It’s nothing short of a memetic explosion. Get Real Post articles that dissected and, in the process, eviscerated the ill-conceived conceptual foundation of a statement released by the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) faculty, denouncing Martial Law “historical revisionism” and baldly accusing Philippine senator and vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos of “brutality” have strongly-resonated amongst the Philippines’ young voters.
Many observers have noted that this strong challenging of the edicts of this hallowed elite Catholic institution of learning is long-overdue. The ADMU has long stood tall as a bastion of progressive thought — or so its officers and student body would like to believe. Though the Ateneo community boasts a long track record of activism, most notedly their participation in the uprisings that led to the 1986 “people power revolution”, the possibility that this stance and the thinking that underpin its interpretation of history may now be obsolete. At the heart of this obsolescence is the idea that “the Martial Law years” — a catch-all phrase that is used to describe the period over which former President Ferdinand Marcos ruled — is a singular cause of the failure of the Philippines to progress.
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Part of the frustration and, now, defensiveness of the once glorious champions of Yellow-branded “freedom” can be traced back to the core of the euphoria that permeated Philippine society in the 1980s — the misguided thinking that the Philippines, after the collapse of “the Marcos regime”, held infinite promise of progress and a triumph of justice presumably fuelled by the “freedom” it had “won” and the “democracy” its champion, then President Cory Aquino had “restored”.
Unfortunately, history, as it unfolded, did not necessarily empathise with this “hope” Filipinos harboured in the midst of that euphoria. The 30 years that followed the 1986 “revolution” had proven that the so-called “lack of freedom and justice” that these activists insisted characterised the Marcos years was not the real cause of the Philippines’ inability to join the ranks of its prosperous neighbours in the region. Whilst Filipinos soaked up the freedom that was available in excess since 1986 to churn out brain-killing entertainment, elect morons into public office, and seal the Yellow brand of the Aquinos as the de facto franchise holder of this “freedom” and “democracy” that marked those three decades, the nation sunk deeper into degeneracy.
The problem, however, is that this nationwide groupthink persisted in Philippine society like a deadly cancer. It prevented even the finest Filipino minds from stepping out of the din of chatter emanating from the clique once known as the Philippine “intelligentsia” to regard the situation from an outsider’s perspective. The Ateneo de Manila University counts itself as one of the stalwarts of this groupthink, but it had long ago become sloppy in its approach thanks to a lack of a will to challenge its own belief systems and allowing itself to become cocooned in a paradigm well past its use-by date.
This is an ironic condition for an institution that routinely encourages its students to reflect and go into periodic “retreats” where one could induldge in luxurious meditation and exercises in self-actualisation. Perhaps the key ingredient missing in these efforts to enhance mindfulness of one’s surroundings is to remain open to inquiry and challenge. Do Ateneans really learn from all those immersion activities where members of both student and faculty come “down from the hill” to expose themselves to the challenges of the poor in programs like Tulong Dunong (“help with knowledge”)?
Evidence of a yawning gap between theory and intent and actual practice is in the attitude Ateneans have taken towards the brilliant and groundbreaking articles Get Real Post had, in recent days, put out there to challenge the Ateneo faculty statement against Senator Marcos’s alleged “historical revisionism” efforts. Some faculty members engaging the authors of these articles in social media have downright refused to read the articles themselves claiming that doing so will “contribute undeserved traffic” to Get Real Post. Some have retreated into that zone of comfort where Atenistas have long been legendary — grammar Nazism. Indeed, many Ateneo scholars have long tales of woe to tell surrounding the ostracism they receive from paying Ateneo students who make a sport of nitpicking on and making fun of their grammar gaffes and inability to deliver a natural Arrrneeoouww accent that, we are told, is a mark of a “true Atenean”.
Therein that refusal to engage intelligently with people who beg to differ lies the downfall of the Ateneo. Singing about coming “down from the hill” will certainly not ameliorate a strong tradition of institutionalised elitism that closes the impressionable minds of the kids of the country’s top taipans and politicians that pay mega bucks to have their kids educated by the Jesuits in the hills of Loyola Heights.
Perhaps this episode (and there will be many more to come) should be regarded by the Ateneo community as a call to action. Rather than shrink away from the matter of the perceptions (fair or unfair) of elitism they cop from the broader Philippine public, Ateneans should be that “man for others” they fancy themselves to be and confront with courage these perceptions with an open mind and a measure of that self-reflection they supposedly learned in their classrooms.
[Photo courtesy PhilStar.]
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Not surprising really, the Catholic Church’s agenda is to keep people in the dark.
Ah yes, cancer at its finest
Medyo na-irita ako sa post, so here goes
At dahil baka matawag akong “elitista” ng nagsulat nito, isinulat ko ang aking mga pananaw sa tagalog
Pasensya na, pero mas sanay ako sa tagalog na pananalita at hindi sa sulat, baka may mali ako sa grammar
Pero ito, sinbukan kong sagutin ang bawat talata ng post.
“It’s nothing short of a memetic explosion. Get Real Post articles that dissected and, in the process, eviscerated the ill-conceived conceptual foundation of a statement released by the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) faculty, denouncing Martial Law “historical revisionism” and baldly accusing Philippine senator and vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos of “brutality” have strongly-resonated amongst the Philippines’ young voters.
