calling all writters Posted at 07:15 PM Editor-in-Chief Dear Sir/Madam: Warm greetings from the campus press! The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) Visayas Formations will hold the 4th Visayas-wide Convention, dubbed as LUBAS 2007, on October 22- 24, 2007 at the Commission on Audit Training Center, Regional Office 8, Candahug Palo, Leyte. This is a 3-day stay-in education festival and journalism skills training seminar open to all member and non-member student publications of high schools and colleges/universities in the Visayas. CEGP holds a firm belief that the core of the writer is the people. Thus, LUBAS, a Cebuano word for core, is a gathering of campus journalists where they can hone their skills in the different aspects of campus journalism and equally important, develop their awareness of social events affecting the Filipino people -- as these events shape the way we view and eventually write about, the things around us. With the theme, “Arming campus journalists with competence to advocate social awareness and press freedom”, the convention will help further our campaign and struggle against campus press repression and the advancement of our democratic rights in and outside the campuses. One of the highlights of the program is the first ever LUBAS 2007 AWARDS which will give honor to the deserving Campus Papers in the Visayas for publishing the Best Magazine, Tabloid, Broadsheet and Literary folio. In lieu of this, we would like to invite your publication to partake in the 4th Visayas-wide Convention of the CEGP Visayas Formations. The registration is pegged at ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED PESOS (P 1, 600.00). This is inclusive of meals, accommodation, modules, kits and certificates for the 3-day live-in seminar. Confirmation of attendance is on or before October 12, 2007. Attached is the program of activities for the LUBAS 2007, the CHED endorsement and pertinent information on the LUBAS 2007 AWARDS. For more inquiries and concerns, please do not hesitate to call or text: Rachelle (09285059855) or Fena (09052171212). You can also email us at cegp_visayas@yahoo.com. We hope to hear from you soon. For the alternative press, RACHELLE MAE PALANG CEGP Vice President for the Visayas |
December 21, 2006
the Struggle for genuine press freedom Posted at 12:24 PM College Editors Guild of the Philippines Visayas Formations Email: cegp_visayas@yahoo.com “to write is already to choose” The Struggle for genuine press freedom “Our lives begin to end, the day we become silent about things that matter.”- Martin Luther King The fight for genuine press freedom will not end so long as our fellow campus journalists are hindered from delivering information on issues that are continuously affecting the studentry and the Filipino people. The CEGP Visayas formations, ardently supports the struggle of our comrades from the Philippine Collegian. There is no justification whatsoever that will support the administration’s move to meddle in the affairs concerning the publication’s finances. Campus Repression, whatever form it may take and by whatever means it was implemented should never be tolerated much more allowed. Campus Press Freedom is everybody’s concern, how can they expect us, the youth, to become a generation of righteous, and democratic individuals when even in our schools, universities and colleges we are deprived of the right to information and freedom of the press? The Philippine Collegian’s struggle is our struggle. Uphold campus press freedom!Stop campus repression! For reference: Rachelle Mae Palang Vice President for the Visayas-CEGP |
September 17, 2006
Sophisticated Offensives Posted at 03:16 AM The Campus Press Situation Under the Macapagal- Arroyo Government By the College Editors Guild of the Philippines In five years since Ms. Arroyo held power, 44 mediamen lost their lives while doing their duty. None of the cases so far had been resolved. The situation gave birth to the culture of impunity that resulted to the escalation of murders of the working journalists. At present, Philippine remains as the second most dangerous country for journalists based on the report of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), which the government apparently ignores. The government’s intimidation to the press did not shun the young writers. One of the 44 slain journalists was Benjaline ‘Beng’ Hernandez, the then Vice President for Mindanao of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP). Beng was murdered by elements of military and CAFGU while conducting a fact- finding mission in Arakan Valley on April 2002. While the members of the mainstream media brawl with the attacks, campus writers also scuffle with the assaults legalized by the Campus Journalism Act of 1991. More than 70 cases of campus press freedom violations within a six month period (October- March) were documented on May 2006. The violations range from censorship to closure of student publications. Funds of twenty- seven