UP's tradition of dissent and activism, dating back to the First Quarter Storm of the 1970s, raises awareness of sectoral struggles and societal issues. This year's SONA saw UP once again at the forefront of activism, with rallies commencing from Vinzons Hall, a symbolic hub for student activism.
Among the sectoral calls is the need to address neoliberalism in education, which leads to inequality. Market-driven approaches disadvantage marginalized groups and undermine the social and civic purposes of education by prioritizing economic goals. This is evident in the commercialization that has gradually taken over the spaces of UP, where vendors, drivers, and the community are the first casualties of these changes, sacrificed for the university's increased revenue. Additionally, there is a pressing need to increase the wages of teachers.
Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel advocates for a nationalist, scientific, and mass-oriented Philippine education. He studied at the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) and graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics, becoming the first summa cum laude in UPV. He believes that, especially for the youth, the government should improve the current K-12 education system and genuinely change the curriculum. Instead, the government plans to add the technical-vocational track to all senior high schools. This will only exacerbate the problem and make students' studies even more burdensome.
Gabriela Women's Party Rep. Arlene Brosas is an advocate for women and children's rights as well as teachers' welfare. She studied Philippine Studies at UP Diliman and went on to teach Philippine Literature, Humanities, and Science, Technology, and Society at UP Baguio and UP Manila. Recently, she announced her candidacy for the Senate in the upcoming 2025 elections.
For her, preventing ongoing human rights violations, charges, and brutality requires necessary policy changes. The nation is specifically asking for attention to human rights, environmental concerns, and the rights of defenders. We hope these issues will be addressed, along with women's rights, about which we have heard nothing so far.
Among the issues raised to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in this year's annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) are demands for wage increases, lowering prices of goods, protecting the country's sovereignty, increase in education budget, and abolishing the anti-terror law. Other criticisms include comments on alleged conflict between him and Vice President Sara Duterte, and the Bagong Pilipinas campaign, which was described as a band-aid solution in lieu of meaningful societal change. Through decades of political upheaval, UP's resolve at SONA rallies underscores its commitment to the nation, continuing the spirit of its alumni who fought for freedom in generations past.
Photos by Kevin Roque, UP MPRO
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