Scrap the Iligan Institute of Technology (IIT) Separation from Mindanao State University (MSU) Bills

To:  Senator Manny Villar, Senate President, Senate of the Republic of the Philippines

Dear Senator Villar,

Iligan Institute of Technology came into existence by virtue of Republic Act 5363 which aims to produce graduates who have expertise on technical skills and knowledge to serve the growing number of industrial companies in Iligan City and the surrounding regions. IIT had gained its fiscal autonomy from the Mindanao State University System and has been receiving its budget directly from the Department of Budget and Management. While the rest of the autonomous campuses are at the mercy of begging its budget from the general budget of MSU System, IIT on the other hand, has been enjoying its fiscal autonomy already.

The separation of Iligan Institute of Technology has been pushed by the Badelles family for quite some time now. In the late 90’s, Congressman Tikbong Badelles authored House Bill No. 658, which aimed for the separation of IIT from the Mindanao State University System. Upon dissection, House Bill 658 clearly reveals that commercialization and privatization of the institution’s facilities, grounds and services is bound to happen. Which means skyrocketing of tuition, miscellaneous and other school fees. In addition, foreign donors of the university’s facilities will be allowed to have full control to their own benefit.

Due to massive resistance of students, faculty, staff, alumni and even the Iligan community, Cong. Badelles repeatedly pulled out the bill only to proposed it again to the lower house if the resistance seems to cool down. Nevertheless, through the vigilance of the students and concerned MSU-IIT professors, the proposal for the separation of IIT has been constantly thwarted.

Cong. Badelles substituted House Bill 658 with House Bill No. 4912 and consequently, Cong. Badelles connived with Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. where the latter introduced Senate Bill No. 1966 entitled “AN ACT SEPARATING THE ILIGAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE CITY OF ILIGAN FROM THE MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF MARAWI, PROVINCE OF LANAO DEL SUR, CONVERTING IT INTO A STATE UNIVERSITY TO BE KNOWN AS THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES (STUSP), THEREBY REPEALING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 5363 (AMENDED CHARTER OF THE NORTHERN MINDANAO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY) AND AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1387 (CHARTER OF THE MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY), AS AMENDED AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES” last March 16, 2005. It had gone through with the first reading last March 18, 2005. As of July 14, 2006, the bill is in the Senate Committee on Rules.

The Senate Bill No. 1966 version of the IIT separation bill have the following detrimental provisions:

1. Commercialization and Privatization of MSU-IIT (Section 6 and Section 23)
2. Bogus Consultation in fixing Tuition and Other School Charges (Section 7e)
3. Skyrocketing of Tuition Fees through Socialized Scheme of Tuition Fee (Section 7f)
4. Donors will have full control of the “legacies,” “gifts” and “donations” given to the university which are supposedly intended for academic use and benefits mainly to the university and the community (Section 7d)
5. Students are excluded from Major Administrative and Academic Decision-making (Section 11 and 12)
6. Political Affiliation and Beliefs of Faculty and Students Will be in Question (Section 15 and 16)

It is also important to note that according to the poverty data on the results of the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) conducted by the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB) last 2003, Lanao del Norte is in the 10th place in the ranks of the country’s poorest province having a Poverty Incidence among families of 46.5%. Neighboring provinces faired no better. Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga del Norte have a Poverty Incidence among families of 48.1% and 64.6%, respectively. It also noteworthy that Mindanao is home to seven of the 10 poorest provinces, according to the same latest poverty data. With the separation and eventual privatization of IIT, it is obvious that more students living below poverty line will be displaced from acquiring quality and affordable education.

An increase of the government’s subsidies to the university is the primary step to address the inequity of the ratio between the number of state universities and inhabitants in Mindanao. The separation of IIT from the MSU System will only result to further displacement of students from middle class and low income families, since the bill only entail commercialization, corporatization and privatization of the university.

It is of great hope that a thorough consultation with the Iligan Institute of Technology students and faculty, and the Mindanao State University Board of Regents shall be performed in order for the Senate of the Philippines to realize how unpopular the move to separate IIT from the Mindanao State University System is.

We, the undersigned, hereby petition against the passage of any bill that aims the separation of Iligan Institute of Technology from the Mindanao State University System as supported by the facts and arguments mentioned above.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Scrap the Iligan Institute of Technology (IIT) Separation from Mindanao State University (MSU) Bills Petition to Senator Manny Villar, Senate President, Senate of the Republic of the Philippines was created by and written by Charles Marquez (crcmarquezmd@yahoo.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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