A UP FORUM ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
The history of the University of the Philippines is marked by a proud tradition of commitment to activism and service, towards genuine and sustainable national development. Three UP sectoral leaders sat down with the UP Forum to discuss their views on activism given the challenges facing the university and the country today: Carl Marc Ramota (CR), Political Science professor at UP Manila and former Faculty Regent; Rommel Rodriguez (RR), union leader and a professor of Philippine Literature and Creative Writing in Filipino at UP Diliman; and Fauzhea Alexandra Guiani, a BS Food Technology student and former UP Mindanao student council chair.
What is activism?
CMR: We must always see activism as part and parcel of democratic politics as a legitimate and effective avenue to realize social change. We see it as a measure of accountability, that crucial arrangements and the decision-making process ought to be transparent, and they also have to be inclusive.
And in the context of the University of the Philippines, we owe it not just to our history, but to our progressive tradition as an institution of higher learning, and the same time our mandate as the national university. It’s an affirmation of our social responsibility as a community of scholars, of academics, or otherwise known as public intellectuals. To borrow the words of former President Dodong Nemenzo, we’re also seen as knowledge producers and social critics whose main purpose is to challenge orthodoxies or established ways of thinking.
RBR: Hindi natin maikakahon yung depinisyon ng aktibismo batay lang sa teorya bilang konsepto lang, pero magiging kongkreto ito sa praktika. Ang tunay na layunin ng pagiging aktibista, meron kang pagnanais na magbago ang lipunan para sa isang mas malaya, mas maunlad, at mas may pagkakapantay-pantay. Sa mamamayan natin sa Pilipinas, para sa konteksto ito ng ating pulitikal, ekonomik, at kultural na kalagayan bilang bansa. Sa konteksto ng unibersidad, kapag meron kang nakitang hindi pagkakapantay-pantay sa usapin ng benepisyo, sa usapin ng promosyon, nais mo ‘tong baguhin. Sa konteksto naman ng mag-aaral, kapag sa usapin ng aktibong partisipasyon, hindi dapat sila ituring bilang mga tagatanggap lamang ng kaalaman, kundi bahagi sa pagbuo ng kaalaman sa unibersidad.
Makikita natin, may historical at meron din istorikal na konteksto [ang aktibismo sa UP]: Na ang UP ay isang pamantasan na nagkaroon ng malaking partisipasyon para sa pagbuo ng ating bayan.
FAG: Sa point of view naman po ng student leader na may panawagan, ‘yung mga nais namin baguhin sa sistema, aktibismo yung platform namin. Hindi lang sa loob ng Unibersidad kundi maging sa on-ground kasama ng masang Pilipino. Related siya sa public service at sa mga advocacies kasi yung mga kampanyang bitbit ng masa mula sa mga estudyante ay hindi naman nalalayo po sa kung ano yung panawagan ng masang Pilipino kung saan man ‘yan, sa mga magsasaka man ‘yan, sa mga jeepney drivers natin. Hindi naman natin binibitbit ‘yung mga kampanyang masa kung hindi natin sila nararanasan talaga on-ground. Ayun nga po, ‘yung aktibismo ay porma siya ng public service, and we really want genuine social change sa ating bansa.
For the different sectors of the university, how is activism enacted? How do faculty, students, employees and others engage in activism within and outside UP?
CMR: Even if we belong to different sectors in the university, first and foremost, we are all citizens so that’s where we situate ourselves.
And on top of that, we are members or part of the community of the University of the Philippines, the national university. There’s an added social responsibility on our part not just to produce knowledge, but to ensure that the knowledge that we produce is something that can be used for national development and transformation. It also comes with a moral impetus and imperative on the part of the members of the university as scholars, as academics, as students, as staff, and even those who are in the communities surrounding our campuses to speak up whenever there are questions related to policies, governance in general, both at the national and local levels of government, at the same time to speak up against injustice, human rights violations, whenever civil liberties are being challenged, whenever there’s corruption.
Hindi natin dini-dichotomize ang ating papel bilang mga akademiko, bilang mga estudyante, bilang mga kawani at komunidad ng Unibersidad doon sa ating tungkulin bilang mga mamamayan. The challenge is how do we transform our teaching, our research and publication and in this case, public service in all its forms, not just in a language that can be easily understood by ordinary people who do not have the means or the opportunity to enter institutions of higher learnings such as UP, but also to ensure that this is something that they can benefit from. Kumbaga, hindi natin hinihiwalay ang pamantasan sa komunidad, sa sambayanan.
