MANILA, Philippines—With an income of P148,000 a year (according to 2003 data of the National Statistics Office), an average Filipino family will not have enough money for food and will be unable to pay rent (if it does not own its place of residence) even if just one child enrolls in any of the country’s top three universities this school year.

Definitely, sending a second child to the same school is out of the question.

Enrollment in several other major institutions, though not as expensive, will still mean drastic cutbacks on budgets for food, shelter and other essentials.

Data gathered by Inquirer Research from school accounting, admissions and registrars’ offices, showed that average Filipino families would have to set aside from a third to half of their annual incomes if they want to send a child to one of Metro Manila’s better known schools, with the exception of the state-owned Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP).

Freshmen entering the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) will be charged P2,400 per unit and pay a total of P124,800 for two semesters with a full load of 26 units per term.

De la Salle University (DLSU), which has a trimester calendar, has an average unit cost of P2,045.33. A freshman enrolled for the whole year and taking the full 18-unit load each term will have to pay about P110,447.82.

The Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) has a higher per unit cost than UA&P and DLSU at P2,517.03. But because one school year is only two semesters and a full load is only 18 units, the annual fee for a freshman only comes up to P90,613.

Higher UP rate

The state-funded University of the Philippines (UP) system, which recently raised its fees to P1,000 per unit amid protests from both students and faculty, will cost a freshman P36,000 in one two-semester year with a full load of 18 units per term.

Though that is almost one-fourth of an average family’s annual income, the amount is only about 28 percent of the UA&P annual fee.

This means a UP student can almost pay four years’ tuition in the state university with just one year of UA&P tuition.

The DLSU one-year tuition will pay for about three years at UP while Ateneo’s fee is equivalent to about two years and a half at the state university.

The UP is now more expensive than San Sebastian College, which charges P786 per unit or P33,012 per two-semester year of 21 units each and College of the Holy Spirit (Manila) at P903.91 per unit or P32,540 per two-semester year of 18 units each.

PUP, like the UP often in the forefront of student activism, charges an almost unbelievable P12 per unit, for a total two-semester annual fee, at 21 units per term, of only P504. Talk of a true school for the masa!

It was not immediately known how the school is able to keep its student population manageable but it has probably adopted stringent entrance requirements.

Of the 21 schools surveyed by Inquirer Research, three have per unit costs exceeding P2,000 and eight have rates over P1,000. Annual fees, with the exception of UA&P and DLSU, total less than P100,000 though they range from PUP’s very low P504 to ADMU’s P90,613.20.

Among the schools with large populations, the University of the East, reputedly the institution with the most number of students, charges P1,040 per unit for a total two-semester annual fee of P47,840, at 23 units per term.

Far Eastern University charges P1,100 per unit or a total of P55,000 a year for two semesters at 25 units per term. The University of Santo Tomas, at P1,072.90 per unit, charges P45,061.80 for a two-semester year at 21 units per term.

Four percent share

According to NSO data as of 1997, education accounted for a little less than four percent of an average family’s annual expenditure. This means, if the average annual income is P148,000, it would set aside, strictly speaking, less than P6,000 a year for education.

Needless to say, food eats up (no pun intended) half of an average family’s income although it appears some belt-tightening had also to be effected in 1997. NSO data showed that in 1988, food accounted for 50.7 percent of household expenditures. By 1997 this was down to 44.2 percent, a drop of more than six percent.

This was probably because housing costs increased over the same period—from 12.8 percent of a family’s budget in 1988 to 15.3 percent in 1997. What little remained went into fuel, electricity, water, clothing, transportation, medical care and other essentials. Saving is definitely an alien concept to a family with this kind of budget.

How the average Filipino family is able to send not just one but two or more children to school, pay for food and shelter, is probably not just the result of prudent budgeting but also the assistance of both formal and informal institutions like banks, money lenders and generous relatives.

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It’s been weeks since Kris Allen won the Idol 8 and now the Idol Execs announced the audition date and place for the coming Idol9.

Other cities that will be hosting Idol auditions are:
June 12-14 at Gillette Stadium, Boston
June 16-18 at Georgia Dome, Atlanta
June 28-30 at Rose Bowl, Los Angeles
July 7-9 at Amway Arena, Orlando
July 12-14 at INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver
Dates for Chicago and Dallas have yet to be announced

If you thought Adam Lambert looked like a natural fit with iconic rockers Queen during American Idol‘s finale, you weren’t the only one.

Hours after it was announced that Lambert was Season 8′s runner-up last week, widespread speculation began circulating that the 26-year-old singer had been offered a job as Queen’s new front man. While that’s not true yet, guitarist Brian May isn’t ruling out the possibility.

“Amongst all that furor, there wasn’t really a quiet moment to talk. But [drummer Roger Taylor] and I are definitely hoping to have a meaningful conversation with him at some point,” May told Rolling Stone. “It’s not like we, as Queen, would rush into coalescing with another singer just like that. It isn’t that easy. But I’d certainly like to work with Adam. That is one amazing instrument he has there.”

Queen recently ended a four-year relationship with Paul Rodgers, who was handling the vocal duties for the band.

Lambert auditioned for Idol with Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and instantly became a buzzed-about contender for the show’s Top 36. His revved-up, glam-rock numbers and hauntingly restrained ballads made him the front-runner all season before ultimately coming up short. While the show has produced more pop artists than rockers, May recognizes that springboard it provides young artists.

For now, Lambert must first complete the 50-city tour with his fellow Top 10 members, and the Idol producers, 19 Entertainment, will likely have first dibs on anything Lambert does next. May said whatever happens, he’s excited to see what Lambert and Idol winner Kris Allen (who also shared the stage during “We Are the Champions”) do next.

“Both those boys are well worthy of big success,” May said. “So it’s pointless for someone like me to stand on the sidelines jeering. I’m confident Adam will make great use of this wonderful opportunity. I hope I’m there to see it.”

Kris Allen is shocked!!! super duper major cool (his jaw drops)–loving this picture a lot.

Kara had a Back to Back with Katrina (the bikini girl) with their rendition of Mariah’s “Visions of Love”

Dumaloy ka aking luha,
Hagkan ang isang dukha.
Hugasan ang sugat,
pati ang pait at ang lahat.

Love

It is the air that I breathe,

and the reason why I live.

The sweets in my coffee,

the glam in my jelly.

It is in my eyes that glow,

and the reasons why emotions flow.

It is the beating of my heart,

the finest work of art.

It is the strength of my soul,

making me special and whole.

A beautiful alley,

painted in a serene valley.

Love it is that suffices us emotionally,

and the force that totally defies gravity.

The soul that completes the body,

a cure for a deep malady.