Worth the Hike
Student assistant files petition for P40 salary hike
by John Paul Cristobal and Jermaine Angelo Abcede
Citing the inadequacy of the current salary which poses an adverse impact on student assistants’ “well-being” and “financial stability,” a student assistant (SA) lodged a petition to the UP Manila University Student Council (UPM USC) calling for the increase of the hourly rate of undergraduate student assistants from P60 to P100.
The university’s Student and Graduate Assistantship (SAGA) is a financial assistance program for undergraduate and graduate students who wish to gain work and leadership experience in the university’s various offices, which started even before 1997.
However, reports about the salary’s insufficiency are not new. Records from the official proceedings of the Board of Regents’ (BOR) meetings show that although there have been hikes in the rates of student assistants over the years, the salary remains meager. Before 1997, it was set at P12 per hour for undergraduates and P18 per hour for graduates. It is currently set at P60 for undergraduates, P120 per hour for master’s students, and P140 per hour for doctoral students.
To this day, student assistants lament that the salary barely satisfies their daily necessities and expenses at the university.
“A substantial portion of our income is allocated to transportation and food expenses, leaving us with little to cover other essential expenses such as academic materials, medical needs, and personal allowances,” the petitioner said.
Sherly Traifalgar, another SA, shared in an interview that she was given a maximum of 50 hours to work per month, which equates to P3000 per month. Yet, the taxing academic workload inhibits her from completing these maximum hours.
“Kaya kung sakaling tataasan po kahit konti ‘yong sahod namin, mas magiging beneficial po ito at mamamanage namin ‘yong budget namin dahil kahit ‘di man kami makakumpleto palagi ng working hours, mas malaki ‘yong sasahurin namin per month,” Traifalgar explained.
The petition to increase SAs’ salary has long been a call in the university. Another SA who opted not to be identified asked the UP Manila administration to heed their calls.
“Panahon na rin upang taasan ang sahod ng mga SA na matagal na naming hinihingi. Kaming mga SA ay tao rin na nagtatrabaho nang marangal para sa ikabubuti ng serbisyo ng pamantasan, kaya naman sana ay aksyunan ng administrasyon ng UP Manila ang aming mga hiling,” the SA shared.
Moreover, the petitioner argued that salary delays aggravate SAs’ dilemma due to the bureaucratic processes in the university and the lack of manpower in the offices that process these salaries.
Notably, during the 56th General Assembly of Student Councils last February, UPM USC passed a resolution that sought to increase the wages of SAs across the UP System, which awaits further action from the UP administration.
