By Joshua Corcuera
Last Saturday, while scrolling my Twitter feed, I read a tweet from The GUIDON — the official student publication of the Ateneo de Manila University.
Hundreds of students from the Ateneo — one of the most prestigious schools in the country — co-signed a mass student strike statement in an act of protest against the government’s response to the pandemic and the onslaught of recent storms.
Until a proper response is made, those who signed promised not to submit any requirements starting November 18. This act of protest is brave, especially that the risks of academic failure are too high. It is not the first time something like this happened, however, and it is essential to discuss a similar act of protest in the past. Moreover, it is essential to understand what the youth is trying to tell.
Better to see failing grades than to see the country fail
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque was informed of the protest initiated by the Ateneans. “Babagsak kayo,” he replied before adding that those who do not comply with academic requirements will have a bad future.
In his own words, mawawalan ng kinabukasan. From my perspective, these students are motivated to speak up and initiated a mass student strike because they are concerned about the future.
If government negligence, especially in times of crisis, would be the norm, then the future would be dark for our country. This seems to be what Ateneans are fighting against in the first place — the shortcomings of the-powers-that-be which will affect society as a whole negatively.
Furthermore, the Ateneans are suggesting that it is better to fail in academics than to see the Philippines fail, especially in saving the lives and livelihood of its people. Hence, a responsive government is needed to prevent our country from meeting a terrible fate.
In the past: no classes until Erap steps down
Students protesting against the government is not new. In fact, students made a huge impact in social movements in the past.
For instance, when former president Joseph Estrada — widely known as Erap — was ousted in 2001, students were among those who joined the protests. In social media, photos of an old front-page issue of the Philippine Collegian — student publication of UP Diliman — are circulating with the headline: no classes until Erap steps down.
This shows that what Ateneans are doing right now is not entirely new. In the past, Erap was removed from power successfully as he left the palace. This time, it is worth asking, would Ateneans get what they demand?
Only time will tell, but whatever the outcome, they deserve praise for making themselves heard. Even if they fail — hopefully not — in achieving their goals for the student strike, they proved that the youth can make people aware of the current issues plaguing our country — issues that must be immediately addressed by those in power.
The youth can make themselves heard
Many people say that young people do not have a say in today’s affairs — the recent action of hundreds of Ateneans proved them wrong. The mass student strike initiated by these students is an evidence that the youth can make themselves heard. I saw some people criticizing the protest made by the students from the Ateneo, saying that they should prioritize their studies instead.
It is important for them to understand, though, that part of learning is standing up against what is wrong. If students — no matter how bright — remain silent when there are a lot of abhorrent things happening in society, then they failed to apply what they have learned in real-life. In other words, what they’ve learned has no purpose at all if they are silent in times of crisis.
Altogether, the mass student strike done by hundreds of students from the Ateneo shows their bravery and that they’re worthy of respect. Students from other educational institutions — such as me who study at Adamson — can learn an important lesson from their fellow students from the Ateneo. More importantly, it is essential for the government to listen to the voice of the people, especially the youth since they are the future of the nation.
Twitter: @cjdcorcuera
