28/10/2026
𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗦: 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗨𝗣 𝗖𝗘𝗕𝗨 𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝟮.𝟵𝟱𝗕 𝗕𝗨𝗗𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗖𝗨𝗧 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗬 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳
The University of the Philippines (UP) System faces a proposed ₱2.95 billion budget cut under the FY 2027 National Expenditure Program, with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) proposing ₱26.53 billion compared to UP’s ₱29.47 billion allocation in 2026. This reduction threatens the university’s capacity to provide accessible, quality education and fulfill its mandate of scientific research and public service.
In the UP Cebu College of Science (COS), the consequences of insufficient resources are felt differently across our academic programs, but all point to the same struggle: 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲.
For 𝗕𝗦 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 students, reliable internet connectivity, properly maintained facilities and equipment, and conducive spaces for practical coursework and collaborative projects remain essential. Limited resources also constrain opportunities to participate in competitions beyond Cebu, limiting students’ exposure to broader technical and academic experiences. Furthermore, the UP Cebu SRP Campus remains unready for full utilization amid the lack of basic student services and infrastructure, as well as unresolved hazards in the area.
For 𝗕𝗦 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 students, the lack of a designated space in the College of Science Building means that classes are largely held in the Arts and Science Hall (AS Hall), where heavily damaged ceilings, broken air-conditioning units supplemented by electric fans, and inadequate classroom conditions undermine the learning environment. Connected classrooms separated by wooden partitions further compromise concentration as discussions from neighboring classes overlap. Students should not be expected to tolerate these conditions under the justification that “madala pa man” when a safe and conducive learning environment is a basic necessity, not a privilege.
For 𝗕𝗦 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀, access to midyear classes remains subject to requests and specified conditions, potentially limiting their flexibility in planning their academic progress. Students also need reliable statistical software, updated computing resources, datasets, and research support to apply statistical methods to real-world problems. Inadequate access to these resources restricts opportunities for practical learning, computational work, and collaborative research.
For 𝗕𝗦 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 students, laboratory-based education demands functional equipment, sufficient materials and reagents, properly maintained facilities, adequate laboratory technicians, and safe working environments. Without these essentials, opportunities for hands-on learning and meaningful scientific research are compromised. Students are also burdened by the substantial personal expenses required to meet thesis and special project requirements, shifting the financial costs of scientific education onto those who should be receiving institutional support.
Despite these distinct challenges, the struggles of COS students share a common root: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Limited academic spaces, inadequate facilities, insufficient research support, and the growing demands placed on faculty and university personnel reflect the consequences of underinvestment in public higher education.
These are not inconveniences students should simply learn to live with. They manifest a system that expects public universities to produce graduates as though they were mere commodities in the labor market, advance scientific research, and serve the Filipino people without providing the resources necessary to fulfill these responsibilities. Under the logic of neoliberal education, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀.
𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘀𝗸𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁.
We, the UP Cebu Sciences Federation, demand sufficient, sustained, and responsive funding for all State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), the UP System, UP Cebu, and the College of Science. We call for adequate classrooms and student spaces, functional laboratories and computing facilities, sufficient research resources, additional faculty and personnel, and proportional investment in infrastructure and student services as enrollment grows. We likewise demand transparency and accountability in the allocation and utilization of public funds to ensure that the university's actual needs are addressed.
The fight for sufficient funding is a fight for our right to learn, conduct research, innovate, and contribute to society without being held back by inadequate institutional support.
𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘀. 𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲. 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲.
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