The first time I probably encountered the word activism was when I was still 5 y.o. But I had no idea what it meant or the significance of it. Both my parents were activists, my father was then the chairman of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) in the entire PANAY region, while my mom was an advocate of women’s rights during her college years at The University of the Philippines in Diliman. They were both products of the Martial Law era that stirred a lot of idealist college students from the repressive Marcos regime. Despite of my parent’s active activism, I never knew they were actually both doing good in class. A friend of my mom once told me that she’s always absent from her classes just to attend rallies and integrate with the basic masses, but she would always top her class in all the exams and class recitations. My dad, on the other hand, had a knack for being the best student leader. He would convince students older than him to walk-out from their classes and demand for greater state subsidy on education and he does this with the consent from their professors. Sometimes, he would even invite their professors to go out with them in their rallies demanding for the increase in salary as the tuition fees would also soar high, one time, he even convinced their dean to go with them. My dad is also good in debates, he would usually argue with his professors about society and he usually wins it, one time, he even argued about the labor code with a lawyer and the lawyer was so amazed by his knowledge about the topic. My parents’ passion in serving the people did not end when they left their universities, rather they continued their commitment to become catalysts of change.

But this story is not about them, its’ about me…

Back when I was still in elementary, I always thought that activism is bad and it’s because of all the negative connotations of people about it. They say that if you’re an activist, you’re a communist and if you’re a communist, you’re a terrorist or an outcast of society. Well, whom am I to defy them? So, I believed them and had always thought that activism is really bad. I can’t blame my parent’s though, because my sister and I were usually left with our grandparents or my aunt and cousins when they’re not home. In school, when we talk about society in our HEKASI subject, I would always ask my teacher on why is there still corruption? Political harassment? Poverty? and why are there people, like my parents, who would always go out on the streets and shout their demands but no one even listens to them? And my teacher would answer, that’s because, coming from the old time phrase, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”. But i was not convinced, I am not satisfied with that answer, I want to know why our country is still six feet below the ground compared to other countries who were worst than the Philippines before and during the Asian crisis. I want to know why are there people still suffering from poverty and economic crisis despite of their hard work, day and night, just to have one complete meal in a day. While there are also people who just sits in their air-conditioned offices, yet receiving a thousand times more than that of there laborers? Why is it necessary for a 7 year old kid to force himself work at the fish port and carry kilos of fishes at 2 o’clock in the morning, just to help his family contend from poverty, instead of going to school? Why are there farmers being killed or militarized, when they are already victims of massive land grabbing and were not given the promised land as stated in the comprehensive agrarian reform program or CARP? And why is it the government would just simply say that these people are too lazy and didn’t took the opportunity that education can given them, if in the first place the government didn’t do anything to make education affordable for all? I don’t think that a grade 6 student would not understand the irony in our political and social systems. With all these questions in ind, it really made me think of the harsh realities in our society.

I was in high school when my perception about activism has changed. I was invited to join the pioneer batch of the Junior Red Guards (JRG) and I was actually shocked to see that my childhood friends were my comrades in this organization. At first I though the JRG us just another extra-curricular club that can help me build my personality development, etc., etc. But is was wrong, historically speaking the red Guards of China played a very important role during the Cultural Revolution in rectifying the false ideas and wrong practices of the people. The from that time on, I had a 360 degree turn from being passive and dogmatic into being vibrant and dynamic. I am now an activist!

I was in second year high school that I realized by joining the JRG I can critically analyze the Philippine Society from the context rooted from the basic mass line and that is to serve the people. Constantly I joined rallies and big mobilizations, like that during the ouster of ERAP. I was in 3rd year high school that I became the chairman of the JRG, and as part of my responsibility, I had to compliment our actions with proper political guidance by constantly studying the Philippine society. A young as 15 y.o., I had my first encounter of Political Economy and the existing feudal system of the government. I was exposed to different lifestyles especially of the urban poor, farmers and of course the working class.

I had an experience in one of our basic mass integrations that I really felt the oppression and poverty brought about by the abandonment of the government’s responsibility in providing humanitarian and dignified living condition of the people, especially in the squatter’s area in our city. I joined my foster family in their everyday routine. We woke up at 1 o’clock in the morning and work loads of fresh caught fish from the port to the market and receiving only 10 pesos per load. By 6 o’clock, we had to go back home and do the household chores, washing, laundry, cleaning, etc. But its’ no easy task especially when there’s no ample supply of water and you’d have to fetch it at least two blocks away. Our breakfast is no little than half a piece of “pan de sal” and a cup of coffee. In the afternoon I had to go with my foster brothers to make an earning out of selling scraps of metal found at the port or by paddling a bicycle from the port to the market, or by simply helping our “Nanay” in vending lunch and snacks in the nearby universities and colleges. My experience in this exposure strengthened my foundation in the progressive movement. That is why I don’t believe when people say, the reason why these people remain in poverty is because of laziness. I believe that the most hardworking people are actually those I’ve met during my one-week integration with the urban poor, working their asses of day and night, yet receiving only a little less than a hundred per day. We can’t blame them if they can’t afford to go to school, because they had to work more than the time they can learn.

I graduated high school with a lot of achievements, I was the High School council president, managing editor of our school organ and president of various clubs and organizations. My involvement as an activist did not hinder me to achieve great things, and it has actually taught me ti be strong and confident. When I went to college, I immediately joined the LFS, aside from upbringing my father’s legacy, I believe that the LFS is one of the few student organizations that has a purpose and genuine sense of service. Tuition Fees, exorbitant fees and other ridiculous fees are the worst fear of the students, worse than receiving a grade of 5.0 or facing a terror teacher in your major subjects. And this was the challenge to the LFS, to counter demand the excessive increases of fees just to get quality education. This is nationalism for me and is far greater than any other foundations or institutions that gives only donations during calamities or disasters. Serving the people is uplifting them from the social status and we can only achieve it if we empower them with their skills and potentials. Through our collective efforts we can change society and we should let the working force be in the side of the students to transform our country.

My idea of activism is like you inside a well, what you see is only a big whole above, but in order for you to see the really beauty of the world, you need to go out of the well and discover for yourself the challenges life has to offer.

Our knowledge is nothing if we don;t apply it for the better good of the people, our potentials and skills are like raw meat that you have to cook first before savoring its taste. This is my idea of activism and I would like to share this to everyone.