In light of the news article by Manila Standard Today entitled "UP students, faculty launch 3-day strike" where UP ALYANSA was reported to have led the budget mobilization which occurred last Wednesday (to quote: "The UP-Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral Para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran led the walk along the academic Oval area and marched on the 2.2-kilometer oval to demonstrate their unity against the cut in the school’s budget and the budgets of other state universities and colleges," italics added), we forward the following clarifications:
1. In our Press Release dated September 21, 2011, it was clearly stated that UP ALYANSA NEVER CLAIMED to have led the budget mobilization. We quote: “UP Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (ALYANSA), one of the participants in the university-wide strike, appeals to the government to increase the UP budget and invest more in education” (italics added). UP ALYANSA HOLDS NO CONTROL over the editing and writing of news articles in major print and TV media.
2. After being made aware of the said article, UP ALYANSA immediately contacted the writer of the said article requesting for an erratum for immediate publishing. We have attached a link of our Press Release distributed to all print and TV media, and another article published by Sun.Star Manila correctly reflecting what we forwarded.
3. UP ALYANSA believes that investing in our people via a higher education budget is a collective struggle that transcends our political colors or parochial concerns. It is a collective struggle that no single person, no single group, or no organization can merely lay claim to. It is a collective struggle that UP ALYANSA is in, together with the education sector, as we stake the claim for our future.
Iskolar para sa Bayan, kasama ka sa pagkamit ng quality, relevant, at accesible education.
INCREASE THE UP BUDGET, INVEST IN EDUCATION.
LINK TO UP ALYANSA'S PRESS RELEASE, “Government should adopt '6%-of-GNP to education' standard in PH - UP protesters”: http://www.facebook.com/notes/up-alyansa/press-release-21-september-2011-government-should-adopt-6-of-gnp-to-education-st/10150394599370775
LINK TO THE MANILA STANDARD TODAY NEWS ARTICLE, "UP students, faculty launch 3-day strike": http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews.htm?f=2011%2Fseptember%2F22%2Fnews5.isx&d=2011%2Fseptember%2F22
LINK TO THE SUN.STAR NEWS ARTICLE, “Government urged to allot 6% of GNP to education” - ALSO BASED FROM UP ALYANSA’S PRESS RELEASE: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2011/09/21/government-urged-allot-6-gnp-education-180624
