C OALITION FOR
B REAK T HE C HAIN !
nochain.pilipinas@gmail.com
The Beginning
The struggle to widen de-
mocratic spaces in academic
institutions has been the
longest running advocacy of
the student movement ever
since time immemorial.
Schools have failed time and
again to become more than
instructional sites or repro-
duction centers of labor
force. Astoundingly, more
and more restraints are
placed in the academic envi-
ronment which limits the
full potential of the stu-
dents. This, coupled with
problems on accessibility,
relevance and quality of
education has caused the
competence of our Filipino
students to lag behind our
neighboring countries dra-
matically.
One of the apparent reali-
ties that we have is that, the
education system is highly
deregulated, and this prob-
lem arises from the lack of a
national policy which could
place, at the very least,
minimum standards on how
to mitigate the worsening
gaps in the education sys-
tem.
By this, we realize that edu-
cation institutions are also
political and cultural centers
which ideally develop criti-
S TUDENTS ’ RIGHTS AND WELFARE
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cal thinking, that is, for all vulnerable the student sec-
intents and purposes, vital tor is in terms of protecting Because Students’
in social development and itself against unfair proceed-
nation building. Education ings within universities. Rights ARE HUMAN
should be holistic and Thus, the creation of Magna
should challenge the stu- Carta of Students.
Rights!
dents to explore greater
heights that could inspire
national progress.
But if other political rights
are curtailed, it is impossi-
ble for our students to fully
develop their skills and in-
telligence for the benefit of
the society in general.
More and more cases on
students’ rights violations
have been recorded even
after the restoration of our
democracy in 1986 EDSA
revolution. This presents a
disturbing image of our
political maturity as a na-
tion. Student leaders have
been suspended, expelled
or even arrested for staging
protests against certain
school policies. Student
journalists have likewise
experienced the same fate,
also being sued for libel for
exposing issues inside their
respective universities.
School papers have been
shut down or taken over by
university administrations
for purposes of censorship.
These cases only show how
P AGE 2
W HAT IS M AGNA C ARTA
Magna Carta of Students, as
the title implies, is a docu-
ment which guarantees the
political and civil liberties of
the Filipino students. Stu-
dents’ rights violations have
happened time and again over
the past years, and students
have almost always fallen on
the losing end. Magna Carta
of Students is a consolidated
version of three existing bills
which aims to uphold the
rights and welfare of students.
This bill is introduced by
What are our guaranteed rights as Filipino students?
Consistent with the 1987
With their  constitution, Magna Carta of
democratic rights  Students ensures the basic and
guaranteed,  fundamental rights of students
students can  as Filipino citizens. Specifi-
serve as a potent  cally, it guarantees the stu-
and  dents, their right 1. to admis-
cogent  sion, non-discrimination and
force for 
nation‐ quality education; 2. to or-
building  ganize and establish their own
student councils and/or or-
ganizations; 3. to participate
in policy-making processes;
Why do we need to guarantee these rights?
The lack of a national policy
to promote and protect the
rights and welfare of our stu-
dents has paved the way for
numerous oppressive and
repressive school policies that
have continuously marginal-
ized our students in the whole
process of democracy. From
deregulated fee increases to
media censorship to lack of an
independent Student Govern-
OF S TUDENTS ?
Reps. Edcel G. Lagman,
Rufus B. Rodriguez and Ana
Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel
in the House of Representa-
tives. At present, the bill is
being tackled in the commit-
tee of Higher and Technical
Education.
HB 2584 or Akbayan’s ver-
sion of the Students’ Rights
and Welfare bill, has gone
through in-depth consulta-
tions nationwide among dif-
ferent student councils/
4. to free expression and in-
formation; 5. to exercise
their academic freedom; 6. to
due process in disciplinary
proceedings; 7. to privacy;
and other rights such as their
right against unreasonable
searches and seizures and; 8.
their right to be secured
within school premises.
ment and as far as to campus
militarization, no policy cur-
rently exists that can suffi-
ciently and satisfactorily
guard our students from pos-
sible exploitations.
First, we argue that when we
talk about power relation, the
students are almost always
defenseless if not helpless,
when it comes to policy-
making processes within aca-
B REAK T HE C HAIN !
governments and youth or-
ganizations. Magna Carta of
Students is a product of thor-
ough discourse among student
and youth leaders.
“Magna Carta of Stu-
dents is a document
which guarantees the
political and civil lib-
erties of the Filipino
students.”
demic institutions. Only state
universities are mandated to
establish their student gov-
ernments at the tertiary level,
from which the student rep-
resentative of the highest pol-
icy making body of the uni-
versity will be selected. The
students’ lack of representa-
tion in policy-making bodies
in private universities and in
most locally funded colleges
Continue reading to p3
NOCHAIN . PILIPINAS @ GMAIL . COM
Why do we need to guarantee these rights?...continued from p2
and universities (LGU col-
leges and universities) defeat
the whole essence of democ-
racy. Students are the biggest
stakeholders in the whole
education system and should
therefore be given decent
chances to state their views/
opinions on matters that will
directly affect them, such as
tuition increase.
Second, Magna Carta of Stu-
dents is a black and white
document which goes beyond
the discourse of religion, ide-
Is the bill set against university administrators?
No. The bill actually recog-
nizes the role of all the stake-
holders in the whole educa-
tional system. The bill ac-
knowledges the transient na-
ture of the students thereby
providing mechanisms for
checks and balances in all
university processes. For ex-
ample, the bill tasks school
administrations to create a
School Fee Board which shall
be comprised of “equal num-
Can the bill be circumvented and utilized against students?
NO. As earlier stated, mecha-
nisms are placed in the bill to
ensure checks and balances in
all crucial processes in the
university. This bill likewise
empowers the Department of
Education, the Commission
on Higher Education and the
Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority to
become more than monitor-
ing institutions. It allows
ology, race, political affilia-
tion or sexual orientation.
This premise is rooted from
the concept that education
should not contain any form
of prejudice towards any form
of self-expression.
“Education should en-
courage free and criti-
cal thinking which
could help in molding
and crafting new ideas
and means that could
ber of representatives from
administration, academic and
non-academic personnel,
parents/guardians, students
and alumni associa-
tions” (Section 12, Chapter 3,
Substitute bill, Magna Carta
of Students). This board shall
study the administration’s
proposal for fee adjustments,
and consequently conduct
consultations among students
and make necessary recom-
these agencies to render judg-
ment and execute necessary
administrative punishments or
make essential recommenda-
tions in the Department of
Justice for prosecution of any
offending party which/who
has violated any provision in
the bill.
P AGE 3
later contribute to
genuine national devel-
opment.” Tina Langit
SCAP Vice-
Chairperson for
NCR.
UP Manila Bigkis,
Chair
mendations thereafter. …the full enjoyment
Students can always file an and exercise of the
appeal in their university gov- right to education is
erning boards or in the De- curtailed when
partment of Education, in the other rights and
Commission on Higher Edu- freedoms are not
cation and/or in the Techni- recognized,
cal Education and Skills De- protected and
promoted within or
velopment Authority through
inside educational
their student councils/ institutions. –
governments should they Akbayan Rep.
disagree with certain adminis- Risa Hontiveros
trative policies.
Simple rights. 
 
