By Joey Gabieta
Tacloban City [February, 2009] – No college and university school in the region has sought for a tuition fee increase.
This was revealed by Secretary Emmanuel Angeles of the Commission on Higher Education whose visit yesterday was marked with a lightning rally staged by a students’ group.
Angeles, in a press conference, said that he received a “commitment” from all the heads and administrators from the region’s various colleges and universities that they would not implement any tuition and other school fees in the next semester.
“All the colleges and universities in Eastern Visayas will not increase their tuition and other school fees. And I am happy that this is the first region to heed on the appeal made by the President not to impose any increases,” Angeles said.
In the region, there are 57 private colleges, 11 state colleges and universities and three local colleges which are in operations.
All these private and public colleges and universities have agreed not to impose any tuition fee increase, the Ched secretary said.
Earlier, President Macapagal-Arroyo and Angeles himself have asked schools, both public and private, to issue a moratorium on tuition and other school fees increases in the light of the global financial economic crisis gripping the world, to include the country.
Angeles said that he was happy that the administrators of those colleges and universities in the region have agreed to heed on this appeal.
He, however, admitted that out of the more than 1,700 colleges and universities in the country, around 10 percent of them have sought for a tuition fee increase for next semester.
Angeles said that these schools have until Feb. 28 to apply for any tuition fee increase.
“We cannot do anything about it if they wish to increase. However, there are conditions to be complied by these schools,” he said.
Among these conditions which the school management has to satisfy before their application can be approved include that a public consultation has been done; that the increase would be used for the increase of salaries of teachers and personnel and improvement of school facilities.
Edward Chua, president of the association of colleges and universities in the region, said that their group has agreed to put on hold to any tuition fee increases.
This, he said, would provide students and their parents to continue their studies.
“We all believe that education is the equalizer; we are also one considering the school’s social responsibility and not just for profit,” Chua said.
Meantime, students affiliated with the Students Coalition against Repression and Commercialization of Education (SCaRCE) – Eastern Visayas staged a lighting rally against Angeles.
However, four of them were arrested by members of the city police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and were brought to the city police station for questioning.