campus publications are withheld by school administrators. School administrations of Lipa City Public College and Lorma College in La Union did not remit to the offices of The Beat and Lorma Highlights the total amounts of funds collected. On the other hand, the administration of Cagayan de Oro College collects a fraction of fund from the collected publication fee of The Oro Collegian as charge, similar to the case of The Word of the Holy Name University in Bohol. Most publications share the same sentiments regarding delayed release of fund, not turning over of excess fund to the succeeding term, and not being informed of the total amount of fund collected. Alarming is the case of the Luzonian Chronicle of the Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation in Quezon. School admin continuously collects publication fee during enrolment while the student publication is closed. Nine publications encountered censorship by school admin such as The Warden, The Rock of San Pedro College, Sandigan , UP Vista, Facade, An Lantawan, and Lorma Highlights. Editors of The Rock of San Pedro College and The Knight of Collegio de San Juan de Letran in Biñan, Laguna were threatened of libel cases. The administration of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa confiscatesd the circulation of The Warden after publishing articles about the present government. While the release of Sandigan of Mindanao State University in with an editorial “Why GMA should resign” was held by their school administration. Meanwhile, thirteen cases of meddling by advisers were documented. The adviser of The Pillar of Ateneo de Naga University controls the publication fund and interferes with the publication’s financial affairs. The UPLB chancellor intervenes with the editorial board examination of UPLB Perspective. Instead of recognizing the results of the competitive examination, the chancellor appoints different Editor in Chief. Campus journalists are not safe from harassments. Eleven cases were documented. The Philippine Collegian of the University of the Philippines-Diliman, The Luzonian and The Epitome of Polytechnic University of Philippines in Maragondon were still under surveillance by elements of Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. The editors and staff of The Work of the Tarlac State University, Varsitarian of the University of Bohol and UP Vista in Tacloban were intimidated by their school administration. Publications of Sacred Heart College and PNU Lopez were banned from joining and attending CEGP activities. The number of closed publications increased. The Luzonian Chronicle, The Elite, The Torch of Calauag Central Colleges and Adamson Chronicle of Adamson University have ceased operations. For more than a year, students of San Carlos University in Cebu City have no means to air their opinions and constructive criticisms since their student paper, Today’s Carolinian and Voice of Talamban (student publication of San Carlos’ College of Engineering) have been closed. While The National of the National University, which for more than two decades remains closed. However, we will not be cowed by the intensified attacks, thus our vigilance will remain to guard our ranks against the ferocious perpetrators of campus press freedom violations. Now and then, same form of campus press freedom violations are use to silence the most vocal critics of the academe- the student papers. The continuous implementation of the CJA of 1991 is a testimony that the government tolerates such assails. Therefore the most sophisticated assaults threatens the young and determined members of he campus media. The Guild’s 75 years of campus journalism practice will be at the forefront of the fight for a free press. We will remain determined on our call to re-open all closed publications, to establish student publication where there is none, to call for the repeal of CJA of 1991 and to end all forms of violations. |
July 14, 2006
Courage-EV Head Slain Posted at 12:18 AM The killings of members of progressive organizations remain unabated, the latest casualty being Pax H. Diaz, chairperson of Confederation for the Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage) –Eastern Visayas. The brutal assassination of Diaz was the fourth incident of violence in four days in Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Batangas provinces and in Tacloban City, Leyte. BY JOHANN HEIN B. ARPON The killings of members of progressive organizations remain unabated, the latest casualty being Pax H. Diaz, chairperson of Confederation for the Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage) –Eastern Visayas. The brutal assassination of Diaz was the fourth incident of violence in four days in Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Batangas provinces, and in Tacloban City, Leyte.
