2000 freshman welcoming speech
This was the welcoming speech I wrote for the freshpeople of UP Diliman in 2000, read by the then USC Chair.*
Greetings on a new millennium! Welcome, freshmen, to the University of the Philippines! Magandang umaga sa inyong lahat!
Marahil maraming tanong ang bumabagabag sa inyo ngayon. Mga tanong tulad ng: Ano'ng patutunguhan ng aking kinabukasan? Ano'ng purpose ng buhay ko? Masaya ba ang UP? Tatagal ba ako sa UP? Bakit nabaliw si Rosalinda?
Maraming tanong, trivial man o seryoso, o simpleng nakakatawa. Iba-iba tayo, eh.
But one question will keep coming up during your stay here in UP. And the question is this: What is the essence of being a UP student?
But the thing 'essence' is not a permanent virtue. Essence is dependent on the context, the circumstances surrounding its definition,
Perhaps we could rephrase it a little bit.
In the context of our troubled times, what in essence should a UP student be? Ever since grade school we have been taught that only through hardwork and perseverance will our country move towards progress. That only through prayer, will our people be blessed. But millions of our people do these things everyday yet remain socially marginalized. What we are not taught in schools are the root causes of society's problems, and how reaction preserves the status quo.What we are not taught in schools is the effect of the chronic economic crisis, of the systematic oppression of working people, of the concentration of wealth in a few hands.
In light of such justifications of the status quo, we again ask the question: in the context of our troubled times, what in essence should a UP student be?
Given the present context it becomes clear that in essence a UP student means, first of all, to be critical, to realize that not everything learned in classrooms is a given absolute. It means the comprehension that education is not confined inside the four walls of the classroom, that real learning goes beyond academics. It means to question, and always to question, everything taught to us. Why are most Filipinos mired in poverty? Why is the state of education so abject? To see with open eyes, to feel and criticize without yielding to the dominating powers of the status quo, and to act accordingly and boldly based on what one has seen, on what one has felt in honest observation and contemplation, and to conjure the powers of our specific fields of study in the service of what is good and what is true – this, this is what it means to study in this university.
Upon further stay, you'll also realize that a UP student is, first and foremost, an Iskolar ng Bayan. This means that it is only through the sweat and blood of the Filipino people that each one of us is able to study in this State University. Thus the answer to our question gets nearer.
In the context of our troubled times, what in essence should a UP student be? Upon reflection the answer comes like a revelation. Placed in the context of our troubled times, the essence of being a UP student – is in the spirit of serving the people.
If your ates and kuyas are full of confident optimism for you freshmen, it is because of our faith that the advent of a new millennium has inspired in you the true spirit of being an Iskolar ng Bayan, that is, of serving the people. Historically, UP students have been linked with the basic masses' struggle for a better life. But if you feel that in former troubled times, UP's response was less than satisfactory, then the challenge for your batch is to put former batches to shame, by actively engaging in social change. In this respect, feel free to use the University Student Council's resources. This year's student council aims to revive in UP students the spirit of militant struggle, critical thinking, and the tradition of academic excellence and academic freedom. We long to be one with you in the advancement of student democratic rights and the national and democratic aspirations of the Filipino people.
In behalf of the students of UP Diliman, I hope you enjoy your stay here in UP. Mabuhay ang freshmen! Mabuhay ang mga Iskolar ng Bayan!
Greetings on a new millennium! Welcome, freshmen, to the University of the Philippines! Magandang umaga sa inyong lahat!
Marahil maraming tanong ang bumabagabag sa inyo ngayon. Mga tanong tulad ng: Ano'ng patutunguhan ng aking kinabukasan? Ano'ng purpose ng buhay ko? Masaya ba ang UP? Tatagal ba ako sa UP? Bakit nabaliw si Rosalinda?
Maraming tanong, trivial man o seryoso, o simpleng nakakatawa. Iba-iba tayo, eh.
But one question will keep coming up during your stay here in UP. And the question is this: What is the essence of being a UP student?
But the thing 'essence' is not a permanent virtue. Essence is dependent on the context, the circumstances surrounding its definition,
Perhaps we could rephrase it a little bit.
In the context of our troubled times, what in essence should a UP student be? Ever since grade school we have been taught that only through hardwork and perseverance will our country move towards progress. That only through prayer, will our people be blessed. But millions of our people do these things everyday yet remain socially marginalized. What we are not taught in schools are the root causes of society's problems, and how reaction preserves the status quo.What we are not taught in schools is the effect of the chronic economic crisis, of the systematic oppression of working people, of the concentration of wealth in a few hands.
In light of such justifications of the status quo, we again ask the question: in the context of our troubled times, what in essence should a UP student be?
Given the present context it becomes clear that in essence a UP student means, first of all, to be critical, to realize that not everything learned in classrooms is a given absolute. It means the comprehension that education is not confined inside the four walls of the classroom, that real learning goes beyond academics. It means to question, and always to question, everything taught to us. Why are most Filipinos mired in poverty? Why is the state of education so abject? To see with open eyes, to feel and criticize without yielding to the dominating powers of the status quo, and to act accordingly and boldly based on what one has seen, on what one has felt in honest observation and contemplation, and to conjure the powers of our specific fields of study in the service of what is good and what is true – this, this is what it means to study in this university.
Upon further stay, you'll also realize that a UP student is, first and foremost, an Iskolar ng Bayan. This means that it is only through the sweat and blood of the Filipino people that each one of us is able to study in this State University. Thus the answer to our question gets nearer.
In the context of our troubled times, what in essence should a UP student be? Upon reflection the answer comes like a revelation. Placed in the context of our troubled times, the essence of being a UP student – is in the spirit of serving the people.
If your ates and kuyas are full of confident optimism for you freshmen, it is because of our faith that the advent of a new millennium has inspired in you the true spirit of being an Iskolar ng Bayan, that is, of serving the people. Historically, UP students have been linked with the basic masses' struggle for a better life. But if you feel that in former troubled times, UP's response was less than satisfactory, then the challenge for your batch is to put former batches to shame, by actively engaging in social change. In this respect, feel free to use the University Student Council's resources. This year's student council aims to revive in UP students the spirit of militant struggle, critical thinking, and the tradition of academic excellence and academic freedom. We long to be one with you in the advancement of student democratic rights and the national and democratic aspirations of the Filipino people.
In behalf of the students of UP Diliman, I hope you enjoy your stay here in UP. Mabuhay ang freshmen! Mabuhay ang mga Iskolar ng Bayan!
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