Liyang’s 2024 Education is a Right! Campaign calls upon Filipinos and the international community, to support education for the children of environmental and human rights defenders in the Philippines, and to educate ourselves on the broader struggles they are a part of.
Liyang Network advocates for access to quality education as a human right and a vital aspect of movements for equity and justice in Mindanao, the Philippines, and beyond. For this campaign we are working with different people’s organizations and advocacy networks in Mindanao to provide scholarships to 50 youth from Indigenous, peasant and activist families.
Our campaign also highlights the importance of political education for the children of defenders, and for everyone around the world struggling for justice. We use political education to better understand current conditions, history, and methods of struggle in order to build solidarity and achieve liberation.
What is education like in the Philippines?
Dwindling national budget for education, bloated budget for military and intelligence
In the Philippines, access to education, and especially quality education, is becoming increasingly unobtainable for the average Filipino amid dire economic crisis. For families in far-flung and marginalized communities in Mindanao, education is especially elusive following the forcible closure of 216 Lumad schools. With the growing crisis, rampant human rights violations and natural disasters, the frontlines of activists and environmental defenders remain strong in their stance. At the same time, their search for accessible education for their children is ongoing.
As Filipino parents and guardians strive to prioritize their children’s education, the Marcos-Duterte government itself is deprioritizing education. According to 2019 results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Filipinos scored the lowest among 79 countries in reading and second lowest in math and science, and this was before the COVID 19 pandemic further set back access to learning.
Department of Education, with Vice-President Sara Duterte as its Secretary, suffered budget cuts in the 2024 national budget for seven of its agencies including Basic Education Curriculum and National Book Development Board. At the same time she slashed schools’ resources, Sara Duterte infamously requested Php150 million in confidential and intelligence funds for Education for surveillance in schools against “insurgency”. The budget for military education is higher than the budget for Philippine Science High School.
Economic crisis affecting households
According to research group IBON, the “poorest 30% of households are experiencing higher inflation” meaning that households are struggling to afford basic needs like food, let alone schooling.
Closure of Lumad Schools
In the aim of bridging the gaps in the marginalized youth’s access to education, indigenous peoples (Lumad) and farmers’ communities together with non-governmental organizations set up hundreds of schools all over Mindanao. These Lumad schools provided both formal and informal primary, secondary and tertiary education to the thousands of youth based on an empowering, rights-based, culturally-sensitive pedagogy.
The massive growth and active participation of indigenous communities in social issues earned overwhelming support from the public locally and internationally and stirred the consciousness about the abject neglect of the government in providing basic social services for those living in the margins.
During the Duterte administration, the majority and the last of all 216 Lumad schools were forcibly closed, disenfranchising 10,000 students from quality education. While some students have found opportunities to attend school, the majority are in far-flung or impoverished households. Instead of schooling, they have found jobs in the cities, such as domestic work. Because of the economic crisis within households, many former students have decided to or been pressured by their families to move out and marry young.
Defend the Defenders
To be in solidarity with human rights and environmental defenders is to support them not only as individuals, but also for their loved ones. It is clear from the example of Lumad schools that a holistic approach to education has a positive impact on both the youth and on their communities – combining academia with health (physical and mental).
“Empowering the youth of Mindanao ensures that the next generations are equipped to also serve as environmental and human rights defenders in the paths they pursue. Education is a right!” -Sabokahan Unity of Lumad Women
What are our goals?
1. Educate about how political oppression and economic crisis affect the lives of everyday Filipinos, including in their access to education and basic rights–and about the groups working on the ground to change this reality and address these problems at the root.
2. Fundraise for the schooling needs of 50 youth in Mindanao including
a. School supplies
b. Book fees
c. Uniforms
d. Additional school fees
e. Transportation
3. Fundraise for the physical and mental health needs of the same 50 youth including (subject to change based on urgent or emerging need)
a. Vaccinations
b. Basic medicine and vitamins
c. Face masks and hand sanitizer
d. Individual and group counseling
4. Empower 50 youth and enrich their DepEd education through extra-curricular arts and writing workshops, educational discussions, film viewings, and community integrations
Who does the campaign support?
Fifty youth (grades very from elementary to college level) from
Peasant and IP youth in Mindanao
Children of Human Rights Defenders in Mindanao
Children of Environmental Defenders in Mindanao
Our target minimum financial support for each beneficiary will be as follows:
A. Primary (Elementary) Level: Php 500/month or $10 USD/ month
B. Secondary (High school) Level: Php 1000/ month or $20 USD/ month
c. Tertiary (College) Level: Php 2000/month or $40 USD/ month
Take action!
Make a one-time donation on this page, and/or start your own fundraiser by clicking 'I want to fundraise for this'
Become a sponsor of a student: sign up for a recurring monthly donation of $10, $20 or $40, and we'll follow up with you with more info!
Volunteer for campaign outreach and education: email us at liyang.network@gmail.com if you're interested
Educate yourself about struggles for self-determination in the Philippines! Reach out to us for resources, and sign up for our newsletter at tinyurl.com/LiyangNewsletter.
Learn more!
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Get in touch!
email liyangnetwork@gmail.com with your thoughts, questions, and ideas for collaborations