Many observers have noted that this strong challenging of the edicts of this hallowed elite Catholic institution of learning is long-overdue. The ADMU has long stood tall as a bastion of progressive thought — or so its officers and student body would like to believe. Though the Ateneo community boasts a long track record of activism, most notedly their participation in the uprisings that led to the 1986 “people power revolution”, the possibility that this stance and the thinking that underpin its interpretation of history may now beobsolete. At the heart of this obsolescence is the idea that “the Martial Law years” — a catch-all phrase that is used to describe the period over which former President Ferdinand Marcos ruled — is a singular cause of the failure of the Philippines to progress.”
Unang-una sa lahat, maari bang sabihin mo sa amin kung sinu-sino ang mga “observers” na ito? Ito bang statement na ito ay nanggaling sa isang empirical na pag-uusisa o binuhay lamang ng isang kakaibang nibel ng imahinasyon? Nakakaaliw na ang una at ikalawang talata ay nagbibigay ng mga malalaking salita (“dissected” at “eviscerated”) na aakalakin mong kritikal at comprehensibong nagiba ng mga artikulong pinost sa GRP ang pahayag ng mga Ateneo. Nakaka-aliw na ang paggibang nangyari ay walang reference sa mga scholarly na gawa at mga libro. Sa isang post na tumatawag sa isang “intelligent” debate, nakakalungkot na ang buong post ay tungkol lamang sa pag-atake sa persona ng mga Atenista, at hindi sa ideya nila.
Pangalawa, ang mga mamamayanan nating maka-kalayaan at maka-demokrasya na nakaranas ng Martial Law at nakipaglaban upang tapusin ito ay naniniwala na hindi lamang dahil sa Martial Law ang mga problema ng Pilipinas. Kung nagbabasa ka ng mga posts ng mga kababayan nating ito (na kasama ang mga Atenista), marami ang nagsasabi na hindi lamang ang Martial Law ang problema. Marami tayong kailangang gawing trabaho pagkatapos ng rebolusyon, pero hindi ito nangangahulugang maganda ang Martial Law.
“Part of the frustration and, now, defensiveness of the once glorious champions of Yellow-branded “freedom” can be traced back to the core of the euphoria that permeated Philippine society in the 1980s — the misguided thinking that the Philippines, after the collapse of “the Marcos regime”, held infinite promise of progress and a triumph of justice presumably fuelled by the “freedom” it had “won” and the “democracy” its champion, then President Cory Aquino had “restored”.Unfortunately, history, as it unfolded, did not necessarily empathise with this “hope” Filipinos harboured in the midst of that euphoria. The 30 years that followed the 1986 “revolution” had proven that the so-called “lack of freedom and justice” that these activists insisted characterised the Marcos years was not the real cause of the Philippines’ inability to join the ranks of its prosperous neighbours in the region. Whilst Filipinos soaked up the freedom that was available in excess since 1986 to churn out brain-killing entertainment, elect morons into public office, and seal the Yellow brand of the Aquinos as the de facto franchise holder of this “freedom” and “democracy” that marked those three decades, the nation sunk deeper into degeneracy.”
Katulad ng sinabi ko sa itaas, mali ang pag-aakala na dahil maraming mali na nangyari matapos ang EDSA ay tama at maganda ang Batas Militar. Parang sinabi mo na Tumigil ako kumain nang masasamang pagkain, pero bakit mataba pa rin ako? Siguro tama lamang na kumain ulit ako ng masasamang pagkain. Isang malaking lohikal na pagkakamali ang ganyang pag-iisip.
“The problem, however, is that this nationwide groupthink persisted in Philippine society like a deadly cancer. It prevented even the finest Filipino minds from stepping out of the din of chatter emanating from the clique once known as the Philippine “intelligentsia” to regard the situation from an outsider’s perspective. The Ateneo de Manila University counts itself as one of the stalwarts of this groupthink, but it had long ago become sloppy in its approach thanks to a lack of a will to challenge its own belief systems and allowing itself to become cocooned in a paradigm well past its use-by date.”
Nakakatawa na sinasabi mo na may groupthink na nangyayari. Pero nung huli kong kita, mas maingay ang mga Marcos fanatics sa social media kesa sa mga maka-kalayaang mamamayan. Nakakaaliw din na sinasabi mong tila-bagang pinipigilan namin magsalita ang mga matalinong Marcos fanatics. Pero tingin ko walang nagsasalita na matatalinong Marcos fanatics hindi dahil may pumipigil sa kanila, pero wala lang talagang Marcos fanatics na kayang makipagdebate laban sa katotohanan.
Nakakatawa rin na tila bumabalik ka nanaman sa pag-atake sa Ateneo imbis na atakihin ang nilalaman ng “groupthink” na ito. Ano nga ba yung mga “belief-systems” na sinasabi mo? Parang di ko ata alam na may ganoong pangkalahatang bagay sa pag-iisip ng mga Atenista. Pakisabi naman please
“Evidence of a yawning gap between theory and intent and actual practice is in the attitude Ateneans have taken towards the brilliant and groundbreaking articles Get Real Post had, in recent days, put out there to challenge the Ateneo faculty statement against Senator Marcos’s alleged “historical revisionism” efforts. Some faculty members engaging the authors of these articles in social media have downright refused to read the articles themselves claiming that doing so will “contribute undeserved traffic” to Get Real Post. Some have retreated into that zone of comfort where Atenistas have long been legendary — grammar Nazism. Indeed, many Ateneo scholars have long tales of woe to tell surrounding the ostracism they receive from paying Ateneo students who make a sport of nitpicking on and making fun of their grammar gaffes and inability to deliver a natural Arrrneeoouww accent that, we are told, is a mark of a “true Atenean”.”
