A Letter for Mayor Peter Rei Bautista

February 7, 2008

“An education program that is accessible and that strengthens quality education”

This was one of the promises of Mayor Peter Rey Bautista in answer to the question “Why I Merit to be the Mayor of Baguio” published in this paper before the local elections last year. Many times, Mayor Bautista had also declared his “support” for the youth in his jurisdiction (who hugely composed his voters) and had been praised for this.

Now, such promises are again being challenged.
The University of Baguio (UB), which is owned by the mayor’s family, announced that it will be increasing its tuition fee by 7.5-10 % for enrollees this coming June-- merely two years since its raised its miscellaneous fees by similar percentage. Obviously, UB has a lot to explain to justify this move. This is unreasonable since the university had declared a net income of P26 million in 2006. It has to consider its students whose parents’ sweat and sacrifice are sending them to school.

In view of his promises, Mayor Bautista is now torn between his “family’s business” and his obligation to serve the public--particularly the youth sector he vowed to support. If he chooses to be an honorable public servant, we are then asking him to intervene in the following:
1. for UB to declare “no classes” on a weekday between January 19-22 to give way for a mass consultation with the students regarding the tuition fee increase. The consultation day set by the UB administration on February 16 is a Saturday, during which only a few students are in the university. To really hear the “majority” of the students and to prove UB’s sincerity, the university should put no barriers to the participation of its students in the consultation.
2. for UB to allow students to articulate their sentiments through gatherings at the Avencleto Street in front of UB. Since UB was established, the Anacleto Diaz Street was declared by UB as “private.” This no longer holds true as the public is utilizing the street. Hence, students are free to also use it to express their freedom to speak.

If Mayor Bautista genuinely keeps the interests of the youth at heart and aims for them a quality education that is “accessible,” then we hope he heeds these calls.

May he be a man of his words.

Alliance of Concerned Students Against Tuition and Other Fess Increase-University of Baguio 09204813063