College editors, students urge passage of Campus Press Freedom Bill amid rising violations
College student-editors urged lawmakers to pass House Bill 1155, also known as the Campus Press Freedom Bill, during a meeting of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education in the House of Representatives on July 29.
The bill aims to address the growing number of campus press freedom violations, which have exceeded 1,000 cases since 2010, with 206 incidents reported between 2023 and 2024 alone.
The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), which represents college publications across the country, cited insufficient funding and incidents of red-tagging as major contributors to these violations.
They argued that the current Campus Journalism Act of 1991 is “insufficient, outdated, and toothless,” and called for the passage of the new bill to protect college publications.
“Campus journalism stands resolute in times of crisis on our education, livelihood, and sovereignty. The persistent power of our studentry in its commitment to champion the nationalist and democratic interests of the people has challenged student publications to be a Filipino-centered campus press,” said Brell Lacerna, a spokesperson for the CEGP.
The proposed Campus Press Freedom Bill aims to codify funding sources for college publications and prevent government agencies from withholding financial support.
It would replace the outdated Campus Journalism Act of 1991, which the CEGP says is no longer adequate for addressing the challenges faced by college publications today.
“Albeit unsatisfactory systems to protect the media, now more than ever, the Campus Press Freedom Bill or House Bill No. 1155 is necessary … to combat arbitrary attacks that demonize their important role in the positive social change of our country,” Lacerna added.
The CEGP’s urgent call highlights growing concerns about campus press freedom in the Philippines.
As lawmakers review the bill, student-editors hope their voices will be heard and the Campus Press Freedom Bill will pass to protect college publications’ rights and freedoms.
