Cebu youth march against corruption, push for post-calamity policies

CEBU CITY — On National Students Day, Cebuano youth and student organizations in Cebu marched from Fuente Osmeña Circle to Metro Colon on Monday, November 17, to commemorate National Students Day with renewed calls for government accountability and safer post-calamity campus policies.

Students criticized what they described as widespread corruption under the Marcos Jr. administration and urged action on real estate–driven deforestation, which they said worsened the flooding brought by recent typhoons in Cebu. They also pressed universities to ensure a safe and humane transition to face-to-face classes, citing students’ ongoing struggles after the calamities.

Maui Cruz, representative of Kabataan Kontra Korapsyon, told Bulatlat that amid the string of calamities in Cebu, students have been among the most affected.

“Can students really return to school right after watching their homes go underwater and their families suffer from the recent typhoon and earthquake?” she asked rhetorically. “Of course not. While our students are struggling, our money is being siphoned into the pockets of corrupt government officials,” she added. | Maverick Avila/Bulatlat