Polka Dots and Curls.

Pauline Paguia.
College Student.
Aspiring Teacher.
All-around Advocate.
Amateur Human Exhibit.

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Pictures: (Left) Diliman Commune, 1971; (Right) Poster ng nalalapit na event ng JMA

 Iba na talaga ang UP ngayon.

40 years ago, pinamunuan ng mga estudyante ng UP ang isang uprising laban sa pagdeklara ni Marcos ng batas militar. Isa ito sa mga pinakamalaki at mahalagang event noong dekada 70, kung saan nakita ang kapangyarihan ng militanteng kabataan at progresibong pagkilos. Marami talaga ang nakiisa. Di mo maiimagine.

40 years later, eto tayo. UP JMA (We Lead). Sila na nga ang mga bagong leader sa UP. Okay, so nililinaw ko na hindi naman ito isang panawagan ng pagboycott sa event ng JMA. (Sino ba naman ako para sundin ng tao? At malay ko ba, baka mapadaan din ako sa event na ito.) Naniniwala ako sa galing ng org at sa members nito. Lahat ng projects at events nila, dinudumog, malaki ang kita at maganda talaga.

Kamo, mas mabilis na silang makahatak ngayon ng members kumpara sa mga MO (Mass Orgs). Kung meron lang akong maipapakitang proven na datos ng comparison ng pagtaas ng myembro ng JMA sa pagbaba ng members ng Stand-UP o ng Anakbayan, mas maganda sana. Kaso lahat naman yun ay assumptions ko lang. Mere observations. 

Tingnan mo noong huling 3-day Budget Cut Rally sa UP noong September, kung bibilangin ang nakiisa at umattend ng events noon, baka mas madami pang umattend na Isko sa AdHoc at sa kung ano pang parties na usong-uso ngayon sa kabataan.

Totoo naman na nagbago na ang timpla ng mga Iskolar ng Bayan. Mas marami ng burgis ngayon. At di na gaanong patok sa kabataan ang magrally at gumawa ng ingay sa kalsada. Mas uso na ang blogging o ang pagti-tweet o ang pag-like sa FB. Party, party na lang. 

Bakit nga kaya? Dahil ba wala ng Marcos? Wala nang naibabalitang karahasan sa TV? Dahil ba yun sa pagdami ng burgis na kaya namang magbayad ng nagmamahal na tuition fee sa UP? 

Marami naman daw kasing paraan para makatulong sa bayan.

Oh well, I pity you Iskolar ng Bayan. Eventually you’ll leave the country, make money for yourself, (magtravel nang magtravel kasi yun ang pangarap mo), enjoy life, maybe send some money home, and there.. forget you were once an Iskolar ng BAYAN.

PS: Attend tayo sa Release the High. Mukhang masaya dun! :))

Okey, sang-ayon ako sa puntong nais ipahatid ng sumulat nito pero hindi naman kasalanan ng JMA kung bakit ganito na ang kalagayan ng mga estudyante sa UP ngayon. (Hindi ako miyembro ng JMA. Oo, nasa College of Business Administration ako pero hindi ibig sabihin nun konyo ako. Hindi naman konyo lahat ng tao sa CBA. Apektado rin ako dahil meron akong mga kaibigan sa JMA na nagsisikap din hindi lang para sa iisang event na to, sa pag-aaral din. Iskolar din naman sila. Stereotyping, anyone?) Sumasali ako sa mga rally, at nangampanya pa para sa Stand-UP noong huling eleksyon =)

Ang sa akin lang, napapasamâ ang JMA dito. Nagse-celebrate lang naman sila ng anniversary nila a. :c

Pero mukhang tama ka nga, iba na sa UP ngayon. Pero sino ba naman ako para magsabi nun? Hindi pa naman ako ipinanganganak noong panahon ni Marcos. :/

I am the project head of RELEASE THE HIGH, and I respect the author’s opinion. He is certainly well-intentioned but is definitely misinformed. And I disagree with his opinion regarding what being an Iskolar ng Bayan is all about and his lament over what has changed about UP in the past 40 years.

UP JMA has done so much for the College of Business Administration, the University, and the nation.

ADHOC, the biggest college party in the Metro, is a fundraiser for the organization’s beneficiary. Every year, we send 35 underprivileged but deserving grade school and high school students to school through the K.I.D.S. program (Kids Integrated Development through Schooling). We recognize amazing UP Professors through projects like GreatIdeas.ph (similar to the TED talks in the United States).

In fact, RELEASE THE HIGH: THE UNIVERSITY-WIDE EVENT is a non-profit event that not only aims to give UP students a fun time but also raise awareness about a fundamental human right, the child’s right to playtime, and encourage student entrepreneurship (which, by the way, creates jobs and is one of the best ways to help our nation).

There’s a lot more that I wanna say, but there’s just one point I really needed to put across:

THERE IS MORE THAN ONE FORM OF ACTIVISM. Activism isn’t just about rallies. Activism, at its heart, is about creating and directing impact and social change. 

40 years ago, the (arguably) best tool to create social change during the Marcos regime was civil disobedience. Rallying and taking to the streets was the tool required by the problems of the time.

40 years later, times have changed. People’s problems and tastes have changed. In response, the manner in which activism is expressed has changed and evolved in response to new problems. Activism comes in so many new forms (not just rallying). Volunteer efforts for those affected by Sendong, campaigns like Ako Mismo in 2009, and UP JMA events like these are living proof that there are so many ways to live as an Iskolar ng Bayan.

Exactly because people are becoming tired of rallies, we, as students of the national university, must find new, creative, and effective ways to stay socially relevant.

The modern Isko and Iska is far from apathetic. They just realize that rallying isn’t always the best or only option anymore.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed above are not representative of the opinions or the position of the UP Junior Marketing Association (UP JMA). I cannot speak for my Orgmates, but I am certain that I am not alone in this belief that activism takes multiple forms.

I actually attend JMA’s adhoc and I’m amazed at how great they are at marketing and holding events. I commend all the efforts to be socially relevant as our country can use all the efforts we can give. But I’d have to disagree with some of the points raised:

“People’s problems and tastes have changed.”
NAH. It has worsened, yes, but the country’s problems are still imperialism, bureaucrat capitalism and feudalism. If the tastes of the people seem changed, I think that’s because of the various ideological state apparatuses.

“…Activism comes in so many new forms (not just rallying). Volunteer efforts for those affected by Sendong, campaigns like Ako Mismo in 2009, and UP JMA events like these are living proof that there are so many ways to live as an Iskolar ng Bayan.”
“Ako mismo” was a ploy by the mainstream media to divert the youth’s attention from what the real problems are. It promoted INDIVIDUALISM and fooled us into thinking that we can change the world ALONE. We can’t. Only through collective action can we achieve change.

“Exactly because people are becoming tired of rallies, we, as students of the national university, must find new, creative, and effective ways to stay socially relevant.”
People are not tired of rallies. If anything, they are becoming more restless. The Occupy movement all over the world is one glaring proof of that.

“The modern Isko and Iska is far from apathetic. They just realize that rallying isn’t always the best or only option anymore.”
It was never the best nor the only option. But it is ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE parliamentary procedures. But yes, I agree that UP students are not apathetic. They’re just too sheltered from the issues of the masses. It’s not their fault, though. I think people who know about the real situation of the majority of the population should double their efforts to inform more people to involve more people.

In defense of the writer of the original piece, he made it clear that he was only stating his opinion and that he had nothing against JMA. I commend him for caring enough to write something like this. Actually, it’s kind of nice that we have these kinds of debate. Makes me realize that people do care.

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