Slashing the financial resources of campus journalism hinders the voice of young scribes and is an alarming barrier to democracy. The drastic decrease of the funds in the proposed 2019 National Expenditure Program will be an act of supressing the voice of students.

 

In a nation plagued by various social issues, extrajudicial killings and corruption, responsible journalism acts as a vital watchdog of society, the government and various institutions. But campus journalists will take the biggest hit in the proposed 2019 budget cut on the Department of Education. Reducing the financial allocation on campus journalism contradicts Article 3, Section 4 of the R. A. 7079 or Campus Journalism Act of 1991 which states that no law shall be passed abridging freedom of expression.

 

The 77.6 percent decrease on the budget will have a huge toll on the various press conferences, trainings and workshops of student-journalist and school paper advisers who practice their freedom of speech to raise and challenge the issues we face.

 

The Philippines has a long history of oppression - having been placed under Martial Law by Ferdinand Marcos and colonial rule. Since the dawn of campus journalism, students have harnessed the power of the pen to combat abusive leaderships, much like that of Jose Rizal who used his literature against Spain.

 

Scribes even rallied when Rappler’s certificate was revoked as an alleged manifestation of the President Rodrigo Duterte regime ‘s attempts to silence the press. Needless to say, this is very reminiscent of the budget cuts on campus journalism. Journalism is a watchdog of society and helps shape public opinion. In the fight to maintaining our democracy, campus journalism is the last thing we should put at stake.