by Jon Lindley Agustin
Conflicts among College of Mass Communication (CMC) parties heated up as candidates for the next student council faced off on Friday at the college’s first issue-based debate in a modified Asian-Parliamentary format.
The debate, dubbed as “Liyab: A Pre-Hot off the Grill Debate,” was organized by the UP Mass Communicators Organization (UP MCO) as a kick-off to the annual miting de avance entitled “Hot Off The Grill” on Feb. 10.
The debate was also co-sponsored by the College Student Electoral Board (CSEB), CMC’s governing electoral body, headed by College Secretary Danilo Arao.
Similar to past election forums, persistent issues on commercialization, activism, and the implementation of projects tested the parties’ ideals and beliefs.
Candidates from STAND UP-CMC (Students Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP-CMC) and ISA (Interdependent Student-Centered Activism), as well as one independent candidate for Journalism representative gave their stance on issues such as the budget cut, tuition fee increase and the state’s selling of idle assets to private companies.
“The goal of the debate is to showcase the competencies of the candidates as well as the principles of ISA and STAND-UP,” said Jedd Brian Hernandez, president of UP MCO.
CMC’s biggest problem
The two candidates vying for CMC representative to the University Student Council (USC) each had two distinct problems of the college in mind.
While criticizing the former CMC student councils, Jake Rivera of ISA said the biggest problem is student engagement. To fulfill this, he said he will provide quality and more understandable information on issues to the students, along with basic student services.
“Five years ago, they (past councils) forgot that students need to be assisted in making names for themselves as media practitioners,” Rivera said in his first statements, “ Five years later, we have services… we have exploited every single avenue for them to participate in activities.”
“Hindi ka lang taga-akyat, taga-baba ka rin ng mga concerns sa level ng mga estudyante,” he added, “Makarelate muna kami sa ginagawa niyo.”
Gail Orduña of STAND UP-CMC belittled Rivera’s argument, saying the immediate concern is budget insufficiency and “exorbitant fees.”
“Hindi malaking issue ang student engagement sa MassComm,” she said, “Ang student engagement ang solusyon.”
As college representative, Orduña said she will push for consultation to students for every increase in fees and will advocate constant vigilance.
Facebook ‘Like’ page
The bets for Communication Research and Film representatives debated on the issue of STAND UP-CMC candidates ‘liking’ a Facebook page on budget cut, a form of ‘alternative activism’, which is an advocacy not in-line with the party.
According to Communication Research representative bet Carla Cucueco, ISA’s alternative advocacy called “I oppose the Budget Cut” on Facebook was even joined by candidates from STAND UP-CMC who were not inclined to support it.
Isabel Quesada, STAND UP-CMC’s Film representative candidate, argued, “Ano ang laban ng 200+ na estudyante na nag-‘like’ sa 3,500 na students na sumali sa protesta? Walang alternative activism, sakop pa rin ito ng militant activism.”
However, Marji Manlunas, ISA’s Treasurer candidate said 250 students have ‘liked’ the page within a week of its creation. She added that they believe in alternative activism because it is for everyone.
STAND UP-CMC’s Communication research candidate Sheryll Abrillo said her party does not condemn alternative activism but students must not settle on this form.
Over the years, STAND UP-CMC’s advocacies have been based on militant activism, a form different from alternative activism which does not necessarily incorporate rallies and protests.
Idle lands
Each party’s opinion also differed on the issue of selling the university’s idle lands to private companies as income generating projects.
STAND UP-CMC Treasurer candidate Astrid Acielo called profits from idle assets the government’s “band-aid solution.” She said it does not address the crisis on education.
ISA on the other hand believes it is a “beneficial band-aid solution.” The party said they recognize the government cannot provide for the university, and profits from selling of idle lands could compensate for this insufficiency.
Angel Britanico, Independent candidate for Journalism representative, stood midway.
While saying the income generated from private institutions is not necessary because the government must provide subsidy to the university, Britanico said these are still beneficial. She added it is also practicable because it has already been done, but it is not the best solution.
Live Twitter updates during this event were provided by Myra Cabujat.
25 comments
Oh lord this election is so blatantly one-sided. I smell a landslide.
@ressd: For which party? 😀
What I meant by “they” was the past CMC Student Councils, not the past CMC Reps to the USC. Thanks.
Thank you for the clarification. The article has been updated accordingly.–Ed.
@Kasali ka: Obviously, hindi sa dilaw.
Napaghahalata na ang isang partido sa laban na ito ay hindi lubusang naiintindihan ang mga isyung kinakaharap hindi lamang ng CMC o ng UP, kundi ng buong lipunan.
Nakakatawa ang mga sagot ng ilang kandidato, mababaw at walang malinaw na basehan. Yung isa pang sagot ay tila minamaliit ang kakayahan ng mga mag-aaral ng CMC sa pag-unawa sa mga isyu.
Sana’y manalo ang mga kandidato na tunay na may alam at pakialam sa mga mahahalagang isyu.
Sana maging mapanuri at kritikal na ang mga boboto sa taong ito hindi katulad noong nakaraang taon kung saan umiral lang ang pasikatan.
Godspeed.
Nakakairita lang yung mga sagot nung iba, please? Nakakawalang-ganang bumoto kung kayo rin lang ang iboboto ko. And sorry sa stupid question ko pero MAY RELEVANCE BANG PAGDEBATEHAN ANG PAGLIKE SA FACEBOOK PAGE?
Crap. Andaming problema ng CMC at ng UP, Facebook ang prinoproblema niyo. AMBABAW NIYO.
@AGIT: DI BA NGA? grabe lang talaga napapaghalataan talaga yung mga mabababaw at walang alam.
Editorial Board need not post this:
On writing, the first four paragraphs of this news should be placed at the bottom of the article. The paragraphs only made the article appear like a PR piece for the organizers of the debate by highlighting the organizers and the format of the debate whereas it should be highlighting the points raised in the debate. Basic news writing.
Another thing, the report is incomplete as the topic answered by the Chair and VChair were not reported or were the topics too shallow like that of the Facebook-alternative-activism issue (this may not be the fault of the reporter if such).
Just to comment more on the FB issue, either militant or alternative should not be the issue, but whether or not people nowadays still care to speak out on issues like budget cut. It’s not the form of activism that is should be the issue, it’s about speaking out or being numb on societal and student issues. Come on, we are from UP, please do speak and act like one (This is not for the eds but for whoever raised that FB issue).
Just to comment more on the CMCSC elections, if we want informed voters and intellectual votes, better start bringing up the level of politics rather than trashy traditional Pinoy politics. Come on, come on. Please do not start to breed yourselves like our current traditional politicos.
To the organizers of election debates, we all know that trivial questions are part of the debates but please help the voters to be well informed by discussing more on important issues.
More power to TNP. Just a friendly critique 🙂
“However, Marji Manlunas, ISA’s Treasurer candidate said 250 students have ‘liked’ the page within a week of its creation. She added that they believe in alternative activism because it is for everyone.”
Since when did liking a facebook fan page become alternate activism. Does that mean, having liked the ‘Marijuana’ page, that I am a proponent?
No. Sometimes you like stuff on facebook for satire and jokes. You have no empirical data nor logical basis to claim that those 250 students are doing ‘alternative activism’.
For someone aspiring to become a treasurer, you sure can’t gauge the value of figures.