Kabataan Partylist presented 38th UP Student Regent, Atty. Renee Louise Co, as its first nominee who will take the lead in forwarding free, accessible, and quality education for all during the Makabayan National Convention yesterday at the San Andres Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
Atty. Co became UP Student Regent while being a law student during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns from January 2021 to August 2022, where her office led campaigns to ease academic workload, advance the safe reopening of campuses, and procure adequate budget to ensure the right to education of 60,000+ students affected by the pandemic. She also led the charge to protect the academic freedom of UP and other universities amid the abrogation of the UP-DND accord and worsening campus militarization.
Kabataan Partylist aims to address the worsening learning crisis in the next term (2025 – 2028) by forwarding both the:
- Students Rights Bill to ensure the freedom of students to think critically, express, wear preferred clothes, and self-organize to deliver their talents and skills for nation-building amid anti-student and repressive handbook rules; and the
- Adequate and Accessible University Services Bill to alleviate the costs of learning such as dormitory housing, transportation, food services, and other needs in schools, among other key measures.
“Dapat taasan ang badyet para sa mga paaralan para tiyakin ang sapat, maayos, at abot-kayang espasyo at serbisyo para sa mga estudyante sa lahat ng antas. Hindi dapat gawing pamalit ang online mode of learning bilang paraan para makamit ang makabuluhang pagkatuto ng kabataan,” says Co.
In recognition of the epidemic of student suicides and mental health problems in the aftermath of COVID-19 lockdowns, Kabataan updated its 9-point youth agenda to include a new agenda point: “Kalusugang pangkatawan at pangkaisipan”. The agenda point reads:
“Pondohan ang sistemang pangkalusugan para matiyak ang libre at abot-kamay na serbisyong tumutugon sa kalusugang pangkatawan at pangkaisipan. Dapat sapat ang mga pasilidad, medikal na gamit, gamot at iba pang mga pangangailangan para sa pagtugon sa sakit. Itigil ang pribatisasyon ng mga ospital at mga serbisyong pangkalusugan, at isapubliko ang mga ito para hindi na mapagkakitaan ng iilan. Ipatupad ang mga programa para isulong ang malusog na pamumuhay tulad ng kalinisan, palaro, pagtiyak ng masustansyang pagkain, at iba pang aktibidad ng komunidad para sa kagalingan ng bawat Pilipino. Ipalaganap ang mga kaalaman at programang mangangalaga sa kalusugan at kapakanang reproduktibo ng kabataan…”
Kabataan aims to mobilize the Filipino youth to fight for education, jobs, services, national sovereignty, and long-term pro-people development as the Pag-asa ng Bayan, against the foreign-dominated system of corrupt traditional politics. #
