UP, PUP students to stage walkouts decrying corruption, 2027 budget cuts

MANILA, Philippines — Students at several campuses of the University of the Philippines (UP) and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) will stage a walkout on Friday, Sept. 18, to condemn government corruption and looming budget cuts in 2027.

Campus-wide walkouts are scheduled in UP’s Diliman and Los Baños campuses at 11:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., and its Mindanao campus at 2:30 p.m., according to their respective student councils’ social media.

Students at the PUP’s campuses in Manila, Santo Tomas, Taguig City, Santa Rosa and Quezon City will also participate on Friday, their Office of the Student Regent announced.

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READ: 43% of state universities, colleges face budget cuts in 2027

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Organizations in other universities will likewise hold their own protest-actions, youth group Kabataan said in a social media post.

These include groups in UP’s Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Visayas and Mindanao campuses; Saint Louis University; University of Makati; De La Salle University; University of Santo Tomas; Far Eastern University; Ateneo de Manila University; Adamson University; and Cavite State University, Kabataan noted.

Civil society organization Education Network previously lamented that the Department of Education would be getting P973.40 billion for its 2027 budget, down from its P1.01 trillion funding in 2026.

Likewise, the National Union of Students of the Philippines earlier said that 43.46 percent of state universities and colleges across the country were expected to see budget cuts.

The protest actions also come three days before progressive and sectoral groups’ anticipated rallies marking the 54th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law by dictator and then-President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. /mr