Unang-una sa lahat, pwede bang paki-post ditto ang mga pagkakataon na may mga faculty member o mga Atenista na nakipag-taktakan sa inyo sa social media nang hindi “tama” sa inyong paningin? May mga litrato ba o kahit links para makita naming kung tama nga ba ang inyong mga akusasyon? Ikalawa, kitang-kita sa huling pangungusap na sobrang kulang ang iyong pagkakaintindi ng mga Atenista. Marahil namumuhay ka lamang sa isang stereotype na ang mga Atenista ay mga Ingliserong di marunong makipagsalamuha sa kapwa nila Pilipino. Oo, maraming Atenistang mayaman at hindi marunong mag-Tagalog, pero mas marami akong kilalang Atenista na nabuhay sa hirap, mga galing sa pampublikong paaralan, at walang pakialam kung may accent ka o wala. Sa totoo lamang, marami akong kilalang Atenista (kasama na ako) na pangit mag-Ingles. Kung ang buong punto ng iyong post ay para sabihin na elitist kami, pwes, medyo kulang ka ata sa pagsisiyasat.
“Therein that refusal to engage intelligently with people who beg to differ lies the downfall of the Ateneo. Singing about coming “down from the hill” will certainly not ameliorate a strong tradition of institutionalised elitism that closes the impressionable minds of the kids of the country’s top taipans and politicians that pay mega bucks to have their kids educated by the Jesuits in the hills of Loyola Heights.”
Sa dinami-daming libro, publikasyon, mga posts, mga pormal na debate at pahayag simula pa nung panahon ni kopong-kopong, nagtataka ako bakit mo nasabing hindi kami nakikipag-taktakan sa isang matalino at sibiladong paraan. Gumawa nang isang matapang na pahayag ang mga guro ng Ateneo dahil nakita naming hindi sapat ang ganitong paraan ng paghahayag ng paniniwala at katotohanan. Sa totoo ngalang, ang hindi nakikipag-dialogo ng tama ay ang mga Marcos fanatics. Lantarang pag-sisinungaling at pagpapalaganap ng mga kabulaanan ukol sa rehimeng Marcos ang nangingibabaw sa diskurso ng Marcos fanatics. Kung talagang naniniwala ka sa isang “intelligent” na pakikisalamuha, marahil siguro ay hindi puro pagtawag ng “elitista” ang nakikita ko ngayon sa post mo. Pero bakit pagkatapos ng ilang talata ay yoon lang ang napansin ko? At medyo kulang pa ata sa ebidensya ang pag-akusa mo ng elitista?
Kitang-kita iyon sa parang pangkalahatang pahayag mo na elitist kaming lahat. Tulad ng nasabi ko sayo, mas maraming Atenista ang nakikisalamuha sa ating mga kababayan na naghihirap. Mula sa mga mag-aaral na nag-aalaga ng mga batang mahihirap na may kanser, mga nagtuturo sa pampublikong paaralan, sa mga nagtuturo sa mga ulila kung paano magmahal sa musika, sa mga kumakalinga sa mga kababayan nating nasa kulungan, sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo, at marami pang iba. Bukod pa doon, malaking porsyento ng mga mag-aaral ang nagtutuloy sa mga ganitong marangal na gawain kahit pagkatapos mag-aral. Muli, kitang-kita na nangingibabaw sa iyong post ay stereotype at hindi “intelligent” engagement.
“Perhaps this episode (and there will be many more to come) should be regarded by the Ateneo community as a call to action. Rather than shrink away from the matter of the perceptions (fair or unfair) of elitism they cop from the broader Philippine public, Ateneans should be that “man for others” they fancy themselves to be and confront with courage these perceptions with an open mind and a measure of that self-reflection they supposedly learned in their classrooms.”
Ano ba ang ginagawa namin? Hindi ba kinokonpronta naming ang isang isyu nang may katapangan? Kahit alam naming na maraming Marcos fanatics ang hindi magugustuhan ito? At sino ba ang mga nagsasabing elitist kami? Hindi ba’t mga tao na walang kaalaman ukol sa Ateneo? Tingin ko nagkakamali ka kung malaking bagay sa amin iyon, dahil ang masasabi ko, mas malaking bagay para sa amin ang lantarang pagsisinungaling na nangyayari sa lipunan.
At bilang pagtatapos, ang masasabi ko lang ay isang malaking katatawanan ang post na ito. Nakita ko na ang punto mo lamang talaga ay sabihin na “elitist kayo” at hindi “mali ang sinabi niyo dahil 1… 2… or 3…” Para kang nakipagdebate at tinawag mo lamang na pangit ang kaaway mo, at hindi ka nakapagdulot ng kahit anong progreso sa pakikipagtalastasan.
May tawag ata doon
Ad hominem
Ay sandali, masyado ata elitista yung linyang yoon. Ito nalang
“Atakihin mo yung sinabi, hindi yung nagsasabi”
Sa siyam na talata mo, hindi mo ata nasunod iyon ni isang beses
On point lahat pare. Puro ad hominem lang at malalim na salita dito. Walang datos, walang pagpapaliwanag ng mga binabatikos na punto pero ang lakas ng loob na manghusga.
