Students on the march

Title

Language

English

Year

1969

Subject

Education - Economic aspects

Marcos administration

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

WHAT WAS regarded as impossible in the Philip pines came true in recent weeks. For the first time, students in many universities and colleges in the Greater Manila area and throughout the country turned in ward their campuses and demand ed reforms within their schools. Student demonstrations have been common particularly since the early sixties, but these have been directed at matters outside the schools: graft and corruption, American imperialism, Congres sional allowances, crime, and so forth, but this time, students have discovered there have been many things wrong on their own cam puses and quadrangles. The recent student strikes were apparently inspired by the move of the public school teachers in Ma nila to walk out of their classrooms for failure of the city government to release their salary differenti als. The public school teachers themselves set a record by strik ing for the first time when they saw that while they had been de nied their just due the city mayor Over at the Diliman campus the University of the Philippines students declared a strike which was joined in by ordinarily apa thetic elements such as the facul ty and non-academic personnel. For the first time in the his» tory of the U.P. students succeed ed in bringing the university into a grinding halt. Students in red arm bands were stopping vehicles and urging occupants to join them. The original 77 demands of the students ranged from student au tonomy to smoking outside the classrooms, but after a series of negotiations with the newly in stalled president, Salvador P. Lo pez, who had just left his post as Philippine Ambassador to the UN, the demands were compressed into about twenty which were discuss ed with President Marcos in an unusual confrontation with U.P. students. Before the meeting at U.P., President Marcos met with stud ent leaders at Centro Escolar Uni versity where he: 1. Ordered Secretary of Fi nance Eduardo Romualdez to use his visitorial powers and see if he can make the private educational institutions reduce their tuition fees to the 1966 level. 2. Constituted an ad hoc com mittee to study the creation of a youth and student affairs office through an administrative order; 3. Authorized the release of P5 million from unprogrammed ap propriations for the improvement of the facilities of state colleges and universities. 4. Said he would certify to Congress a bill providing for a Magna Carta for students. 5. Announced he was setting aside P3 million as a trust fund for student welfare projects and civic action programs. Students On The March and councilors had been enjoying fat allowances. In no time, students in Manila universities and colleges’’ were staging sympathy demonstrations, and made their own demands, particularly reforms in their schools and the lowering of tui tion fees. At the Lyceum, students de manded the readmission of several students and press freedom. In a few days students were provok ed into breaking practically all the glass windows of Lyceum while student leaders and the universi ty officials tried to negotiate the end of the strike. The student unrest spread to Far Eastern University, Univer sity of the East, Philippine Col lege of Criminology, Manila Cen tral University, Mapua Institute of Technology, FEATI, University of Manila, Philippine Maritime In stitute, and the University of Santo Tomas and other schools across the country. PRES. MARCOS meets with UP students. PHILIPPINE MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 28, 1969 6. Ordered the revision of the manual of information issued by the Bureau of Private Schools so that it would be more effective in giving the students the means to establish stability in schools. 7. Set aside P2 million for scho larships in technology and science for needy but deserving students effective next school term. 8. Ordered the immediate pro cessing and award of land titles to claims of state educational in stitutions. At his meeting with U.P. stu dents the President also: 1. Directed the restoration of fraternities and sororities outlaw ed by the university. 2. Ordered Executive Secretary Rafael Salas to constitute and head a committee which will meet periodically with student leaders to thresh out their problems. 3. Ordered the release of ne cessary funds for the improve ment of university facilities. The strike in U.P. was however far from over and the students continued with their strike until they said all their demands were satisfied. The strikes easily spread to U.P. in Iloilo, U.P. in Los Banos, U.P. in Baguio. More Manila campuses such as Manuel L. Que zon University, Arellano Univer sity, felt the rumblings of students on the march. It has been felt however that what would have been a truly ex plosive situation was defused when President Marcos him self went to the students to con duct a dialogue unprecedented in Philippine educational history. As the President himself told the students: ‘T have opened this dialogue, and I hope that it will continue. Feel free to see me; you have a standing invitation.” By the time the student unrest simmered down, President Marcos has certified to Congress the bills proposing a Magna Carta for Stu dents. The bills stressed the rights of students in matters of admission, due process, free publications, competent instruction, student government, use of campus facil ities, academic freedom, and res pect of the rights of others. The President also formed by executive order the youth and student affairs office that will act as a liaison between students and the government and serve as a clearing house for student de mands and grievances. PM A MONUMENT TO FILIPINO GENIUS When the Cultural Center of the Philippines opens this summer it will be the culmination of long years of frustra tions. For the first time since the war, the nation's artists will be given a place of honor, and a place where they can be hon ored. Too long, have our artists suffered the humiliation of having to perform in commercial and cinema houses, often under the sponsorship of foreign foundations whose primary interest is to impose their idea of art or culture on a people still seeking their place in the world. The Cultural Center of the Philippines, built through funds raised by Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos, rectifies these shortcomings. Lastenonth, Senator Benigno Aquino attempted to make a political issue out ofthe Cultural Center, saying in effect that it is for the élite and not for the masses. Senator Aquino's at tacks, delivered in a most unkindly manner, have loqg been dismissed as political moves (to test Mrs. Marcos's public sup port?) but questions still linger on whether it was really neces sary to build a center for the arts. If national leaders were developing not men, but machines, then perhaps all that is. needed is oil. But national construction means the develop ment of the whole man, as well. Great men throughout the world were steeped in the humanities. It is the task of na tional leaders to see to it that citizens have a chance to prosper both materially and intellectually. The arts and commerce should go hand in hand. In an interview with The Philippine Magazine, Mrs. Mar cos declined to pursue the political issues raised by Sen. Aqui no but requested critics to be patient. "In a few months we will inaugurate the Cultural Center," she said, "let's see if we built it for the élite or for the people." Mrs. Marcos said that the public will be admitted free to many of the exhibitions at the Cultural Center. "If we have to charge for some presen tations to compensate the artists, I assure you the fee will be within the reach of all art lovers." The Cultural Center of the Philippines stands on a piece of reclaimed land along Roxas Boulevard in Manila. When fin ished, it will be one of the country's tourist attractions. The view from the boulevard, at sunset, with the silhouetted Cul tural Center building in the foreground, is simply breathtaking. To think that less than two years ago, this was a bare patch of land. What never fails to amaze visitors, especially Americans who are themselves proud of their Lincoln Center, is the speed with which the Cultural Center was built. It took the Rocke fellers 15 years to build the Lincoln Center; dedicated Filipinos build theirs in two years. In grateful recognition of her efforts, the nation's artists trooped to Malacahang last month to thank Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos for constructing the Cultural Center of the Philippines. -5PB PHILIPPINE MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 28, 1969 5

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