Protests at opening of universities. Hundreds of youth at universities staged protests in August to welcome the opening of classes. They called for increased funding for education, an end to the commercialization of education, opposition to tuition and other fees increases, promotion of academic freedom and others. They also highlighted other people’s issues. Student councils and national-democratic youth organizations led the actions. Actions were held in all campuses of the University of the Philippines on different days in August. Protests were reported at the University of Sto. Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University, Far Eastern University and Saint Louis University.

South Cotabato indigenous people gather against mining. More than 500 B’laan and T’boli natives gathered in Sitio Tablo, Barangay Maan, T’boli, South Cotabato on August 22 to convey to the NCIP their opposition to the mining of 88 Kiamba Mining and Development Corporation and all other applications for mining in their area. The meeting was a response to the consultation called by the NCIP, but the agency did not attend.