More than 600 students from the University of the Philippines (UP) Visayas marched on their campus in Miag-ao, Iloilo on November 15 to convey their demands and concerns to the university administration. Various groups, organizations, and councils chanted during the march: “Do better UPV!”

The student rally was timed to coincide with the upcoming National Students’ Day (NSD) on November 17. The student councils, political parties, publications, organizations, and associations within UP Visayas presented their formulated NSD Student Walkout Agenda to the administration.

According to the NSD committee, the agenda is the result of thorough consultations and meetings with UP Visayas students. Issues addressed in the agenda include campus spaces, strengthening student autonomy, adequate facilities and resources, opposition to the UP Declaration of Cooperation with the AFP, rejection of budget cuts, and opposition to mandatory ROTC. The agenda also includes the demands of university employees and teachers.

With this, the students called on the administration to hold a dialogue to heed their concerns. “We believe that an open dialogue and a willingness to engage with students may address these important issues,” they stated in their declaration.

Ending the protest, student leaders from UP Visayas collectively submitted the youth agenda to the chancellor’s office. According to the NSD committee, their action clearly demonstrated the “numbers behind the appeals, [the] numbers that are repeatedly ignored.”

UP Visayas USC Chairperson Anton Quilantang stated that the protest demonstrated the collective strength of the students. “We showed that we must be heard as the largest sector of the university. We hope that the alliances, demands, and calls we have formed will continue and that we will carry them forward until we win them,” he said.

Meanwhile, students from West Visayas State University also held a protest on their campus in La Paz, Iloilo City that afternoon. This was followed by a march by various student and youth groups toward the Iloilo Capitol to declare their struggle for their democratic rights. The protest was led by the Western Visayas Youth and Students Alliance.