Thoughts to ponder on rallies from my SCL9 professor
I have this professor in SCL9 (Marriage and Family Life) who shared his sentiments on the student rally just a day before. They protest about the government’s inaction over the “Maguindanao Massacre”. I actually saw it for myself and in fact, I was recruited by some woman from the group. She talked about the party list group Kabataan which in Filipino means youth or young people. Going back to my professor, he said that he is disappointed every time there is a rally in front of our school. Not that he has no respect for their freedom of expression but what he points is how they can be more effective if they really want order in society.
He explains that every time protesters converge in front of our school especially on the road; they create heavy traffic which in turn affects the commuting students. That would be true for me because I always came late to class when there is a rally, from wage hike to tuition hike rallies for that matter. I am with them in their cause to fight injustice because I also see no progress in this current administration. But as my professor continued, he reiterated that if they really want to be heard, then they should go to Maguindanao and shout all their lungs out so that the perpetrators of this crime will know their rage. However, instead of that scenario, the people of Manila are the ones greatly affected because of the heavy traffic and all that follows.
Then as he went on, he told us his experience when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited our school for an open forum with students. On that event, there were many protesters outside the campus wailing about the abolition of the visiting forces agreement and the imperialist rule of America. He then confronted some folks from the crowd and asked them why this fury for the lady. Then they told him that Americans shouldn’t be on Philippine soil because we are a free country now and all. But as he knew that it is all about the ‘leftist’ propaganda and stuff, he told them about the past typhoons that hit the Philippines. He shared that in the provinces of Pangasinan and Tarlac with which the disaster hit hardest, the American troops are the ones that exerted all their efforts in airlifting through their Chinook helicopters, residents that are stuck in their homes due to high level of flood and lack of transportation. Aren’t these people the ones that helped in the relief efforts in most parts of Metro Manila that were affected also by flooding? He then asked them where were they when all of these happened. If they want these ‘GI joes’ out of the country, then they should be the ones in situations where a helping hand could be used instead of a shouting crowd.
Before, I always supported such gatherings because I’m so frustrated with the government and the issues that abound the current administration. But after hearing my teacher’s point, I had a change of heart for these folks. I think they should seek of a better way to help the average person, instead of burning effigies and littering the streets with banners. I have nothing against expressing what other people feel they should do, but someone should always think about the best way they could possibly help their fellowmen.
Posted under Issues on November 27, 2009 at 5:52 pm with 6 comments. Tags include 3IS-A, hillary clinton, kabataan partylist, maguindanao massacre, manila, protest, rally, scl9, up, ust, visiting forces agreement
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bikoy
November 28th, 2009 at 6:24 am
dapat tinanong mo sya, sir, yung edsa 1 and 2 mas malalang trapik ginawa nun. sa ust, nagrarally din ang mga pari at estudyante tuwing pinapag-usapan ang RH bill, may reklamo din ba sya dun?
so, what is the best way of helping those who suffer from government policies and inactions?
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Edward Palomo
November 28th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
oo nga may point ka dun kuya… hayaan mo tatanungin ko sya…
wala naman ako masasabi sa sincerity nung mga nag-rarally… pero maganda na rin siguro na hindi one-sided ung pagtingin ko sa sitwasyon na dati okay lang sakin mag-edsa dos hanggang bente sais…
ang sagot ko na lang siguro sa tanong mo, gagawin ko ang “best” ko sa propesyong napili ko… sa ganung paraan, maipararamdam ko hindi lang sa gobyernong baluktot pati na rin sa mga baluktot na taong nakakasalamuha ko na mas mabuting paraan yon kesa manapak ng ibang tao para sa ikaaangat ko… salamat nga pala sa pagdaan dito sa blog ko
Evoanne Santos
November 28th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
lahat naman ng bagay may pros and cons, it all depends on how we will look at it.
we can’t blame ung mga tibak sa mga pagrarally nila.. let’s be thankful that there are these brave souls who can voice out ang ating mga saloobin.. just imagine how much they are sacrificing, lalo sa mga estudyante..
ako personally, i’m one of those in the group who are called “apathetic” in our university…many times na parang gusto ko na din lumabas sa kalye at sumama sa mga aktibista.. but i’m suppressing that spirit…syempre, the typical, “unahin muna ang pag-aaral, mas malaki ang maitutulong mo in the FUTURE kung pagbutihan mo muna ngaun”…ok.. so i’m looking forward to that “FUTURE”
pero after nun,mapapaisip n nman ako..”what if hindi na dumating ung FUTURE na un kung hindi kikilos ngaun?”…so para saan pa ang pinaghahandaan at pinagbubutihan ko??
dito na nga pumapasok ung iba’t-ibang roles natin sa society… hindi pwedeng mawala ang mga matatapang na mga aktibista na patuloy na lumalaban para sa ating kapakanan sa paraan na alam nila para lamang ma-secure ang KINABUKASAN natin…kaya malaki talaga ang pasasalamat ko pa din dahil nandyan sila..
bsta ang mahalaga.. hindi tuluyang mawala sa ating mga kabataan ang concern sa ating lipunan…
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Edward Palomo
November 28th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
iba talaga kayong mga iskolar! na-inspire naman ako sa sinabi mo ivy… mahalaga din talaga na hindi tayo maging bulag at bingi sa mga nangyayari sa lipunan natin…pero maiging timbangin din kung alin ang mas mahalaga…may kanya kanya din tayong pananaw sa mga issue ngayon at mas maganda kung respetuhin nalang natin yun…
bakit ba kasi mababa ang iq ko at di ako nakapasok dyan… :p
Evoanne Santos
November 28th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
mababa iq ka dyan! remember, everything happens for a reason diba? there’s a reason why you are there…
maybe, ikaw nmn ang nakatakda na magspread ng spirit ng pagiging “iskolar” dyan sa inyo.. un nga lang medyo mahirap kc ang mahal ng tuition nyo. lol. haha but you know what i mean.
at alam ko nmn na nasa sa iyo talaga ang puso ng isang tunay na kabataan na may concern sa lipunan.
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Marlene
December 1st, 2009 at 4:46 am
Ok lang naman ang mga rallies basta ba peaceful at walang kalat. Kung magkakalat sila ay dapat maglinis bago umalis sa kinatatayuan nila noh. Binibigyang-pansin naman kaya ng mga nasa itaas ang mga daing ng mga aktibista? Sa tingin ko ay hindi naman lahat kaya minsan ay nasasayang lang ang oras nila sa pagsisigaw.
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