The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) is facing possible commercialization of its services, following the revival of the National Polytechnic University (NPU) Bill. The measure will allow privatization of some university services and open business ventures in the university.
The NPU Bill, or House Bills 8829, 8860, and 9060, seeks to amend Presidential Decree 1341 or the PUP Charter. These measures seek to grant PUP fiscal autonomy, but also allow its administration to privatize nonacademic services.
Members of the PUP community have demonstrated their opposition to the bill. On February 12, PUP students mobilized at the Batasang Pambansa to express dismay over the NPU Bill and the absence of a student representative when the Committee of Higher and Technical Education (CHTE) was debating the measure.
“Maaring makakuha ng mataas na budget, pero tataas mga pangangailangan ng mga estudyante pag tinuloy ang prioritization ang komersyalisasyon ng basic needs ng mga estudyante,” Chairperson of Alyansa ng Kabataang Mamamahayag ng PUP Brell Lacerna said.
Section 7(w) of the NPU Bill states: “To privatize, where most advantageous to the institution, management of non-academic services such as health, food, building or grounds, or property maintenance and similar such other objectives.”
Baguio Rep. Mark Go, chairperson of the CHTE, said these provisions would eventually help the PUP generate income for the students. Go elaborated that the possible business ventures with PUP could eventually lead to “profitable development,” such as the UP Town Center.
However, for Lacerna, the passage of the NPU Bill would only translate to higher food, health service, and even building maintenance costs. He added that while the bill could create extra profit for PUP, profit-driven initiatives would precede student welfare.
“Majority ng mga mag-aaral sa PUP ay mga anak ng mga manggagawa kaya’t ang pagtaas ng presyo dahil sa epekto ng komersyalismo, tiyak na hindi angkop ang mga ito para sa mga mag-aaral,” Lacerna said.
The impact of commercialization is nothing new for public universities. In UP Diliman, vendors were forced to be displaced to give way for Gyud Food Hub and the DiliMall which are all products of business ventures.
Despite PUP’s aim to attain additional funding from the government to support over 80,000 students and various university services, its ambition to achieve the NPU status has been thwarted in the past years.
In 2019, then President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the NPU Bill citing concerns on fiscal impact, performance assessment of the university and the deviation from existing autonomy policies.
"[PUP’s] proposed designation as a national polytechnic university needs to be reassessed in light of its current performance ranking among other SUCs,” Duterte said in his veto message.
During the NPU Bill hearing earlier this month, PUP Student Regent Miss Kim Modelo instead forwarded a call to increase PUP’s budget and the salary of teaching and non-teaching personnel, to resist PUP’s privatization, and to uphold academic freedom.
Prior to the hearing for the NPU Bill with the PUP student regent, the committee did not consult with the university then proceeded to the hearing, which caused student demonstrations in front of the House of Representatives.
During the protest action, PUP students were violently dispersed by police officers from the Quezon City Police District.
“Ilang dekada na ang ipinaglaban ng mga PUP students para sa libreng matrikula. Ngayon pinaglalaban ang libreng edukasyon, all the more reason na dapat pag-laban ng mga ibang unibersidad ipaglaban ang karapatan nila upang makakuha ng accessible at quality education,” Lacerna said. ●