Tapos sumagot ako sa tweet nung OP ng isang article, tagged din yata si benign0 na nagsasabing hindi por que anti-Marcos e pro-Aquino na. NR. So sino ang hindi sumasagot sa diskurso?
Huwag na nating patulan mga yan. Bitter lang ata yan na hindi sya nakapasok ng Ateneo dahil sa mabababaw niyang pag-iisip. Walang laman argument niya eh. Mukhang sinulat lang talaga para makatira. It’s exactly with this way of thinking the Philippine democracy will never prosper.
andaming sinabi, pulos wala naman sa punto lahat? mangyaring pakiabanggit saang parte ng binasa ninyo ang nagsabing “maganda ang batas militar”?
ad hominem daw e ganun din naman ang banat nyo. nagtagalog pa. inglisin mo na lang, nagpakahirap ka pa. =)
Sheesh are you ateneans really THAT asshurt? Didn’t your alma mater taught you how to swallow the bitter pill? O sadyang mayaman ka pero utak squatter ka naman? No wonder why our country’s universities have low quality education compared to other countries and what you’re bitching is already proof of it.
Madali lang yan para sabihin mo ‘yan. Malamang di ikaw yung apektado. Kaya wag ka nang sumatsat pa
Tanong ko rin po… di po ba kayo tinuruan ng alma mater niyo ng tamang balarila? Di po sa pagiging bitter, hindi lang totoo ung mga pinupuntuhan ninyo kaya di katanggap-tanggap. No wonder why po ganito ang Pinas, ang daming nakukulong sa mga paniniwalang walang basehan.
teach*
I can see proof of our country’s poor educational system right here.
1. it’s “didn’t your alma mater TEACH you how to swallow the bitter pill?”
2. it’s also “No wonder our country’s universities have A LOWER QUALITY OF EDUCATION compared to THAT OF other countries…”
3. again, it’s “…and what you’re BITCHING ABOUT is already proof of it.”
4. Please make sure you are able to write in proper grammar before commenting on a topic under fire because people who are against your statements will roast you on every aspect of your comment, even grammar.
5. Let’s take a look at what you’re bitching about, shall we? You’re commenting on a post that attacks Ateneo as an institution, it’s faculty, as well as its student body. Why do you care? Does the article comment on you? I don’t think so. Have you contributed anything to the discussion of this topic? I doubt it.
6. You say that Ateneans are “…sadyang mayaman … pero utak squatter…” You are insulting people of the lower class by saying that they’re shallow and because of their social status, cannot be concerned with things of “higher classes.”
7. Again, regarding your “sadyang mayaman…utak squatter…” comment, the fact that you are actually commenting on this shows that you identify yourself with your statement. You say that this whole issue is beneath those of higher class, so by commenting on it, you’re bringing yourself to the level of the “utak squatter.”
8. May I remind you that Ateneo is considered one of the country’s best schools, so please, tell me where you studied and let’s look at your school’s rank.
“Bitter lang ata yan na hindi sya nakapasok ng Ateneo dahil sa mabababaw niyang pag-iisip.”
Iwas po tayo sa ganiyang comebacks. Hindi nakakatulong sa discussion.
I supposed you’re right, Joemin Nuevo. The rest of us Failipinos are bitter because we didn’t have rich parents (God only knows how they’ve acquired those wealth); or, our parents didn’t sacrificed–nor compromised– everything they had to get us into Ateneo, so that we could number among the elites and increase our chances of becoming just like them someday.
We all know elitists have contributed a lot to our society, by continuing to raise the bar on how we would want the world to see us (a modern and affluent country), without realizing that these aristocratic mindset are making life harder and harder to live by the majority of us non-elitists.
But that’s all rigth. Who are we to question the rationale of the elitists? After all, we admire and envy them because they’re always looking out for the best interests of the country and its people–with little regards for their own interests and status–that the rest of us non-elitists are incapable of doing.
Isn’t that right, Joemin Nuevo?
Wait. Not trying to echo that us Filipinos “are bitter because they don’t have rich parents; or, our parents didn’t sacrifice nor compromise everything they had to get us into ateneo.” What I’m saying is we should avoid saying things that go against meaningful discussions such as ad hominems (like unnecessarily suggesting that some are bashing Ateneans because they are bitter of not getting admitted into the university).
I think you should be careful of your assumptions too. Would partly agree with your sarcastic remarks dahil marami rin namang mga elitista na sarili lang ang iniintindi based on my very near-sighted observations. Pero marami rin akong kakilalang mga elitista (kung ituturing na kapag mayaman, elitista na agad) na alam kong may malasakit talaga sa kapwa at patuloy na nag-aaral para makagawa ng pagbabago para sa ikauunlad ng lipunan.
I wouldn’t say that I can’t see why people usually pin elitists against the less fortunate. Mahirap naman talagang hindi magtanim ng sama ng loob kapag nakita mong ang daming naghihirap tapos yung ibang sagana sa buhay, tila walang ginagawa para sa lipunan. Katanggap-tanggap naman para sa’kin yung existence ng ganung sama ng loob, pero hindi ibig-sabihin, hahayaan kong dumagdag nang dumagdag yun. Sa palagay ko, walang maitutulong kahit kanino yung ganitong generalizations.
And nope. I’m not a part of any of your “we’s” 🙂
Response to Aeta:
Sure you can get into the Ateneo with the HELP of money. But believe me when I say that it’s not going to really help you SURVIVE once you’re in there. Sure there are a lot of kids with relatively affluent parents, who have made it a lot easier for them to study in the Ateneo, but you are insulting the scholars of the school. Intellectual aptitude and a whole lot of hard work can get anyone into the Ateneo.
