Students will unite despite the snub from Benguet State University.
According to Gabriel Siscar of Kabataan Partylist (KPL), the organizers anticipate that at least a thousand students will attend the gathering to amplify their demands.
Organized by groups including Kabataan Partylist (KPL), Anakbayan, the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), and the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), the protest is themed: “Walkout Para sa Edukasyon, Kabuhayan, at Pananagutan” (Walkout for Education, Livelihood, and Accountability).
Benguet State University (BSU) has bucked a planned student protest on various social issues, issuing a non-endorsement to caution its enrollees.
The walkout is set to highlight issues such as budget cuts in education, the Baguio Public Market Privatization, the Jeepney Phaseout, mining in Mankayan, Benguet, and continued corruption in the country. A simultaneous walkout across major campuses has been scheduled.
The planned student protests, dubbed “Walkout Para sa Edukasyon, Kabuhayan, at Pananagutan,” are scheduled to take place across several campuses at specific times, with a centralized program to follow. The demonstration is set to begin at 12:00 PM at Benguet State University (BSU), followed by the Saint Louis University (SLU) Bakakeng Campus at 2:00 PM. Later in the afternoon, the walkout will proceed to the University of the Philippines Baguio (UP Baguio) at 3:30 PM, and then concurrently at the University of the Cordilleras (UC) and the University of Baguio (UB) at 5:00 PM.
Following the campus-level activities, all participants are expected to converge at Malcolm Square in Baguio City for a centralized program. This mass gathering is intended to discuss issues such as the increasing appropriation of confidential funds and funding for flood control projects, while financial support for education faces severe cuts.
However, BSU, in an official statement, distanced itself from the planned demonstration.
“It has come to our attention that a certain “call” for walk-out to demand for a higher budget subsidy for state universities and colleges is circulating in social media. Please be advised that this is not endorsed nor supported by the BSU management,” the statement read.
The university urged students to adhere to academic principles:
“As members of a distinguished academic institution, we encourage every BSU student to embody the spirit of learning by exercising critical thinking and thoughtful analysis in all circumstances.”
BSU further advised its students to consider the source and consequences of their actions:
“We trust that you will carefully evaluate the source and intent of any circulating information, weigh the potential consequences of your actions, and utilize the official and constructive avenues available to voice your concerns and engage in meaningful dialogue. Your future relies on your capacity to make informed, responsible choices.”
Despite the caution from BSU, other academic organizations have confirmed their attendance to the walkout.
The SLU Political Science Academic Society and the UP Baguio Outcrop have both confirmed their participation in the walkout through their respective social media pages. While BSU issued a non-endorsement, Saint Louis University itself has previously shown institutional support for anti-corruption protests, participating in a “Trillion Peso March” and “Diocesan Prayer March” against corruption in late 2025 with the UP Baguio community. Maria Elena Catajan