YAD Cebu calls for Moratorium on Debt Payments, 6% of GNP to Education

From the weekly column of Atty. Gloria Estenzo-Ramos of the University of Cebu College of Law, Green Forum, and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines- National Environment Action Team (IBP-NEAT), published by Cebu Daily News yesterday.

Moratorium on odious debts

By Gloria Ramos
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 16:34:00 06/16/2008

“Moratorium,” according to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, means “suspension of an activity.” Recently, Youth Against Debt (YAD) called for a debt moratorium and for government to prioritize funding for education. The 1987 Constitution mandates the State to “assign the highest budgetary priority to education,” yet education spending was only 2.26 of the Gross National Product (GNP) in 2007. This falls below the accepted international standard for financing education, called the UNESCO Delors Benchmark, which set the education expenditure of developing countries at six percent of the GNP.

RP’s education budget lacked P1.66T: groups – SunStar

From SunStar Cebu

Tuesday, June 10, 2008
RP’s education budget lacked P1.66T: groups

IF a 1996 Unesco document were to be followed, the Philippine Government owes Filipino students P1.66 trillion to fund education.

This is according to a research found by the Youth Against Debt (YAD)-Cebu and the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC)- Cebu.

In a press conference yesterday, the group said that the Philippines signed the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco) Delors Benchmark that set the education expenditure of developing countries at six percent of the Gross National Product (GNP).

Group wants debt moratorium, 6% GNP education spending

From GMANews.TV news: Group wants debt moratorium, 6% GNP education spending

MANILA, Philippines – With one week to go before classes start, militant anti-debt youths demanded that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo follow the United Nations’ benchmark to spend six percent of gross national product on education.

The Youth Against Debt (YAD) also reiterated the call for a moratorium on paying “illegitimate” debts, instead of having President Arroyo calling for a freeze in tuition hikes.

Put Money Where Your Mouth Is – YAD

by Youth Against the Debt

One week from now, classes will formally open subjecting new and old students to the same old list of problems besetting the ever-dismal state of Philippine education. Yet, we from the Youth Against Debt (YAD) said that amid the political rhetoric, the often-ritualistic protest actions, and empty populism of our national leaders, little if none is said about the grave yet unnoticed wrongdoing – the blatant non-compliance to international standards on social spending by our succeeding governments from the time of Fidel V. Ramos up to Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.