Fundamental. 

Student Council Alliance of the  Akbayan Youth
Philippines
Union of Catholic Student Councils  ‐Youth and Students
C OALITION FOR S TUDENTS ’ RIGHTS
AND WELFARE
A network of student councils and
student organizations which are
supporting the Magna Carta of Students.
nochain.pilipinas@gmail.com
http://nochain.wordpress.com/
Because Students’ Rights
ARE HUMAN Rights!
Why do we need Because this is a
to support the bill? concrete step to
address the per-
ennial problems in the education system.
The bill can always be amended and im-
proved in the future. This is our proposal,
our bill.
Members: 
 
 
National Anti‐Poverty Commission
  
UP Diliman CSSCP SC  National Youth Parliament 
 
UP Diliman ALYANSA  Movement for the Advancement 
UP Manila Bigkis  of Student Power  
UP Manila Medicine SC  Center for Youth Advocacy and 
Networking  
Ateneo Sanggunian ng Mag‐
aaral   
De La Salle SC 
Philippine Normal University 
Executive Body 
Philippine Normal University 
Legislative Body   
University of Asia and the Pa‐
cific Student Executive Board 
University of Asia and the Pa‐
cific Anima 
University of Asia and the Pa‐
cific Politeia 
Polytechnic University of the 
Philippines—Alliance of Stu‐
dents for Alternative Politics 
Philippine Normal University—
Alliance of Students for Alterna‐
tive Politics 

Pass the
Magna
Carta of
Students
NOW!