After reading Victor Villanueva‘s latest blog post, I am troubled.

Sure, I made fun of it in one of my comments (“kalevel na ng AMA ang UP – sa tuition fee”), but that is in jest (BTW, the Php1500 per unit is greater than AMA, in fairness). The recent increase in tuition fee at the Premier State University is sad and maddening at the same time.

He stated some numbers, which I liberally quote:

Months later at the beginning of a new academic year, only less than half of UPCAT (UP College Admission Test) passers showed up to enroll in the different UP units. In Los Banos and Mindanao, less than 17% of passers enrolled. In Diliman, the entire College of Social Work and Community Development has one freshman. In courses like BA Malikhaing Pagsulat, BA Araling Pilipino, and BA Filipino, none of the passers showed up to enroll. Thousands of the country’s best and brightest students as assessed by the UPCAT didn’t pursue their dreams of affordable college education in the country’s premiere state university for it has indeed become increasingly expensive, commercial and prohibitive.
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As of a few weeks before the beginning of classes, only 5% of incoming freshmen were able to avail of full scholarship. The rest, including those who are applying for lower tuition had to pay the full amount while they wait without assurance of refunds. Some families had to resort to selling their valuables and engage in loans to be able to send their children to UP.

Such is the state of education in this country – appalling.

Is there any way we can make the UP (at least) independent from political shenanigans? Sure, the Congress has the power of the purse, but can they at least not be parsimonious when it comes to state universities and colleges (SUCs)? Can politicians spare SUCs from their personal agendas?

With the persistent corruption problems and tax loopholes, the State is hardpressed on producing funds, hence the government policy to let UP generate its own income. I think UP’s Alumni Affairs should exert more effort in getting alumni to help out (calling UP alumni who made good money). The entire UP community should help out so that the university can generate steady income out of its own resources. I don’t think selling UP land is feasible in the long run. Why not lease these idle lands instead? How about forfeiting all assets of convicted plunderers in favor of UP? (Assuming that the Ombudsman can win all its plunder cases.)

Ultimately, it is the State’s primary duty to support the UP. The politicians who screw up the future of state scholars should be punished in whatever means possible. At the same time, we must help in ensuring that UP can educate our children and their children, first by paying our taxes, then by voting for the right leaders, and holding corrupt officials accountable for their sins.