Youth groups are dissatisfied with the announcement of  University of the Philippines Manila Chancellor Manuel Agulto that it has lifted the university’s “no late payment” policy, amid public protests following the suicide of Kristel Tejada, a student who was forced to go on leave for failing to pay her tuition fee.

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino called it “a token move” by the UPM administration. “[It] is not even written in black-and-white – the administration is not bound by any legal documents and can easily implement the policy again,” he said.

The youth legislator questioned the existence of the policy in the first place. “With the implementation of such policy, UP has essentially barred access to those who cannot pay. Mahal na nga ang tuition, hindi ka pa pwedeng magbayad nang late,” Palatino said.

He instead called on President Aquino to release an executive order calling for a tuition moratorium in all colleges and universities nationwide, both private and public, and the scrapping of other “anti-student” policies such as the (Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program).

“The Aquino administration has washed its hands off the issue early on by saying that the matter of tuition regulation is the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) concern. Isn’t our president aware that he has direct control over CHED and can in fact revoke anti-student policies and even call for a tuition rollback in UP if he’s really up to it?” Palatino said.

According to the youth group Anakbayan, around 300 universities and colleges increase tuition and other fees by around 10 to 15% yearly, despite staunch opposition from student councils and groups.

Anakbayan, meanwhile, is calling for more radical measures to reverse the policy of tuition increases. “The education system needs an overhaul,” said Vencer Crisostomo, Anakbayan chairperson.

He called for the junking of Education Act of 1982 and other education-related laws and policies, which resulted to a “commercialized” and “colonial” education system.

“Education should be a Filipino education, scientific and mass-oriented. We need progressive education which will serve the people and the nation. Right now, the education system we have is a curse. It is profit and foreign-oriented, it is anti-poor,” he said.

Kabataan Party-list also defended the “chair burning” of students the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Sta. Mesa last Monday.

Palatino said that it was only just for students to demand a “clear and unequivocal statement” from the PUP administration that no tuition hike will be pursued. He lauded the protest action, which forced the PUP President Emmanuel de Guzman to promise that there will be no tuition hike in PUP.

“PUP is one of the last bastions of affordable education in the country. Its administration, sadly, has continually pushed for increases and deceptive schemes such as the implementation of a socialized tuition policy akin to UP’s STFAP,” he said.

Palatino added that the chairs burned in the symbolic activity were already “condemned equipment.”