RBR: Maganda natin tignan na ang akademiya ay isang institusyon na nagsisilbi bilang social critic. Mahalaga ‘yun, sa aking palagay, dahil may espasyo tayo, may panahon para suriin ang ating lipunan at ang layunin natin ay magkaroon ng isang makatarungang pagbabago. Mahirap siyang gawin, kung tutuusin. ‘Yung pinakahamon siguro ay yung paano ito magiging concrete sa ating mga actions. Sa aspeto ng, sa bahagi ng mga artists, sa mga writers, for example, kung saan ako bahagi, lumilikha kami ng mga akda na tumatalakay sa mga matitingkad na may panlipunang usapin, kung paano namin kini-critique ang machismo, sexismo, mga pang-aapi sa lipunan, o kung paano namin tinatalakay sa aming klase gamit ang panitikan hinggil sa historical disinformation, mga fake news, et cetera. Kinakailangan makita ito bilang salinbayan. Ibig sabihin, hindi siya magkakahiwalay na aspeto, kundi papaano nagkakaugnay-ugnay ang mga bagay-bagay.
Kailangan mag-zero in kami kung paano nagagamit ang sining, ang panitikan sa paglilingkod sa bayan. Dito ko rin tinitignan ang mga artist bilang mga conscience of society. Dahil mas nakikita natin ang katotohanan sa bayan na puno ng pagpapanggap. Ibig sabihin, may pagkakataon tayong suriin ang tunay na kalagayan ng lipunan na pinapalabo ng kasalukuyang estado natin. Ito ‘yung hamon na kinakailangang kolektibo, collective ang pagkilos, ibig sabihin, iba’t ibang sektor.
Ideyal ang UP sa gano’n dahil nagkakasama ang buong komunidad–ang mga guro, mag-aaral, at iba pang bahagi ng ating komunidad sa UP–kapag meron isang isyu na dapat natin sinusulong. Sabi nga nila, parang ang UP ay microcosm of Philippine society which is true. Andiyan ‘yung mga tunggalian, yung conflict, pero at the same time, andiyan yung resistance and progressive na pagtingin sa mga bagay-bagay.
FAG: Sa pananaw naman po ng mga estudyante, marami naman pong kaming nagagawa na iba’t ibang porma ng aktibismo. Hindi naman po limited sa pagdalo sa mga rally yung pagpapakita ng aktibismo, so andiyan din po yung paglikha ng mga sining, paggawa ng mga murals, paggawa ng mga tula, pagkasa ng mga dulaang bayan, so marami po talagang porma ng aktibismo na pwedeng maging involved ‘yung mga mag-aaral.
Especially with the current attacks of the state, meron mga apprehensions ang mga students na ipakita yung resistance nila, kaya ine-encourage namin na, okay lang kahit di ka maka-attend ng rally. Ano pa ba ang gusto mo gawin o ano ba yung forte mo na sa tingin mo na makaka-contribute ka sa mga panawagan natin? Open tayo sa marami pang mga means of how we can show our activism and our resistance in order to achieve genuine social change.
Are there alternative forms of activism you can share, based on experience?
FAG: Last year, when I was USC Chair, I had councillors na hindi talaga nila gusto na mag-join ng mga rallies. Sabi nila, “Fau, gusto ko makapagbigay ng mga diskusyon, ng mga ED (educational discussions)”. Ah okay, eh di maganda. Instead na ikulong natin sa branding ng activism na ina-associate with the University, mag-open tayo ng platforms for them.
Nag-end na yung term namin, continuous pa rin yung pagbibigay niya ng mga diskusyon sa mga estudyante, jeepney drivers, even sa family niya rin.
Recently lang, natapos din yung mural dito sa UP Min.
Personally, ako po ay isang Food Technology student. Mainit na usapin ngayon ang golden rice na isa sa mga research ng ating university. But natutunan din namin sa aming mga professors na hindi talaga sila ganoon ka-convinced sa golden rice when we viewed it with our farmers. Hindi siya sustainable in the long run. So marami pang mga issues. Better if hindi nagpapakulong ang mga estudyante sa kung anuman ‘yung nile-label sa atin ng state.
CMR: I think the first thing that we should challenge is the way state authorities vilify the more radical means of activism. One of which is the parliament of the streets. There are so many means by which we can contribute to the process of raising consciousness among people. People do have different levels of consciousness, just like there are different issues, interests, and concerns which appeal to various individuals. The challenge for organizers, for socio-civic groups, for unions, for activists in general, is to find ways, provide venues by which individuals or group of individuals can participate in this day and age of social media.
