time flies

Saturday, December 16, 2006

They have cancelled the traditional Christmas Lantern Parade at UP Diliman this year. When Steph, my batchmate and SC Councilor, told me it was cancelled i felt downtrodden. I felt like something was taken away from me. The lantern parade is one of the things that makes me proud that i am a UP student but because the "CAO" supposedly received a death threat and a rally was on-going at the Quezon Hall to oppose the approval of the 300% Tuition Fee increase, the tradition was canceled.

Oh well... Some colleges like NCPAG still went on with the tradition. Other colleges who went on with the parade either merged with other colleges or went solo. NCPAG teamed up wil SOLAIR (School of Labor and Industrial Relations). We had this 3 Higantes which stood for the values of SOLAIR and our DOME - the lantern version of it. What made it somewhat cool was the marching band (thanks to Vice Mayor Mojica of Trese Martires Cavite, an NCPAG MPA student) and that I saw some professors really BRINGING IT ON! HAHAHA! It was funny and cool. I saw Sir Delfin and he had this super festive aura and moves that was so contagious my feeling of sadness and disappointment wore off a bit. But still it felt different.

*Sigh*. I was willing to forget about the disappointment yesterday but this morning when i opened my mail, it all came back and this time with RAGE. Apparently the decision was unanimous and final: next year, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES WILL INCREASE ITS TUITION AND OTHER FEES FOR 300%. Meaning, from P300 per unit, next academic year, it will be P1000/unit. Damn.

I'm not naman super anti-tuition increase. It's just that they could increase it naman to P500 or P600. Okay pa yan e. In my opinion, P1000 is a drastic amount. Kahit pa sabihin nilang it was ages ago when they last increased the tuition fee, the fact that we are a PUBLIC university, they should have considered the fact that not all can afford to pay. Of course they're saying na the re-arrangement of the STFAP bracket will compensate for the drastic increase pero i think it's not enough. Para na tayong naging isa sa mga private at elitistang universities! Oo, alam ko namang my parents could afford it, pero pano yung mga hindi? Pano yung mas pipiliing ipangkain ang P1000 kesa ipantustos sa pag-aaral?

Hay... i don't want to blame the government for a lot of things, but this time, I've had it. It's the fault of the politicians who don't think of anything but their own good (damn stupid, unknowing voters who voted for them!). kung hindi nila kinukurakot ang pera ng pilipinas, hindi tayo mababaon sa utang at hindi ipa-prioritize sa annual budget ang pagbabayad dito. Mas magkakaron sana ng mataas ng subsidy ang mga state colleges and universities na katulad ng UP at hindi na kailangang magtaas ng tuition fee. Syet.

Naaawa ako dun sa mga kabataang naghahangad na magkaroon ng quality education at nagnanais tuparin ang childhood dream na makapasok sa UP. Iisipin nila ngayon na kung wala silang pera, hindi na nila ito matutupad kahit kailan.

Ano kaya ang mangyayari sa mga susunod na araw?

Paano na ang mga future Iskolars ng Bayan?

Paano na... kame?

Labels: disappointment, Lantern parade, rage, stupid politicians, tuition fee increase, UP, worries

lost and killed 7:35 PM

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you'll never know what you're gonna get"
- Forrest Gump

"Real love is when you love someone without asking for anything in return. It's when even a passing smile can make your day, a small pat on the back can make you feel alive and the mere sound of his/her voice can move you to break out into a song inside. Real love isn't fate nor is it written in the stars. You , yourself, have to make love happen. It's a choice; a commitment that you stand up for. And even if you're uncertain if he'she loves you back, you take the risk of facing whatever pain that would come your way simply because you believe he/she is worth everything and more."