02/05/2026
BAGUIO STUDENT LEADERS WELCOME PRONOUNCEMENTS OF TOFI MORATORIUM FOR AY 2026โ2027, PRESS FOR FURTHER ACTION!
Recently, in a press conference, Shirley Agrupis of the Commission on Higher Education stated that โthis is not the right time to increase tuition.โ We recognize this pronouncement as a response to the mounting clamor of students nationwide who
Earlier this year, students across private HEIs in the city, students faced TOFI proposals: Saint Louis University initially proposed a 6.5% increase in other fees, while University of Baguio pushed for a 10% tuition hike for incoming freshmen and transferees. while the University of the Cordilleras proposed for a 5% increase. In response, student leaders launched the and campaigns, exposing how persistent fee increases remain questionable, lack transparency, and fail to reflect the actual quality of services received by students.
We highlight that this pronouncement is the product of sustained, organized, and collective action by the studentry. As such, we regard this as an initial victory, However, the fight does not end here. Pronouncements alone do not guarantee protection. The Commission on Higher Education must immediately issue a binding and enforceable memorandum to formalize this position. The scope must be expanded to cover not only tuition but all other fees and related schemes that effectively increase the cost of education. Without concrete policy action, students remain vulnerable to circumvention and piecemeal impositions.
At a time of deepening economic crisis, the burden must not be placed on students. The call remains urgent and unequivocal: reject all forms of TOFI, ensure transparency and accountability in higher education institutions, and advance a system that guarantees accessible, quality, and genuinely democratic education for all.
The struggle continues!