Students and Various Organizations in UP Join Call to Scrap Pork

Students from the University of the Philippines joined in the anti-pork rally dubbed as the
Million People March which took place at the Luneta Park on Monday, August 26, 2013.
Among the attendees were members the University Student Council, representatives of the three
political parties (KAISA, STAND-UP and ALYANSA) in UP, student councils of the colleges in
Diliman, members of the UP Workers union, professors from different colleges and other
organizations.
The participants convened at the UP Diliman Quezon Hall at 7:00 am where a mini program was
held organized by UP Kilos Na a broad and comprehensive multi-sectoral alliance of students,
faculty, representatives, workers and administration in UP.
The program, hosted by Orly Putong, a convenor of UP Kilos Na, saw representatives from the
University Student Council and other sectors stress the need to scrap pork barrel and instead
allocate funds to social services.
One of the participants, Iris Garin, a 4
th
Year Broadcast Communication student, a member of
the Union of Journalists of the Philippines (OJP) and the Office of the Student Regent (OSR),
says she was overwhelmed to see a wide range of protesters from students, middle-class families,
clergymen and other professionals gathered into groups holding their own respective sessions
explaining why PDAF should be abolished.
While the Million People March was seen as one of the largest demonstration in recent time
here in the Philippines, Iris says that her experience is not as fulfilling as compared to previous
rallies where she participated as she claims that she never really felt the presence of a united
advocacy as many attendees looked like they were just riding the bandwagon.
Yung mga dating rally kasi na napuntahan ko, may mga program na sinesentrohan yung mga
tao, hindi tulad doon na may iba ibang grupo so medyo lost talaga. Paano hindi ko naramdam
yung advocacy ng mga pumunta doon kasi divided pa rin yung mga tao eh at marami akong
nakikitang mga tao na palipat lipat lang at nagpapapiktyur said Iris.
Ershad Ibba, a BA Sociology graduate and a current member of STAND UP and one of the
protesters saw the event as a success but found it ironic that the President declared himself as an
ally of the protesters where in fact the presidential pork is one of the things they call to scrap.
successful naman (ang demonstration) in a sense na nakapagmobilize ng madaming tao
bearing a united call to scrap the pork barrel system pero ang nangyari ay hi-nijack lang ni
Pnoy yung event even calling the attendees na "kakampi" when in fact kasama ang presidential
pork barrel sa dapat na mabuwag he said.