Based on data from Katungod-Sinirangan Bisayas, the Eastern Visayas chapter of the human rights group Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights), Diaz was the 11th activist killed in the said region for this year and the 51st since 2005. Motive for the killing Military officials in the region have denied involvement in the assassination, but Courage-EV has pointed to armed “agents of the state” as the perpetrators. “The military has all to gain for the death of Pax, which is a loss to us government employees and the entire people of Eastern Visayas,” said Courage-EV secretary-general Ricky Palencia. Diaz had been an active member of Courage even in the early 1990s. At the organization’s regional congress in 2003, he was elected as chairperson. Since then he has been very active in consolidating and expanding the ranks of Courage in the different government agencies in the region. He was very much active in the struggle of the employees and consumers of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD). He helped in the struggle of the teachers at Dulag National High School and at the time of his death, he was also into the issue of better services and lower electricity rates in a local electric cooperative in Tacloban, among others. But aside from carrying the issues of the government employees, Pax played an active support role in the struggles of the other sectors especially the urban poor and the peasants. He was in almost all fact-finding missions for human rights violations committed by the military against peasants, in the frontline of multi-sectoral mobilizations where he was known as a very fiery speaker. In many alliances and fora launched on various issues from value-added tax (VAT), anti-militarization, U.S. war of aggression and many others, he was always a prominent figure. “The involvement of Pax – that is, being an officer in an organization tagged by AFP as front of the CPP, participation in issues outside his sector, joining alliances, participating as well as giving in-puts, could be found in the Oplan Bantay Laya’s checklist of target research and neutralization” said Pong Acbo, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan or New Patriotic Alliance)-Eastern Visayas spokesperson. “As such, only the AFP could possibly order the neutralization of Pax.” Incident condemned Even citizens’ groups in the region are alarmed with the killings. In particular, the Citizens Anti-Crime and Assistance Group (CAAG) led by Lulu Palencia has expressed anger over the incident. “The pattern has been the same: hit men on motorcycle, perpetrators being able to escape and case not being solved – when will this end?” she said. And with the present leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the region, Palencia says, she is very about whether the case will be solved. “(But still), I’m asking the citizens to help identify the perpetrators so that the apprehending officers could do their job,” she said. Abet Hidalgo, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Leyte Chapter has also condemned the killings. And with the rising number of activists being killed, he poses a question to the government: “Is this government still worth the taxes of the people? We are paying from our hard-earned money.” “This policy of killing (whoever the perpetrators are) is not good because it will just push people to make extreme moves, and do we want to have a revolution?” Hidalgo further said. He also gave his assurance that their free legal services will be extended for this particular case and they will help prosecute if “only to show that our justice system is still working.” Bulatlat |
June 14, 2006
Bulok-eskwela, pasaning matrikula, patalsikin si Gloria! Posted at 01:23 PM Mula nang manungkulan si Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo, bawat panahon ng pasukan ay hirap at pasakit sa ating mga estudyante at magulang.. Walang tigil ang taunang pagtaas ng matrikula sa mga pribadong paaralan, patuloy na pagbaba ng badyet sa edukasyon at samu’t saring dagdag bayarin sa ating mga paaralan at pamantasan. Higit na pabigat ang walang-tigil na pagtaas ng mga bayarin at kagamitang pang-eskwela, gayundin ng mga pangunahing bilihin at serbisyo. Ito ang pangunahing dahilan kung bakit kalakhan sa kabataang Pilipino ay hindi nakakapag- aral, o mas malala, hindi man lang marunong magbasa at magsulat. Ayon sa pag- aaral ng Department of Education (DepEd), sa 57.6 milyong Pilipino may edad na 10- 64, 9.2 milyon o 16 na porsyento ay ‘functionally illiterate’ o hindi marunong magbasa at magsulat. Isa pa sa nakakaawang kalagayan ng ating sistemang edukasyon ay ang bahagdan ng nakakapagtapos ng pag- aaral. Sa 68 porsyentong mag-aaral na nakakapagtapos ng elementarya, 42 porsyento lamang ang nakakapagtapos ng hayskul at 14 na porsyento lamang ang gumagradweyt ng kolehiyo. Wala kasi sa bokabularyo ng gobyernong ito ang bigyan ng pansin ang mga suliranin sa edukasyon. O kaya, kung mayroon man, hanggang salita at pangako lamang ang mga ito. Mataas na bayarin, mabigat na pasanin Sa datos na inilabas mismo ng Commission on Higher Education (CHED), may 458 na pribadong paaralan sa