Plumalaya

UNITY STATEMENT OF PLARIDEL GUILD ON THE DISPLACEMENT OF TODAY’S CAROLINIAN FROM THEIR OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OFFICE On January 15, Today’s Carolinian, the official student publication of the University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu, was forcibly removed from its publication office. A piece of paper posted on the door stated, “Effective January 15, 2025, this office space, Room No. G112, will be used by the Alumni Office,” without prior directives or due notice. This was not the first instance of repression experienced by the publication. They were previously displaced from their office on the USC-Talamban Campus. Known for its progressive stance, Today’s Carolinian has consistently reported on issues such as tuition and other fee increases (TOFI) and administrative policies undermining students’ rights. Since 2019, the publication has also provided critical coverage of TOFI and its dialogues with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Region 7, which they believe to be the root cause of defunding that has financially constrained their news production. Nevertheless, Today’s Carolinian has proven that no such defunding can diminish their commitment to truthful storytelling, as evidenced by their continued reporting on USC’s plans to impose additional tuition increases. Student publications serve an essential role by delivering news beyond the headlines, shedding light on the noteworthy stories of university constituents and the wider community. What Today’s Carolinian experienced highlights the broader issue of attacks on campus press freedom across state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the Philippines. Similar to Today’s Carolinian, many student publications at Bulacan State University (BulSU) face challenges such as the lack of newsrooms, insufficient funding, and limited resources—common struggles for campus journalists. The fight against repression, funding shortages, administrative intervention, and other forms of press freedom attacks remains an ongoing battle for our league. In line with this, Plaridel Guild, the official alliance of student publications in BulSU, stands in solidarity with Today’s Carolinian in defending press freedom and opposing all attempts to suppress the voice of student publications. Together, we stand firm in upholding the integrity of campus journalism. #StandWithTodaysCarolinian #DefendTC #DefendPressFreedom #PlaridelGuild