And “God only knows how they’ve acquired those wealth”? Seriously? Well God knows that most of our parents acquired it with a lot of effort and in an honest manner. Scholars are going to the Ateneo because it’s seriously doable provided you’ve got the brain juice (you have no idea how much effort the school puts into continuously funding as many scholars as possible).
In terms of this “elitist” mindset that you’ve been pushing, you might want to re-read your statement. You’re the one putting the Ateneo community in some sort of an ill-conceived pedestal. You are in essence attempting to disconnect the people by grouping them into elitists and non-elitists. Do you seriously think that people go about their daily routines while tagging people as “us” and “them”?
This wall or disconnect that you’re trying to build makes it difficult to push for progress. And mind you, there are tons of students who have gone into teaching in public schools, opening non-profit organizations and local businesses that employ people from the marginalized areas of the society. And guess what, they do it just because they want to help improve the quality of life, not by LOWERING the standards, but by elevating the people so that they can bask in it.
Elitism is a backward mindset. Please consider all these before making generalizations.
Joemin Nuevo,
I am not talking about those Failipinos who are bitter because they were not accepted into Ateneo. Although I have met a few who were, not for lack of “mental juices,” but for financial reasons instead.
Many of these rejected applicants did not only excel academically, but they were also athletically and musically inclined, and could have made a hell of a difference in changing the overall reputation of that school of being an elitist institution.
Unfortunately, Ateneo is not in the business of giving away free education to keep up their high standards, so they could only afford to set aside a few scholarships to a selected few.
Also, I’m sure the paying patrons of Ateneo wouldn’t be too happy if they found out that they would have to pay for their children’s education, while a generous percentage of the student body are getting it for free. Thus, the bitterness can go both ways.
But enough about why you think these people are bitter because they, or their children, didn’t get into Ateneo. An overwhelming number of people are bitter because you Ateneans symbolize the very essence of what’s wrong with the country: aristocracy (kahambugan) and self-servingness (makasarili).
In the midst of poverty and corruption that have been plaguing our country and people for generations, with our country’s elites playing key roles of fleecing the country’s wealth and oppressing the people, is it any wonder why Failipinos see Ateneans as the ‘future bad guys,’ whose oligarch parents’ could afford to send them to the best school in the country that money can buy?
Even if some of these Ateneans didn’t come from economic and political family dynasties, just running around in the same circles as these “silver-spoon”-fed kids put them in their own category of wannabe elitists.
Yea, yea, I know it’s easy to say we can ignore an elitist status/background if we are really sincere in helping our country and people out of the miserable state they’re in today. All I can tell you is I’ve heard that song and dance routine from Failipinos from all walks of life in more ways than I care to remember.
Yet, nothing has changed for the better because our people have a penchant for arrogance and selfishness that continues to corrupt our culture. And, instead of helping our people overcome their country-destructive ways, Ateneans seem to magnify the problem with their elitist attitude and way of life.
Sorry, but the elitist reputation just goes with the territory; and, if you’re an Atenian, you can help but wear the brand—regardless of how differently you might feel.
Aeta
Joemin Nuevo,
I am not talking about those Failipinos who are bitter because they were not accepted into Ateneo. Although I have met a few who were, not for lack of “mental juices,” but for financial reasons instead.
Many of these rejected applicants did not only excel academically, but they were also athletically and musically inclined, and could have made a hell of a difference in changing the overall reputation of that school of being an elitist institution.
Unfortunately, Ateneo is not in the business of giving away free education to keep up their high standards, so they could only afford to set aside a few scholarships to a selected few.
Also, I’m sure the paying patrons of Ateneo wouldn’t be too happy if they found out that they would have to pay for their children’s education, while a generous percentage of the student body are getting it for free. Thus, the bitterness can go both ways.
But enough about why you think these people are bitter because they, or their children, didn’t get into Ateneo. An overwhelming number of people are bitter because you Ateneans symbolize the very essence of what’s wrong with the country: aristocracy (kahambugan) and self-servingness (makasarili).
In the midst of poverty and corruption that have been plaguing our country and people for generations, with our country’s elites playing key roles of fleecing the country’s wealth and oppressing the people, is it any wonder why Failipinos see Ateneans as the ‘future bad guys,’ whose oligarch parents’ could afford to send them to the best school in the country that money can buy?
Even if some of these Ateneans didn’t come from economic and political family dynasties, just running around in the same circles as these “silver-spoon”-fed kids put them in their own category of wannabe elitists.
Yea, yea, I know it’s easy to say we can ignore an elitist status/background if we are really sincere in helping our country and people out of the miserable state they’re in today. All I can tell you is I’ve heard that song and dance routine from Failipinos from all walks of life in more ways than I care to remember.
Yet, nothing has changed for the better because our people have a penchant for arrogance and selfishness that continues to corrupt our culture. And, instead of helping our people overcome their country-destructive ways, Ateneans seem to magnify the problem with their elitist attitude and way of life.
Sorry, but the elitist reputation just goes with the territory; and, if you’re an Atenian, you can’t help but wear the brand—regardless of how differently you might feel.