buong bansa ang nagtaas ng matrikula ngayong taon. Dumoble ito kumpara sa 246 noong nakaraang taon. Mas binibigyang-halaga ng CHED ang hiling at interes ng mga malalaking kapitalista-edukador at pribadong namumuhunan, tulad ng pahayag ng Catholic Educators Association of the Philippines (CEAP) na kung gusto natin ng de-kalidad na edukasyon, kailangang bayaran ito ng mahal. Para bang produkto na inilalako sa isang pamilihan. Lalo pang pinalala ang kalagayang ito ng CHED Memorandum No. 14 na inilabas ng ahensya noong nakaraang taon. Nakasaad dito na hindi na kailangang dumaan sa konsultasyon ang anumang pagtaas ng matikula at bayaring hindi lalagpas sa tantos ng implasyon (inflation rate). Ayon sa NEDA o National Development Authority, nasa 7.6 porsyetno ang inflation rate ngayong taon. Ibig sabihin, awtomatikong magtataas ng matrikula ang mga pribadong paaralan kapag mas mababa sa 7.6 porsyento ang mungkahi nitong pagtaas; hindi na kailangang dumaan sa konsultasyon at maging sa CHED. Kaya malaking kalokohan ang pahayag ng CHED na bumaba umano ang bilang ang nagsampa ng aplikasyon ng pagtaas ng matrikula mula sa mga pribadong pamantasan dahil inunahan na ito ng arbitraryong pagtataas ng matrikula. Walang ibang dapat sisihin sa kalagayang ito sa mga pribadong paaralan kundi ang patuloy na pangangayupapa ni Pang. Arroyo sa malalaking kapitalista-edukador. Maituturing na pinakamasahol na suhol ni Pang. Arroyo sa mga kapitalista-edukador ang CHED Memorandum No.14 kapalit ng patuloy nilang pagsuporta sa kabila ng dumadausdos na popularidad ng rehimen sa hanay ng sektor ng edukasyon. Samantala, taun- taon nang nararanasan pagkaltas sa badyet sa edukasyon. Sa pag- aaral ng Bayan Muna, ang P146.4 M proposed education budget ito ay 13.9 porsyento lamang sa kabuuang badyet para sa taong ito. Ang halagang ito ay mas mababa ng kaysa sa 14.7 porsyentong inilaan para sa edukasyon noong nakaraang taon. Dagdag-pasanin din sa ating mga mag-aaral ang walang-habas na pagtaas ng mga bayarin sa mga pamantasan. Sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, halimbawa, nagtaas ng 100 porsyento ang singil sa library fee mula P400 tungong P800 para sa taong ito. Dagdag- bawas Matapos namang kastiguhin ni Pang. Arroyo si Acting Department of Education (DepEd) Sec. Fe Hidalgo sa kakulangan ng mga klasrum, lalo lamang nalantad ang tunay na bulok na kalagayan ng mga paaralan sa bansa. Ayon sa pangulo, wala raw kakulangan ng klasrum sa mga paaralan. Taliwas ito sa pagsusuring umabot na sa 74, 115 ang kakulangan ng klasrum sa bansa. Ang inilaang P119B na badyet para sa DepEd ay sadyang napakababa para tustusan ang mahigit 20 milyong estudyanteng papasok sa taong ito. Ayon kay Dating DepEd Usec. Juan Miguel Luz, maging ang P4 B inilaan ng Kongreso para magpatayo ng mg karagdagang silid ay hindi sasapat sa malaking bilang na papasok sa mga pampublikong paaralan. Gayundin ang kalagayan ng kakulangan ng mga guro, pasilidad at kagamitang pang-edukasyon tulad ng mga teksbuk at iba pa sa ating mga pampublikong paaralan. Sa kabila nito, patuloy ang pagsingil ng mga mataas na mga bayarin sa mga pampublikong paaralan. Sa Roces High School, halimbawa, umabot na sa P600 ang sinisingil para sa Parent-Teacher Association Fee. Gayundin ang patuloy na pagsingil ng P30 para sa Student Technology Entrepreneurship Program (STEP) samantalang walang sapat na paliwanag mula sa DepEd para rito. Wala sa prayoridad ng gobyerno ang pag- aralin tayo Kung kalunos- lunos na noong mga nakaraang taon ang ating kalagayan, magpapatuloy ito hanggat nananatili si Pang. Arroyo sa estado-poder. Walang kapatawaran ang pambubusabos ng gobyernong ito sa ating mga kabataan. Ang mga ginagawa niyang ito ay hindi pagkilala sa ating kapakanan at kakayahan bilang pag-asa ng bayan. Kaya naman gayon na lamang ang mariing pagtutol ng kabataan at estudyante sa panukalang charter change ni Gloria. Batid nilang isa lamang itong maniobra ng rehimen para pagtakpan ang kaliwa’t kanang mga kasalanan nito sa kabataan at mamamayan. Bibigyan lamang nito ng ligal na batayan ang ilihitimong pananatili ni Gloria sa Malakanyang. Malinaw na malinaw sa kabataan na walang magandang maidudulot sa sistemang pang-edukasyon at kinabukasan ng kabataan ang patuloy pang pananatili ni Gloria sa Malakanyang. Sa gitna ng matinding krisis na kinakaharap ng sistemang pang-edukasyon, isang matinding insulto sa kabataan ang anumang panukalang patagalin pa si Gloria sa pwesto. Sa harap ng patuloy na panggigipit at pandarahas ng gobyerno, hindi natitinag ang kabataan at estudyante sa paglaban sa kanilang mga batayang karapatan. Tanging ang pagpapatalsik kay Pang. Arroyo ang paraan para masingil at papanagutin siya sa lahat ng kanyang kasalanan sa kabataan. Ipaglaban ang mataas na badyet sa Edukasyon! Pigilan ang pagtaas ng matrikula! Patalsikin si Gloria! (ANAKBAYAN, League of Filipino Students, Student Christian Movement of the Philippines, College Editors Guild of the Philippines, National Union of Students of the Philippines, KARATULA) |
