Activism: Its Rhythm and Blues

(This is a reaction essay to the article ‘The Intellectual Bankruptcy of UP Activism’ that is already published last October)

The University of the Philippines and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines do both have activism in their names and prestige. Both these universities struggle to shout their advocacy and complaints to the government and to the higher positions to them. Recently, activists from the University of the Philippines attacked the Budget Secretary Butch Abad after his budget forum on the UP School of Economics and even pulled his collar to prevent him from leaving, merely also because of anger and dismay to the secretary.

Winnie Monsod, a professor emeritus in the university, criticized them as hooligans and they criticized how intimidating “bearers of contrary and unfashionable ideas” can only result “in an impoverishment of intellectual life and a reduction of debate to a monologue among the already-converted.” Thus did they articulate a deeper assault on the very essence of a UP “where debates are won … not by shouting down but by speaking up.” (c) Oscar Franklin Tan.

I agree to Mr. Tan, the writer of the article. Not every matters and propositions can be won by shouting what you feel about the topic. It also removes the concept UP have according to Ms. Monsod, debates win and not shouting down. I personally believe that activists today left marks on those who see them fighting for what is right. This mark is the mark of discrimination that activists are these negative elements of the society and are very rebellious. They made this concept of activism because of the outlook of the activists themselves; they are closing doors for hope and solution by the locks of revolution and pessimism.

I think noisy activism for UP and PUP ruins the status of the said universities, because this two are the homes of the scholars of the country. Scholars are intelligent, educated, and smart, and I think this shouting situations negates to what a scholar should look like. “Ang taong sumisigaw o sinisigaw ang himutok ay isang makitid na tao.” An open-minded person never shouts because he/she knows that everything is solved through good communication between parties. It is time that activists change clothes and start wearing more decent outfit, the outfit of order and speaking up.