Aeta
No university has the perfect system for determining who among its applicants are most worthy of getting accepted. I’m curious about the reasons behind why your academically, musically, and athletically inclined friends were rejected. Personally, I think the university is fair (and highly forgiving) in its admission policy. Let me tell you of my experience. I studied from preschool to high school in a small school somewhere in Caloocan where the education provided is far from those given by science high schools. I wish I were atheltically, musically, or academically inclined, but I’m not. Sure, I dabble a bit with the first two, and I graduated high school as a salutatorian, but believe me when I say that in those three fields, I am almost nothing compared to most of the people that I met in Ateneo. Yet Ateneo gave me a 100% scholarship just because it saw that we needed financial support. That’s just me though. But from what I’ve seen in Ateneo’s scholar community, I think the Ateneo has been generous and critical about who it blesses with scholarship (though I think there are a few scholars whose scholarship aid could have been given to someone else more deserving). I’ve worked for an organization that caters to the needs of those who are given scholarship aid, so I got to personally know a lot of scholars.
I also don’t understand your ire about scholarships. You’re saying that they could only set aside a few scholarships to a select few (not sure if 15% of the university can be considered “few”) and at the same time, you’re saying that paying patrons are not happy that a generous percentage of the student body are getting it for free. So…generous in giving scholarships or picky in the wrong way? For me, they are both generous with granting scholarship aids and rightfully critical of who they accept. If you don’t think 15% is generous enough, let me assure you that they are doing everything that they can to increase that number. If you think their admission process is flawed because they rejected talented and deserving students, I can’t defend or attack that since I don’t know the details. Perhaps they were not assertive enough in asking for help? The people in there who handle decisions are very considerate, if you ask me.
Aristocracy =/= kahambugan? And do we really symbolize aristocracy and self-servingness or did people turn us into symbols of those? I would say that it’s a combined effort of some Ateneans who have lavish lifestyles (which even I detest sometimes) and outsiders who are quick to judge and generalize. The solution here is pretty obvious, but hard to pull off. Both parties have to work towards understanding where each is coming from. I know a lot of Ateneans who are aware of this problem and are working towards reconciling both sides in the form of changes in lifestyle, immersion, pursuit of studies that would help them understand people more, etc. These Ateneans come from different backgrounds: political families, families of corporate leaders, etc. Are they to be considered part of your general group of evil Ateneans just because their lifestyles are different from those of common Filipinos? We can’t play the Ferdinand Marcos : Bongbong Marcos analogy here. Not all Ateneans are so narrowminded that they ignore ideas that go against their beliefs. And even if such Ateneans who are exist, I don’t think they could get through their Atenean education being somewhat fundamentally change. I understand that the term fundamentally changed sounds pretentious, but I’m not articulate enough to explain this. Maybe immersing yourself in the Atenean environment by actually communicating with its members while minimizing your biases might help you understand this.
I don’t know how else to say this, and I know that this sounds far from eloquent, but here goes: There are good Ateneans and bad Ateneans the same way that there are good non-Ateneans and bad non-Ateneans. There are people who bridge the gap between the poor and the elite – a product of realities which neither Ateneans nor non-Ateneans have a monopoly of – and those who widen it. Given your observations, I wonder where you stand among those. Judging you based on your observations here, I think you are merely playing music for the old dance of your “Failipinos”.
P.S. I feel somewhat sad about reading divisive and generalizing comments such as yours. If you really want to talk about this further, feel free to message me on Facebook. Conversing through comments in public isn’t my thing.
Justine Sanchez,
I don’t have to believe anything you say. I’m not the one that is under scrutiny here: you and your fellow Ateneans are. It really doesn’t matter whether or not I’m insulting you or the “scholars” of Ateneo.
If these “scholars” are that head-strong academically, they should also be as head-strong emotionally to expect that they will be criticized by the masses for having decided to go to that elitist school, while the rest of the country are still suffering at the hands of the oligarchs, whose children have attended, or still attending, that school.
You’re damn right I questioned how the Enriles, Estradas, Revillas, and Ramoses (just to name a few) have acquired their wealth to send their children/grandchildren to Ateneo, while their own personal drivers waited at the school parking to drop them off and pick them up in their family-owned Toyota Fortuner and Ford Explorers.
You must think I’m naïve to think that most of these elitist parents/grandparents, whose kids attended Ateneo, earned their wealth the honest ways just because you said ‘believe you me” that they did. If that was the case, then a lot of these honest and hardworking non-elitists–who just cannot make it in our society because they’re too much of a “straight-shooter”–would have their own kids attending Ateneo.
Just the fact that you’d said, “Sure there are a lot of kids with relatively affluent parents, who have made it a lot easier for them to study in the Ateneo…” have already insulted these kids who were there based on their academic abilities. Your assertion has already told the readers on this site that Ateneo doesn’t play “fair and square,” and that their educational system can be bought for the right price by the right buyer.
This “wall of disconnect” that you’re talking about comes naturally among our Failipinos. I don’t have to do anything to influence our people to think that way. Self-servingness (makasarili) is one of our people’s country-destructive nature; the other is aristocracy/arrogance (kahambugan).
However, all these Ateneans, and their corresponding elitist school, tend to magnify those true nature and increase the gap among our people by the way they see themselves as an exclusive entity. And don’t try to deny it because the air superiority the way they carry themselves.
It’s also obvious that most of Ateneans do not end up being the cream of the crop when they get out of school (so you don’t have to mention it); and, end up with jobs like the rest of us because there is only so much room at the top. However, it doesn’t keep these Ateneans from thinking they’re smarter and much more learned than your average Joe or Jane Blow—and they don’t hesitate one bit to let anyone know it by the aristocratic way they carry themselves.
