#StudentActivism
Checkmate
With the world as it is today, it is almost too easy to forget what is going on in your own country as it continues to bring the fight against these times of turmoil. Yet, if there is one group that has remained conscious during the events that have taken place the past few months, it would be the students that currently comprise most of the Filipino youth. Student activism is on a high rise, and the Philippines’ studentry have taken it upon themselves to let their voices announce their opinions throughout this ordeal.
Should the government heed their pleas for a renewed system of response amid the COVID-19 pandemic and recent typhoons, only then will these students find solace. But until then, it will be a game of will and wit, where the loser will be put into submission.
The country has been slowly falling into shambles ever since the first COVID-19 case was recorded, and now, this pandemic is not the only thing to worry about. After typhoons Quinta, Rolly, and Ulysses ravaged the country, Filipino citizens have been left helpless more than ever, and students are calling out the Duterte Administration’s inaction on establishing a response to these calamities. As indicated in a statement made by Ateneo de Manila University, they pledged to go on an academic strike saying they “can no longer stomach the ever-rising number of deaths due to the state’s blatant incompetence”.
Moreover, they urge the university to prioritize their efforts in aiding the victims of the recent crises. Many of these students have observed what the administration has not been acknowledging, and it seems to have led them to make their own attempt to help those who are in need, which, from what they have surmised, is something the government has shown an ineptitude in.
On the one hand, the national government stands its ground on the dispute, with Malacañang reminding the students of Ateneo that they will fail should they initiate the strike. During an interview in Cagayan Valley, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque stated, “Babagsak po kayo” in response to the Ateneans condemning the negligence of the government.
President Rodrigo Duterte himself has also slammed against the student strike, telling them to stop their schooling. Furthermore, he threatened to defund the University of the Philippines, although Roque clarified Duterte confused the proponents of the strike wherein Ateneo was the one advocating the strike. Nevertheless, the president has made it clear that the students’ efforts do not vex him, nor the government as they continue their methods on bringing about an end to these hard times.
However, the students supporting the academic strike remain unfazed by the backlash, instead labeling Roque’s remarks as dismissive and insensitive towards their concerns. Student strike aside, youth groups rallied in ADMU on November 17 in celebration of International Students’ Day, raising banners denouncing Duterte’s “criminal negligence”. If anything, this word war only gave these students more fuel for their fire, sparking strikes on other universities such as the Far Eastern University.
As this contention between students and national authorities bring with it a heated debate, there is only one thing both sides can agree on. Only one will come out as the victor. While the government tells these students that their futures lay at a waste if they continue with this ambition, what they do not know is there is no future to look forward to because of the administration’s ineptness itself. And only in the end will they realize that this is a game that was won from the beginning.
