First Day Fight protest calls for accountability, student welfare at PLM

Several student councils and organizations led the annual First Day Fight mobilization, calling on the university administration to address longstanding student concerns, uphold accountability, and student welfare at the PLM Freedom Wall Wednesday, July 22.

The mobilization gathered the Supreme Student Council (SSC) and College Student Councils (CSCs) from the College of Education (CED), College of Science (CS), College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS), College of Public Administration (CPA), College of Architecture and Sustainable Built Environments (CASBE), and College of Engineering (CE). 

Meanwhile, students organizations, including PLM Propaganda, PLM Teacher Education Society,  PLM CRADLE, Magwayen Creative Scholars Guild, Public Administration and Guild Governance, PLM Pre-Law Society, STAND PLM, Anakbayan PLM, and GABRIELA Youth PLM also joined the protest.

From the PLM Freedom Wall, students marched in a snake rally through the front of the University Canteen and the University Activity Center before returning to the Freedom Wall. Along the route, participating councils and organizations delivered sectoral calls highlighting issues affecting different sectors of the university community.

Through speeches and placards, they called for the institutionalization of environmental education and safeguarding policies, improved learning conditions, transparency in the utilization of development funds reflected in Student Enrollment Records (SERs), stronger protection for LGBTQIA+ students, and increased government funding for the education sector.

Protesters also raised broader national issues, including demands directed at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ahead of his State of the Nation Address (SONA), opposition to proposed revisions to the Commission on Higher Education's (CHED) General Education curriculum, calls to defend the West Philippine Sea, opposition to the Pax Silica, and the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

During the program, PLM Teacher Education Society representative Joanna Garcia underscored the need for students to embrace change beyond the classroom to better respond to evolving needs of society. 

“Hindi natin dapat takasan ang pagbabago, bagkus ay dapat natin itong sundan upang hindi tayo mahuli sa kung ano nga ba ang kailangan ng bansa, paaralan, komunidad, at mga mamamayan. Dahil ang mga tao, higit pa sa kung ano man ang estado, edad, at nakasanayan, ay hindi dapat pagkalooban ng pribilehiyo maging edukado—dahil ito ay ating karapatan,” Garcia said.

The mobilization concluded with a solidarity speech from PLM Supreme Student Council President Jahna Par. 

Some university officials were also seen observing the protest but did not intervene.