Nationwide Student Walkouts Slam Budget Cuts, Pax Silica Initiative

Thousands of university students, faculty members, and education sector workers held simultaneous "Black Friday" walkouts and localized demonstrations today, September 18, 2026. Dressed in black, demonstrators converged across key mobilization areas to denounce state corruption, impending budget slashes, and alleged human rights violations.

Protesters strongly condemned the Pax Silica initiative, characterizing the U.S.-led semiconductor and critical minerals alliance as an imperialist policy that compromises national interests and leads to the harassment of student leaders. Activists slammed the proposed ₱2.95-billion budget reduction facing the University of the Philippines (UP) System under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP). They demanded higher government subsidies to address critical shortages in academic spaces, dormitory slots, and student services, while calling for strict accountability over anomalous infrastructure projects and confidential funds. 

At UP Diliman, the mass action received explicit backing from multiple college deans and Chancellor Edgardo Vistan. Students walked out of classrooms to hold localized assemblies outside various college buildings, including Plaridel Hall, before merging for a unified university-wide protest at the AS Steps (Palma Hall). Meanwhile, in Manila, students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and neighboring schools gathered along Taft Avenue to echo calls for academic freedom and economic justice.

Student leaders emphasized that today’s walkouts serve as a critical buildup to a much larger coordinated demonstration on Monday, September 21, marking the 54th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines.