Kabataan Party-list vows to bring youth’s fight in 20th Congress
By JIAN ZHARESE JOEIS SANZ
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Kabataan Partylist Congresswoman Renee Co vowed to push for pro-youth policies in light of the present administration’s neglect of the issues plaguing the youth sector.
In a speech June 30 marking the three years of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s three years in office, Co stressed that she will continue to advocate for the people and push for genuine change.
“Because Marcos Jr. is not taking our calls and demands over the past three years seriously, and now the crisis in society is only getting worse, we are holding him accountable, and we will continue our calls until real change is achieved,” Co told Bulatlat in an interview.
The young lawmaker also stretched out plans for the 20th Congress. For education, she said they will push for the Delivery of Accessible Services in Universities (Dasurv) Bill which aims to allocate funds and make essential services within universities free, such as food, healthcare, and housing for young students and for the Students’ Rights and Welfare Bill, or the STRAW Bill.
Co also advocated for the Human Rights Defenders Bill, a measure designed to protect human rights defenders who frequently face oppression and violence by the state. Additionally, she highlighted her support for the SOGIE Equality Bill, which has been pending since it was filed 25 years ago.
Mhing Gomez, Anakbayan national chairperson, cited in his speech the current reality of the education sector. According to him, the government is not meeting the international standard of allocating four percent to six percent of the country’s gross domestic product to the education sector.
“The government is depriving the education sector of funds, yet spares no expense when favoring landlords. Just recently, the Department of Agrarian Reform ordered the compensation of the Cojuangco family, the same family that has long been stealing land from the farmers,” said Gomez.
Gomez highlighted several pressing issues faced by students, including the annual tuition and other fee increases (TOFI) in private institutions, the presence of the Opt-Out and College Retention and Battery (CRAB) exam at Tarlac State University, and the recent advancements regarding the National Polytechnic University (NPU) Bill, which will impact students from Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
He also criticized the Second Congressional Commission on Education’s (EDCOM II) suggestion to remove general subjects in the guise of making students ‘job-ready’. Moreover, curriculum reforms in multiple higher education institutions are being pushed, including the University of the Philippines (UP).
Due to the deteriorating situation in the youth sector, Gomez vowed that as long as these conditions continue, the youth will bear the duty of advocating for genuine change.“If the government denies us our right to education, then we will find ways to learn beyond what the capitalists want and the government dictates.”
Co encouraged the youth to remain in the struggle, not just of their sector but of the other sectors as well. She also stressed that the current reality isn’t what the youth deserves, and that pro-people leaders and policies are much needed.
June 30 was Co’s first day of representing the youth sector in the 20th Congress. She and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio filed eight House Bills and two House Resolutions. (AMU, RVO)
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