy then related the contribution of dev’t fee to the growth of the university and its future aid to the construction of more facilities such as the Amphitheatre, International Center, among others.
“For many years, malaki na ang naitulong ng dev’t fee. Nakita n’yo naman, most of the projects here are galing sa dev’t fee, kaya I don’t see any reason why they are interested na tanggalin,” explained De Jesus.
Likewise, Vice-President for Administration and Finance Evangelina Custodio said that the possible removal of the said fee would result to the absence of development in the university.
“If they want to remove the dev’t fee, then it’s okay for us. Kung gusto nilang walang mga equipment, bagong buildings at magandang facilities, it is not our problem anymore. We will not give quality education if they wish too. Kung gusto ng mga estudyante ng chalk, blackboard, sirang kisame at silya, siguro magbalik tayo sa umpisa without dev’t fee,” Custodio threatened.
Carpio countered that BulSU’s income-generating projects would already suffice to the needs of the university.
Excessive fund?
Auxiliary and Service Director Felicitas Mirabuenos on the other hand cleared the issue of the alleged ‘excessive funds’ that was circulating around the university through flyers from PDM and BulSU Student Alliance for Education.
Based on the flyers, the university has a projected income of Php374 million for 2012 but the Administration will be only using Php217.236 million, having an excess of Php157 million that will go straight to the university’s trust fund.
Also, it is stated on the said flyers that only Php17 million out of the total Php34 million estimated collection of dev’t fee will be used on the said year.
“Ito kasi [figures stated in the flyers], estimated collection lang, hindi kaagad mina-maximize ang utilization no’n. Kung hindi man ma-utilize ang kalahati no’n, sa susunod na year, kung may mas malaki pang pagkakagastusan ang BulSU, do’n ‘yon inilalagay. Pero hindi namin ‘yan ginagasta nang basta-basta, kung ano mang natira d’yan, nando’n pa rin ‘yon [trust fund],” Mirabuenos explained.
Meanwhile, BulSU Budget Office Officer-in-charge Anacleta Santos said that half of the proposed utilization of dev’t fee will be used for this year and half of it will be allotted for the construction and procurement of buildings and equipment.
“Sa dev’t fee pa rin napupunta ‘yong sobra para the following year, magagamit ulit,” Santos said. “Ikaw ba gusto mo kapag kumita ka, lahat uubusin, e paano kapag nagka-emergency, nagkasakit? Ibig sabihin, paraan ng pagba-budget ‘yan.”
Furthermore, the prexy assured that the administration makes use of the fund appropriately and for the betterment of the university.
“Walang nasasayang na bayad ang mga estudyante natin kasi sinisigurado ng BulSU Admin na napupunta ‘yan hindi lang sa pagbayad ng utang kundi pati narin sa pagpapaganda ng ating unibersidad at sino ba ang unang makikinabang nito? S’yempre kayong mga estudyante rin,” De Jesus secured.
Despite the petition and demonstration around the university, there are students like Mark Anthony Villanueva from the College of Engineering who showed support for the collection of the dev’t fee.
“Sang-ayon ako sa paniningil kasi kahit naman state university tayo, at least dapat pa ring priority ng BulSU ang pagpapaganda sa mga buildings para naman makasabay tayo sa ibang university at ‘yon naman talaga ‘yong gusto nating lahat ’di ba, quality education kaya kung ito ‘yong solution, I will go for it,” Villanueva defended.
On the other hand, SG said that there are no formal proposals presented to their office with regards to the dev’t fee matter. Also, SG President Julius Dado expressed his side on the issue.
“Hindi ko malaman kung bakit hindi nila makita ‘yong mga development na ‘yon. Katulad ng sa APP, ngayon hanggang 8pm ‘yong pasok do’n, pa’no na lang kung hindi natuloy ‘yong building na ‘yon? Baka maging hanggang 10pm pa [‘yong pasok]. Kaya before we react, we have to know the situation first,” reasoned Dado.