Pagbutlak

Photos by Art Antaran, Kichi Lim, S.H

Youth across Iloilo walked out of their classrooms and into the streets on National Students’ Day as students from multiple universities mounted a coordinated march demanding accountability, higher education funding, and an end to systemic corruption, November 17.

The UP Visayas contingent began its walkout in Miagao before regrouping at the Iloilo City campus, where they joined students from other universities for a collective walkathon. With placards raised and chants echoing through the city, the march made its way to the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, where attendees formally converged for the main program.

At the Capitol, speakers from UPV, WVSU, CPU, youth formations, faculty, and sectoral organizations detailed the worsening conditions faced by students. They pointed to chronic budget cuts that leave classrooms overcrowded, facilities unfinished, and state universities forced to commercialize their spaces.

The UP System’s P20-billion budget gap for 2026, CHED’s P12.3-billion deficit in the Free Higher Education program, and a national education budget stuck at around 4 percent—well below UNESCO’s 6 percent recommendation—were cited as symptoms of a broader governance failure. Students linked these national crises to local controversies such as the Ungka and Aganan flyovers and the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project, arguing that corruption and misplaced priorities strain public services and undermine their right to quality, accessible education.

The walkout concluded with a firm call to sustain demands for higher education funding and genuine accountability. At the Capitol, students underscored that the struggle continues as long as public funds fall short of serving the people.