It’s also challenge for today’s generation of activists on how are we going to maximize this digital age in creating more valuable, useful, relevant content online.
But at the end of the day, it’s also important for people to show solidarity, to mobilize themselves especially when the venues for redress of grievances–the so called institutions of governance, democratic institutions–are being dismantled systematically. We’ve seen in history that it has induced change, even leadership transition in different countries, including ours. That’s why state authorities continuously vilify, demonize such radical ways of advocating change, because they know the potency not just of the parliament of the streets but also other radical means of advocating change.
RBR: Bilang nasa unyon, maraming iba’t ibang paraan o porma ng partisipasyon.
For example, yung mga petition signing, mahalaga ‘yon kasi nakikita yung solidarity sa community, nauunawaan nila yung mga issues na dapat natin harapin sa university. Papaano sila nakikiisa sa CNA campaign, ating collective negotiation agreement–napapatupad ba ang nilalaman nito? Halimbawa ang campaign ngayon ng academic union, sa inflation mitigation grant, thirty thousand na grant from the university. Papaano natin sila hihimukin sa mga benepisyo nito? Dapat nag-o-office to office ka, kung sa estudyante, RTR, room to room. Ngayon naman, kami sa union, meron kaming tinatawag na Ikot Unyon. Iikot kami sa iba-ibang CUs para talakayin yung mga usaping may kinalaman sa benepisyo at empleyo sa University. Napapalalim ang pag-unawa ng mga kasamahan natin sa University hinggil sa mga issues na kinasasadlakan ng ating mga kasamang guro, REPS, at kawani sa University.
Isa pa, halimbawa, yung pagdalo sa mga gawain. Nag-zumba kami, form of activism ba ‘yon? Definitely, kasi ginagamit mo yung popular mode ng pagzu-zumba, pero at the same time, nakikita mo yung solidarity with the workers, with the faculty, within the university. Noong Academic Union Month noong nakaraang Oktubre, napakaganda ng partisipasyon ng iba’t ibang CUs natin para maging matagumpay ang mga campaigns natin ng democratic governance, academic freedom, pagpapatupad ng CNA. Pero at the same time, kailangan mo iugnay sa mas malawak na usapin ng bayan. Hindi ka lamang dapat nakasentro sa UP, kasi pag gano’n, very parochial ‘yung concern mo. Kinakailangan maisakonteksto mo kasi kaya may ganito pala sa university, ay dahil sa resulta siya, sintomas siya ng kalagayan sa ating bansa.
Mahalaga ang institutional support ng University. At nakita natin ang active participation ng ilan, hindi man lahat, sa ating administrators na kasama natin sa pagsulong ng academic freedom and human rights.
What would you say to the current generation of young activists in UP?
CMR: I think we can always draw inspiration from our progressive history and tradition as an institution of higher learning, as the University of the Philippines, as the national university. You know, we did not really start that way. UP is a colonial institution, originally intended to train the next set of leaders, technocrats that will govern the country in the old colonial way.
But during the ’50s, the ’60s, especially during the turbulent, dark decade of the ’70s, of the ’80s under the Marcos dictatorship, we saw the seeds of progressive thinking, how they were sown and then how they flourished and how they led to the radical transformation of the University, the University that we know at present. Even the very traditional greek letter community, a number of fraternities and sororities were transformed and fashioned in the progressive tradition during those turbulent years.
After the first EDSA, we saw the rise of public sector unionism in government offices and agencies. That’s when we witnessed the establishment of our own unions. And it continues up to the present. In the ’90s, there was a move to further democratize decision-making process, governance structure in the University. For example in the University of the Philipines Manila, nando’n yung pagtatayo ng multisectoral na pamantasang asembliya, not to be mistaken with the University Council, primarily comprised of academics, but it also involves other sectors of the University.
And also from the ’80s up to the present, it continuously challenged existing governance structures and decision-making processes to be more representative and inclusive, not just at the unit-level, at the CU-level, but up to the Board of Regents. There are clamours at the moment to expand sectoral representation and to transform the current governance structure in the University in the Board of Regents.
So even within the University itself, makikita natin how ‘yung organized action towards social change ay makikita sa iba’t ibang yugto ng pamantasan. This is our own contribution not just to the history of our University as an institution of higher learning but also to the nation itself: ‘yung democratization movement, yung unionization at iba’t iba pang mga initiatives, innovations within the University which, hopefully, will be emulated by other institutions of learning and also iba pang mga ahensya.