So whether it’s the aristocratic ways of our people, the exclusive ways Ateneans see themselves, or the combination of both, the pretentiousness is just a little too thick for comfort; and it adds unnecessary strain on the relationships among our people that we could do a lot better without.
Aeta
[Correction]
Justine Sanchez,
I don’t have to believe anything you say. I’m not the one that is under scrutiny here: you and your fellow Ateneans are. It really doesn’t matter whether or not I’m insulting you or the “scholars” of Ateneo.
If these “scholars” are that head-strong academically, they should also be as head-strong emotionally to expect that they will be criticized by the masses for having decided to go to that elitist school, while the rest of the country are still suffering at the hands of the oligarchs, whose children have attended, or still attending, that school.
You’re damn right I questioned how the Enriles, Estradas, Revillas, and Ramoses (just to name a few) have acquired their wealth to send their children/grandchildren to Ateneo, while their own personal drivers waited at the school parking to drop them off and pick them up in their family-owned Toyota Fortuner and Ford Explorers.
You must think I’m naïve to think that most of these elitist parents/grandparents, whose kids attended Ateneo, earned their wealth the honest ways just because you said ‘believe you me” that they did. If that was the case, then a lot of these honest and hardworking non-elitists–who just cannot make it in our society because they’re too much of a “straight-shooter”–would have their own kids attending Ateneo.
Just the fact that you’d said, “Sure there are a lot of kids with relatively affluent parents, who have made it a lot easier for them to study in the Ateneo…” have already insulted these kids who were there based on their academic abilities. Your assertion has already told the readers on this site that Ateneo doesn’t play “fair and square,” and that their educational system can be bought for the right price by the right buyer.
This “wall of disconnect” that you’re talking about comes naturally among our Failipinos. I don’t have to do anything to influence our people to think that way. Self-servingness (makasarili) is one of our people’s country-destructive nature; the other is aristocracy/arrogance (kahambugan).
However, all these Ateneans, and their corresponding elitist school, tend to magnify those true nature and increase the gap among our people by the way they see themselves as an exclusive entity. And don’t try to deny the air of superiority that Ateneans have about themselves; it seeps from the pores of their skin and felt by those around them.
It’s also obvious that most of Ateneans do not end up being the cream of the crop when they get out of school (so you don’t have to mention it); and, end up with jobs like the rest of us because there is only so much room at the top. However, it doesn’t keep these Ateneans from thinking they’re smarter and much more learned than your average Joe or Jane Blow—and they don’t hesitate one bit to let anyone know it by the aristocratic way they carry themselves.
So whether it’s the aristocratic ways of our people, the exclusive ways Ateneans see themselves, or the combination of both, the pretentiousness is just a little too thick for comfort; and it adds unnecessary strain on the relationships among our people that we could do a lot better without.
Aeta
Joemin Nuevo,
Who said anything about a perfect system for screening applicants on who will, or will not, get into a university? There is no perfect system no matter where you go. But that is not the point of my discussion. Of course, you will say the Ateneo is fair and highly forgiving. You got in but not sure on what basis.
Therefore, we’re not going to speculate on the “who,” the “how, “nor the “why” on how some applicants were allowed in and some were not. Let’s just lump everything into one number, say, 15 percent as you had suggested, to show the scrutinizing public that Ateneo does not have its nose turned up in the clouds all the time, and will still concede to allow some “pheasants” in and give them a free, quality education.
Here’s my “ire” about the elitist attitude of Ateneans and, to a large extends my frustration with the inferior quality of Failippine education. Many young people who have the capacity to excel academically were not given those chances by our society, mainly because developing the minds through education is a costly effort, and will require funding that our government and businesses are not willing to set aside because it eats away at their profit margin.
Thus, education is left to chance (like in your case) to success or failure, and guaranteed to those who can afford it.
Ateneo stands out because it is primarily an exclusive, well-funded school that rarely relies on government assistance to exist; and, the very same people who suppressed the rest of our aspiring young students from getting a quality education at their respective institutions (private or public), are the same ones sending their own children to Ateneo.
Granted Ateneo will allow “pheasants” in to pacify any dissents about tilting the scale away from giving quality education to all Failipinos, it’s only a half-hearted effort by the school to calm down public opinion and to deflect negative publicity from their school.
Therefore, you are only looking at the picture from within the walls of your Atenean experience and not from the outside like the rest of us, who see the great disservice our government and businesses are doing to education—both private and public—by tilting the scale of advantages towards the privileged.
Let me ask you the same question of how you would equate–or won’t equate–“aristocracy” to arrogance (kahambugan). After all, we’ve only had over two centuries of refining our aristocratic attitude and way of life—as taught to us by our former Spanish and American colonizers and benefactors; and, we have expertly used this learned aristocracy as a symbol of “status quo” in our own country by redefining our “elite” and “non-elite” social class of Failipinos.
Ateneans have been conforming to the elitists’ way of life since the days of the founding fathers of our Republic, and it’s only right that they be judged hastily by the majority who are not so fortunate to become like them.
And, as far as the members of our political and business dynasties are concerned, whose relatives have plied the hallways of Ateneo for generations, it’s not so much their association with the school alone that gives them a bad reputation. Instead, it’s the “evil” that they have done to the country and the people, including having worn their Atenean badge proudly, that put everything in a bad light.
