House approves bill on National Student's Day

02 May 2011 08:23:27 AM

Writer: Jazmin S. Camero, MRS-PRIB
The country may soon observe a yearly celebration honoring the Filipino students
for their contribution to democracy once the proposed National Student s Day bill
is enacted into law.
The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading and transmi
tted to the Senate for plenary action the measure declaring November 17 of every
year as National Students Day.
House Bill 3677, authored by Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III (4th District, Quez
on) and Reps. Teddy Casiño (Party-list, Bayan Muna) and Raymond Palatino (Party-li
st, Kabataan), aims to recognize the students' contribution to democracy and eff
orts at shaping and building the nation.
"It is high time that we honor our past student leaders and at the same time, it
is incumbent upon us, the elders of today's students, to encourage them to beco
me genuine exemplars of service to the country while exercising their scholarly
responsibilities," Tañada said.
The measure shall give recognition to past student leaders and influence the pre
sent to excel and become leaders in various fields while balancing their initiat
ives with academic excellence.
It mandates the celebration and observance of National Student's Day through an
annual program of activities to be headed by the National Youth Commission (NYC)
in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).
The International Student's Day was first marked in 1941 in London by the Intern
ational Students' Council to commemorate the execution of nine Czechoslovakian s
tudents who fought against the Nazi occupation.
"Every year on November 17, students and schools all over the world celebrate th
e International Students' Day to commemorate student activism and its contributi
on to democracy and the world's societies," Casiño said.
Palatino, a 2004 youth empowerment awardee of the United Nations Association of
the Philippines (UNAP), cited the Students' Cultural Association of the Universi
ty of the Philippines (SCAUP) and the Kabataang Makabayan (KM or Patriotic Youth
) as among the student organizations that were involved in school reforms and th
e fight against the Marcos dictatorship.
"I urge the President to prioritize this bill to finally institutionalize the ac
knowledgment of the students' unfailing commitment to fight against all forms of
discrimination, oppression, injustice and the right to education," Palatino sai
d.
"The time has come for the government to formally recognize the celebration of N
ational Students' Day as part of its commitment to legislate laws for the youth'
s social, intellectual and moral development," Palatino added.