It’s also important for the University to provide a conducive environment for, provide counterpart institutional support to, recognize, incentivize all forms of public service, and ensure that our existing process, institutional arrangements–for example, in promotion, tenure, our hiring standards, in our policies and programs–can accommodate our newfound goal of public service.
We continuously challenge our University community to always go out, share our knowledge, go to the communities where they are needed the most. But then when they are terror-tagged, when they are vilified, when they are harassed, when they are intimidated by state security agents and other groups, what kind of protection does the University afford its university constituents in the performance of its public service goals as an institution?
In 2023, we witnessed the consistent, wide, multisectoral clamour to establish the University Committee on the Promotion and Protection of Academic Freedom and Human Rights as UP’s own response to the growing threats and incidents against civil liberties, human rights, and academic freedom. We’re very happy that, across the System, the University Councils, in an unprecedented move, even issued statements, passed resolutions to support the creation of this university committee, with UP Manila, in December last year, starting the move to actually create the committee itself. We’ve been monitoring the developments in other campuses as well. There’s the commitment on the part of not just the sectors, but also the University administrators to establish the same committee in their respective constituent universities. The challenge now is not just at the CU-level but also at the System level.
RBR: Unang gusto ko sabihin, walang mali sa aktibismo. May mali kaya may aktibista. Ibig sabihin, patuloy ang mahalagang kolektibong pagkilos lalo sa mga miyembro ng komunidad, partikular sa ating mga unyonista. Sa ngayon, natutuwa akong sabihin, na more than 50% ng population ng faculty at REPS ng University System-wide ay miyembro na ng unyon, at ang layunin natin ay palawakin pa ang membership ng ating mga union members dahil nakita natin na mas malakas kapag mas marami. At ang mga benepisyong tinatanggap natin sa kasalukuyan, ang CNA natin, ang negotiation with the UP administration ay nagagawa natin dahil alam ng administrasyon na malakas ang suporta ng ating mga guro at REPS at kawani sa ating mga unyonista.
Ang ating unyon ay check and balance sa ating administrasyon, at the same time, lagi itong binabanggit ni Carl as campaign center. Mahalaga na itambol natin ang usaping may kinalaman sa kalagayan natin bilang empleyado ng UP. Walang ibang makikipaglaban para sa ating benepisyo at karapatan, walang gagawa nito.
Sa bahagi ng mga unyonista sa University, kabahagi ang panawagan ng mga manggagawa sa Pilipinas sa pagpapataas ng sahod, papaano natin hinaharap ang inflation rate. Ngayon merong campaign ang union natin sa salary upgrading. Yung SG 1 sa University, sa mga kawani, hindi na sapat ‘to para mabuhay ang kanyang pamilya. Yung mga REPS natin, for example, yung promotion nila ay hindi vertical. Nakakahon ang promotion sa kung ano ang item na inupuan nila. Kakulangan ng items, usapin ng tenure, merit… ang dami nating dapat pag-usapan, ang dami dapat nating baguhin sa sistema within and outside the University. Hindi mo ‘to magagawa nang mag-isa. Subalit, napatunayan na sa ating kasaysayan, sa mahabang tradisyon ng kilusang guro, estudyante, at kawani sa Unibersidad, may nababago, at unti-unti ‘yon. ‘Yan ang hindi dapat nating kalimutan bilang kontribusyon ng pamantasan para mabago ang lipunan.
FAG: Para sa mga kapwa ko mag-aaral, get yourselves organized, join organizations na aligned sa interests ninyo and sa principles ninyo.
Isa sa pinakaimportante ay bigyan or kumuha tayo ng inspirasyon sa mayamang history ng UP of being involved in genuine social change. Sabi nga ni Lean Alejandro, “In the line of fire is a place of honor.” Bilang mga iskolar ng bayan, hamon talaga sa atin na makipamahagi at makipamuhay sa mga mamamayang Pilipino at gamitin natin yung ating mga degree or ‘yung mga diploma natin sa pag-forward ng interest of the Filipino masses. Huwag matakot na maging involved or huwag matakot na magsalita dahil hindi ka naman mag-isa at sama-sama tayong kikilos para sa tunay na malayang lipunan.
Read more articles from the UP FORUM
Read more about activism in UP via these links:
- From Placards to Memes
- UP’s Tradition of Protest Music
- Activism and UP’s mandate of public service
- We encourage activism. . . because we care.
- On the Screen and in the Streets: Student Activism during the COVID 19 Lockdowns
- The Evolution of an Activist