"INCREASE Alternative Learning System Budget to Php1 Billion", this is the youths' appeal to the Government for those who are educationally-deprived.

Twenty (20) youth leaders from urban poor communities in Metro Manila will be present at the 2010 Budget hearing for the Department of Education (DepEd) to be held by the Appropriations Committee at the House of Representative come September 24. The youth leaders, who are out of school, are campaigning for the increase in the budget for ALS which they say would be beneficial to more educationally-deprived youth like them.

The number of Out of School Youth (OSY) has been increasing at an alarming rate over the past years and is now estimated to be around 16 Million all over the country.

"Kasing dami na po kaming mga OSY ng mga batang nasa loob ng eskwelahan ngayon, kaya kung hindi po matutugunan ng pamahalaan ang aming mga kahilingan, patuloy po kaming dadami, at kung magkaganun po, paano na po ang kinabukasan naming mga kabataan? (The number of out of school youth is now equivalent to the number of children who are in school. If the Government wouldn't heed to our plea, the number of out of school youth will continue to rise. In this case, what's there is that's left for our future?)", shares the youth group leader, Jamaica Malapit, who is from Barangay Commonwealth .

In support to this appeal, E-Net Philippines, together with the Asia South Pacific Bureau of Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE) Real World Strategies Program, will be launching a nationwide campaign for education and the issues revolving around it on September 22. Dubbed " People's Voice in Education: Ten Days for Education, Ten Voices of the People," the campaign will include the OSY as one of the 10 voices who are appealing for an equitable access to quality education. E-Net expressed its concern over the many politicians who are now gearing up for 2010 elections. "Many of them are focusing too much on who's going to be the most popular candidate for the upcoming elections rather than to those who can sincerely bring forth a clear education reform agenda. We would like to ensure that our future leaders will have a genuine concern over the deteriorating state of education in the country" says Cecilia Soriano, E-Net Philippines National Coordinator.