Students from the University of the Philippines-Manila (UPM) launched a protest action in front of the UPM College of Arts and Sciences to commemorate the 12th anniversary of Kristel Tejada’s passing, yesterday.
Kristel Tejada was a freshman at UPM studying BA Behavioral Science in 2013 when she was forced to file a leave of absence (LOA) because of her inability to pay the P10,000 tuition. At that time, Tejada’s father was a part-time taxi driver who just lost his job and pleaded with UPM administration to allow her to continue studying.
Days after filing for LOA, she took her life.
Students of the university annually commemorate Tejada’s passing and they assert that what happened to her is a manifestation of a commercialized educational system.
The protesters also condemned the university’s no late payment and Return Service Agreement (RSA) policies, stating that these further exacerbate the economic plight of students and their families.
