(Last of 3 parts) 

8. Academic strike

On National Youth Day, students gathered in front of the Ateneo de Manila University to press their call for an academic strike against the alleged negligence of the government in disaster response and the handling of the Covid19 pandemic.

Clad in black, members of various groups carried placards as they demanded accountability from government.

Before other schools across the country joined the call, Ateneans were the first to seek a strike on November 18.

The students laid down various demands that they said the government should meet.

Their demands included an academic break; retention of financial assistance to students in need; continuous payment of salaries of teaching and non-teaching personnel; greater access to electricity and internet nationwide; and subsidies for teachers, students, and families for distance learning.

The students demanded an effective pandemic response based on the recommendations and counsel of epidemiologists and other medical experts; the cessation of military-centric solutions to medical problems including the removal of military officials in posts meant for public health officials; and the rechanneling of government funds including the P4.5 billion confidential and intelligence funds toward the health sector.

They also demanded free mass testing, a clear Covid19 strategy, and livelihood assistance for those who lost their jobs.

9. Calls for relief operations

After recent typhoons, flooded communities and damaged properties, Filipinos were quick to act even in the face of limited mobility and slow disaster response due to the unexpected deluge of rescue reports.

With the need for efficient and rapid assistance, several concerned citizens including students banded together and took it upon themselves to make use of what they have to help their countrymen in time of need.

Students maximized the use of social media to consolidate rescue efforts, load requests, and relief drives for those heavily affected by the typhoons.

The office of the Student Regent of Polytechnic University of the Philippines called for the unity of state universities and colleges and partnered with them for a nationwide donation drive.

Meanwhile, the University of Santo Tomas Central Student Council conducted a benefit concert for those affected by the typhoons. CSC also donated money that was supposed to be this year’s Paskuhan celebration along with a portion of the council’s funds.

The University of the Philippines-Visayas assisted in the repacking of relief goods by the Department of Social Welfare and Development intended for frontliners and those affected by the typhoons.

10. Stop the killings

Calls to end police brutality dominated conversations online just few days before Christmas, after a cop was caught in a viral video killing an unarmed mother and son in Paniqui, Tarlac.

Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca shot Sonya Gregorio and Frank Gregorio during a heated argument.

In this latest crime committed by a police officer, angered citizens again questioned the police’s mandate of protecting the Filipinos from crime.

Different student councils and organizations joined the top Twitter trends on December 21, 2020 like #StopTheKillings, #JusticeforSonyaGregorio and #PulisAngTerorista.

The University of Santo Tomas Central Student Council said that Nuezca’s crime is “connected to the horrors and injustices done by various policemen.”

The University of the East’s University Student Council demanded justice for the death of Gregorios, urging that the killings and police brutality in the country be put to an end.

The Adamson University Student Government, meanwhile, said that police shooting in Tarlac is not an isolated case, but a reflection of lawlessness.

“In a cabinet controlled by the military leaders, the very actions, deeds and policies of the Commander-in-Chief and others can continue to allow maltreatment, killings, and abuses due to the fact that our very state government contains forces from the police to the military. This is not the time to remain silent or allow further anti-grassroots measures, such as the death penalty, to be implemented,” AdU-USG said.