The Opposite of Apathy

I dug up this editorial in the world wide web of the Internet. Our first campus tour at Silliman University was widely covered by tri-media: Skycable showed the complete proceedings that night of July 10, and we also had coverage from two radio stations, two newspapers and the Sillimanian college paper as well as its website. Not to mention the many blogs of the bagets from Silliman, which are now being read and re-sent and re-read all over the borderless world of cyberspace. Next stop: UP National College of Public Administration and Governance, August 26, Tuesday, 1-5 pm. Watch us rock. See you there — Danton

Editorial
Visayan Daily Star
July 26, 2008

It should not be taken against the Filipino people if most of our countrymen remain discontented with the state of our national affairs. While we wait with bated breath for what President Arroyo will say on Monday in her State-of-the-Nation Address, various sectors of society have been playing soothsayers by almost taking the SONA from the President’s mouth and speaking for her.

If we believe what the critics of the administration are saying, it would seem that doomsday is just around the corner. Much of the pessimism stems from the myriad of crises that we are experiencing. To top it all, the latest word from our economists revealed that the Philippines has wrested the top spot as the most corrupt nation in the world.

Thus, the recent visit of the so-called Young Turks to Dumaguete recently, meant to kick off their series of campus tours, was an eye-opener of sorts insofar as their ideologies are concerned. The Young Turks is composed of, among others, Danton Remoto, founding chairman of Ang Ladlad; broadcast journalist and former Congressman Gilbert Remulla; Genuine Opposition spokesperson, lawyer Adel Tamano; and, Congressman Lorenzo Tañada III.

Though they are all members of the opposition and, therefore, are espousing change and reform, the collective message of the Young Turks was one that struck a sensitive chord among the diversified members of the audience. It is that of hope – that, for as long as there is hope, all is not lost for the Filipino people. The Young Turks likewise offered an alternative of injecting young blood into the otherwise humdrum political scenario composed of so-called traditional politicians.

As the saying goes, hope springs eternal. Although we should not remain callous and indifferent to the ills of society, we should not persist in our skeptical attitude either. No one can give us hope except ourselves. If we have even just a tinge of hope in us, then we will survive.*

Sun Star Dumaguete
http://www.sunstar.com
Published July 12, 2008

YOUNG politicians from Manila visited Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental recently in their series of campus tours throughout the country. The young politicians who call themselves “Young Turks” visited Silliman University first.

They engaged Silliman students in a forum discussion held at the Silliman Church, as well as in addressing concerns on education, politics, economics, and cultural concerns in two earlier forums.

The Young Turks is composed of Danton Remoto, chairman of Ang Ladlad Party List and professor of English at Ateneo; Representative Gilbert Remulla, a former congressman, broadcaster and television personality; Adel Tamano, spokesperson of the United Opposition (UNO); and Representative Lorenzo “Erin” Tanada III of Quezon City, the son of former Senator Wigberto Tanada and the grandson of nationalist Senator Lorenzo Tanada. The forum was also initiated by the Arts and Sciences Department of Silliman University.

The Young Turks called on the students to organize among themselves and help in forming a new political landscape that would directly benefit the youth sector. Tamano, who is designated by the group as its spokesperson, said they set out on campus tours to get the sentiments of the youth across the country, be it in the politics involving the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The group has also expanded its discussion on family planning, reproductive health and music, among others. The Young Turks advocated equal rights for both sexes and an end to discriminatory traits for women and gays, since we all belong to one Filipino race and nation.

Tanada, for his part, explained that there is still hope in our country although several crises have been besetting it. He said this could be done if people reclaim their rights. Their visit, said Tanada, is considered a way of conversing the youth and, at the same time, hearing the youths’ sentiments direct from the grounds. “We want to engage you, we want to hear you, and we want to mobilize you,” he said. (EBS)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos.

Boiled Green Bananas
Column in Business Mirror
by Liling Magtolis Briones

I am reprinting Prof. Liling Magtolis Briones’s succinct and moving account of our campus tour in Silliman University last July 10. Prof. Briones is a professor at the UP, former National Treasurer, and chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Silliman University. She invited us to the field of dreams, and we said “yes.” Imagine waking up at 4 am, then giving three speeches that should not leave the young audience comatose?

I was happy to be with Adel, Gilbert and Erin. We may not agree on all issues — we shouldn’t — and we may be supporting different presidential and vice-presidential candidates in 2010, but we talked about the issues from different perspectives. That, I think, added depth, substance and quality to the discussions.

I was tired but happy, only to know that next day, the faculty of the English Department and the undergraduate students were also waiting for me to speak. Uh-oh… — Danton

***

I am afraid we drove the Young Turks [Adel Tamano, Danton Remoto, Gilbert Remulla, Erin Tanada] to exhaustion. Imagine two small group discussions (meaning 200 young people as in the case of the Poli-Sci majors and standing room only in the College of Business Administration), culminating in an all-university convocation turned talk show that filled Silliman University Church to overflowing, attended by President Malayang, the Vice-Presidents, and the faculty?

All the questions were raised by the students. A persistent query was: the youth have been disappointed so many times. Is there still hope? Yes, there is still hope, answered Gilbert. The hope is in you, young people! We must reclaim government, was the rallying call of Erin. Everyone must have a seat at the national table! Make room for the marginalized! This was the message of Adel. Danton told stories of poor gays who care for their old and sick parents, beauticians who scrimp and save to send siblings to school, gays who contribute to literature, music and philosophy. And gays who help build this country and continue to do so.

Everything was discussed–-GMA, corruption at national and local levels, the search for oil in the Sulu Sea, gender equality, OFWs, employment for competent people from the provinces, alternative systems of government, and yes, recognition for gay organizations in the universities.

The four guys had to wake up at 4:00 A.M. to catch the first flights to Dumaguete. Upon arrival, they just grabbed a bite and started walking to the Udarbe Chapel, where more than 200 students waited for them. They hardly had time to catch forty winks before they met the business and economics students in the early afternoon. They were in the middle of coffee when they had to rush for the university convocation at the Silliman Church, like “a good Christian soldier,” according to Danton, describing himself.

I am a jaded veteran of countless symposia and talk shows. But I have never seen and heard before such a superb combination of panelists-–eloquent, knowledgeable, and brimming with fresh ideas –- but most of all, humble in spite of their degrees and positions. They said they came to listen to the young, and they did. They did not always have the same views-–especially on economic policies-–but they were one in saying that the youth must engage government and society, and that there should be room for everyone regardless of faith, religion, or sexual preference.

Yes, the young people and the rest of the Silliman community were very fortunate to have such an intense series of discussions, with lots of laughter and teasing in-between.

Next stop is University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance. See you there!