#ASProfiles: On radical change
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| Photo by Janna Alessandra Lagman |
Interview by Janna Alessandra Lagman
As you advocate for radical change, why is there a need for us to redefine what it means to be “representative, inclusive, and progressive?”
“I believe that yung pagiging representative, inclusive, and progressive parang nawala na yung saysay or essence niya, because we continue to repeat those three qualities, those three principles, not only in the Student Council pero kahit sa mga different Societies natin. And at this point, parang hindi na siya nakakamit. We are both able to achieve that kasi people have forgotten what it truly means to be representative, inclusive, and progressive. Also most of the time, surface level lang ang natatamaan natin. And for me, as one of my campaigns, for ABSC, gusto kong palitan yung pananaw natin what it means to be those three (representative, inclusive, and progressive).
So when you say that we’re representative, talagang we’re trying to represent the students but we also have to notice that you don’t just represent the students, hindi lang basta pwede sabihin na I represent the students, dapat we should know kung sino-sino ang mga estudyante, and the best way for us to categorize them is based on their sector, so kung ano or saan yung pinanggagalingan nila, kung ano yung economic status nila, ano yung identities nila, yung mga marginalized communities that we have here in AB. So the goal there is if you want to represent the students, then you should represent the sectors kasi sila yung pinaka-apektado. And so far wala pang nakakapag-lobby ng ganun. The first time that sectoral representation was lobbied for was last year during my campaign as ABSC Secretary. Bakit inclusivity?
For inclusivity kasi we always say that okay, let's be inclusive, we involve the students, etc. But it’s always been so surface-level na we have forgotten what it really means to be inclusive. So when I say that we’re trying to redefine what it means to be inclusive, dapat alam natin kung sino ini-include natin. We’re being inclusive by always including ang mga student sectors. We should be inclusive towards them by actually getting to talk to them– getting their opinion mismo.
And progressiveness, well for me, I believe that the idea of progress has actually deteriorated that basic bare minimums na lang pina-plataporma, kina-campaign, those are being considered progress. Well for me hindi, oo small steps matter. However, if we really are to achieve progress we really need to understand what progress is. It can be achieved by actually changing what's happening here. We address the concerns of the students, not only through petitions, not only through statements, pero bumaba tayo sa mga estudyante mismo. So let's go to the hallways, talk to the students, communicate with them, with student leaders, Board of Majors, etc. That's one aspect of being progressive. Bumaba tayo on the grassroot level, and so far hindi pa natin nakikita yung ganun sa ABSC. So that's what I advocate for, and why I think we should redefine those three things.”
“So the factors that I took into consideration when re-evaluating the structure of the Student Council is first we look at the committees, napaka-classroom setup niya, meron kang Secretariat Committee, Auditing Committee, STRAW, etc. Okay naman yung mga advocacy-based na meron tayo so far, pero it's too general kasi if you have a committee tapos ang dami niyang hinahawakan, tina-take into consideration, sineserve na students in that case, parang ang hirap kasi you are not able to focus on one specific issue. And so far, I think dun tayo nakukulangan, especially us UST, kasi if you will look at UP Diliman’s University Student Council, Ateneo Sanggunian, or/and De La Salle’s USG, they have already progressed to the point kung saan hindi na sila umaasa sa mga committees na ganun (secretariat, auditing, etc.). It's more on commissions, more on advocacy-based, or issues-based.
Halimbawa, sa Ateneo Sanggunian, meron silang on gender, indigenous people, if i'm not mistaken, or on PWDs, specific committees or groups that or whose main mandate or function is to address the concerns of those students. Diba para at least, may grupo sila na nagtatrabaho para sa committees na para sa mga sectors na yun. Unfortunately we still do not have that in UST. And I think that's why we need to restructure yung ABSC from that na puro tayo umaasa sa operations, more on the job that they do, towards a structure kung saan yung mga committees are much more focused on the people that they serve. Emanating from how our government functions, diba, na meron tayong iba’t ibang commissions based on specific sectors. Kailangan yan ng UST, ng CSC, ABSC, na magkaroon tayo ng committees or working groups that are directed towards specific issues and specific sectors, and their concerns that need to be addressed.”
What is your message to the student body this coming election?
“For me, it has always been, ever since I have ran for ABSC last year, is never or wag na wag kayong matakot magsalita. Kasi of course, ang dami natin nararanasan na peer pressure, you try to solve or propose something new, something radical, something that is too progressive, other people see it as a challenge to the status quo. Ang nangyayari,you get labeled as a basher, as a criticizer, puna ka lang nang puna. Pero for me, we, as students of AB, as students of a Liberal Arts Institution, as well as students with the respect for democratic rights ng iba’t ibang estudyante, I would always say magsalita kayo, speak up. And at least, if I ever get to win the position, this is something na hindi kayo matatakot na magsalita. I don’t want students to be afraid to criticize, to feel fearful speaking up about their concerns, struggles, kung ano yung mga nararanasan niyo, gusto namin mapakinggan yun. That's what I want the Student Council to embody, a Council that actually listens. Ang masasabi ko lang sa mga AB students, guys huwag kayong matakot magsalita, wala kayong boses, bibigyan namin kayo ng boses. Yan ang trabaho namin bilang Artlets Student Council.”
— Gabriel Emmanuel Gabrillo, ABSC Presidential Candidate and third-year Asian Studies Student
