To explore and relive books containing progressive Filipino ideologies and aspirations, Anakbayan PUP College of Communication (COC) spearheaded a live book storytelling event and discussion entitled, “C-O-See You sa Linear: Buklatin ang Totoo sa Libro,” at PUP Linear Park on November 14.
Several Anakbayan PUP members tackled some political and progressive literary works, such as "Dekada '70" by Lualhati Bautista, "Stop the Killings PH" and "State Terror and Tyranny in the Philippines" by IBON International, "Lisyang na Edukasyon" by Renato Constantino, and "Lipunan at Rebolusyonaryong Pilipino" by Amado Guerrero.
The event, in partnership with PUP-COC Student Council (SC), was initiated after the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) issued a memorandum in August banning some books from schools and libraries deemed as "subversive" and “anti-government.”
The book storytelling portion was followed by an educational discussion with the topic, "Neoliberal Education Amid the Pandemic,” where League of Filipino Students (LFS) – PUP PADEPA Member Maricho Tagailo pointed out how we can preserve developing knowledge through progressive education and books.
“The pandemic has exposed our colonial, commercialized, and anti-democratic education," Tagailo's presentation read.
Tagailo noted how the halting of the publication of critical and progressive books becomes "a kind of mechanism to suppress our critical thinking" just to suffice the status quo amid internal crises within the government.
"Kaya tutol na tutol tayo sa MROTC because it became a facade towards ‘militarization’ of students and para maging pawn din tayo ng government at makitil ‘yong mga progresibong SHS students, among many things," she stressed.
Moreover, Tagailo compared the difference between Lumad's academic curriculum from the implemented education throughout the country. According to her, their curriculum focuses more on agriculture and how they will intellectualize themselves about what is going on around them rather than being taught for external or foreign purposes.
Meanwhile, LFS-PUP PADEPA Member Marc Rechelle Buntag also shared insights, as the educational discussion also revolved around the topic of workforce rights and its related sectors.
"Patuloy sana tayong maka-ambag sa paglaban para sa maaliwalas na buhay ng mga manggagawa," Buntag said.
Tagailo, on the one hand, added: “[magpatuloy tayo] sa pakikimuhay [at] paglulubog [natin] doon sa sector upang malaman ang ating role bilang Anakbayan.”
She also encouraged all the Iskolar ng Bayan to strive for a nationalistic, scientific, and mass-oriented education system.
Furthermore, PUP Sentral na Konseho ng Mag-aaral (SKM) Chairperson Anna Mutuc provided additional lectures at the event. She asserted that book purging of democratic books and the difficulty of accessing them has not only started, but remains to continue.
In his opening speech, PUP COC-SC President Ronjay-C Mendiola said that the book storytelling event and discussion is a manifestation that the spirit of youth is alive.
He stressed that the demonization of ideologies—especially communism—due to fear of equality towards public views, only makes critical matters become taboo.
Mendiola also bid his hope that the concepts presented by lecturers will continue to open the minds of other students.
"Nawa’y [tayo ay] maging mapangyakap sa aktibismo, [...] lumaban sa pagbabagong lipunan, [...] at mabawi ang espasyo ng kalayaang pinagkait sa atin," Mendiola encouraged the students.
Meanwhile, others present during the event were PUP SKM President Kirchhoff Angala, SAMASA PUP-COC Chairperson Juan Gamala, and Anakbayan members.
Graphics: Cathlyn De Raya
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