So, even if you try to defend yourself from the negative connotation that goes along with being an Atenean, the verdict that our ‘biased’ majority will always come up with is you are ‘guilty by reason of association’ and became “fundamentally changed” and “pretentious.”
ok let’s go back to how it all started. ‘why the aquinos’ hungry for power’?
I don’t know… I have a lot of Ateneans on my social media new feeds and majority of the posts are critiques (rather than rude angry bashing) of the other article. When I say critiques, I mean direct questioning and engagement with the other article.
Quite unlike this article, wherein your main argument is that Ateneans are elitist so therefore most of them don’t know what they’re talking about.
I’ll have you know that some Ateneans are FOR Bongbong Marcos and even against the statement of some of their professors. Emphasis some.
Do not generalize, it will get you nowhere. Because I’m damn sure that students and professors from other schools (including my UP which is often posited as their binary opposite) have a similar take on history.
May mga taong hindi naman Marcos loyalist at lalong hindi Maka Cory o kalaban ng Demokrasya ang sukang suka sa mga sinasabi ng mga taong akala mo lagi na lang sila ang tama at monopolya na nila ang tamang katwiran na parang bang mga prayleng sila lamang ang nakakausap sa Diyos na ang katwiran ng iba ay balintuna. Wag na tayong bumalik sa nakaraan mahalin natin ang sarili natin tama na sa dikta ng oligarkiya, simbahan at mga kolonista.
Yes, fine, you can use big words. All of them pointed to nothing more than “Ateneo is a bad institution” with no substantial argument. This post can, to some, pass as a form of dialog, but upon closer inspection, it’s just a big mass of empty prose. Arvin Boller is right. If you ever plan to conquer a so-called ivory tower, then at least make your offensive logically-driven and solidly reasonable. This is pitiful.
I wouldn’t go as far as the article saying “Ateneo is a bad institution”. A dunderheaded move by its current administration is more apt. Just because someone calls people out on certain courses of action they took recently does not mean what your biases say it means. =)
Wait, wait, wait … even after several paragraphs, all I read was, “I’m a Marcos era revisionist”.
Or maybe you’re just a contrarian who likes to disagree even though the point is actually, “the Marcos era was very bad,” without saying “the following years were good”
Those two stances aren’t actually mutually exclusive.
*mutually inclusive.
If that’s how your reading comprehension works, then knock yourself out. Hope you’re not an Atenista. 😉
Eto, gagamit din ako ng ad hominem… “Nag-Google Translate lang ata yang si benignO eh kaya akala mo diksyunaryo.” Wala namang laman mga argumento nya.
Parang yang koment mo?
I mean, the whole point of the statement against Martial Law was that its negative contribution to Philippine society is NOT a matter of opinion, namely that due to evidence, there is beyond reasonable doubt that Martial Law was detrimental to the country in many ways (GDP, inflation, sheer human rights violations, starvation, etc.)
That this dude over here takes that as a sign that Ateneo isn’t willing to challenge its own viewpoints misses the point that this whole debacle in history is a terrible thing from pretty much every reasonable empirical/objective based viewpoint. And saying having the “Aquino oligarchy” in power is just as bad as the Marcos years is well, simply denying the mere factual differences between the two eras.
There’s no use sir… Sadly these people already made up their minds…
Where exactly do I deny the “factual differences between the two eras”?
My point (which you actually missed) is that regardless of what these “factual differences” are, people are dissatisfied with what the last 30 years delivered and, as a result, have become open to revisiting other options that, to some, are “factually” unsavory.
The irony here is how so-called “activists” miss the point of the very “democracy” they cheer — that a democracy is all about the most popular person and idea winning political power.
Whether or not “facts” are on your side, if you piss off the voters YOU LOSE.
It’s simple, really.
You deny the factual differences simply by not acknowledging them and making a factually baseless argument. Also, the only “unsavory” kind of fact I can think of is an unproven one.
Here are some facts:
Human Rights Violations: over 2000 cases of killings during the Marcos years. Admittedly, the statistics show that not much has improved over the years and in fact the “BS Aquino” administration has racked up a pretty large number of violations. But I still appreciate that the offenses have been at least REDUCED in both sheer number and brutality (read the descriptions yourself).
http://www.academia.edu/7968581/TORTYUR_Human_Rights_Violations_During_The_Marcos_Regime
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2015/country-chapters/philippines
GDP, exchange rates, national debt. I can’t even believe I have to look this up for you, this is all very publicly available information and it’s very clear, our exchange rate plummeted and our debt skyrocketed during Marcos, and we only managed to grow our GDP and ease off our debt during the Arroyo and Aquino years.
http://www.ourknowledge.asia/our-knowledge-blog/which-philippine-president-caused-the-downfall-of-the-philippines-economy
Also amusing that you bring up the Philippines being a “democracy” because I know quite what that term REALLY means. A true “direct” democracy is one where the power is directly given to the people (I.e. Think Switzerland and their referendums, which allow the common man to vote on all sorts of details on how they’re governed).
But the Philippines is NOT a direct democracy. We are a REPUBLIC, which simply means we have a system of laws and government where we elect our officials to serve us based on their privileges and responsibilities outlined in the Constitution and Law. The American Founding Fathers, who wrote the constitution that ours is based so much on, HATED direct democracy, which they described as “three wolves and a sheep voting on dinner”. Thus they built an elaborate form of government, the first of its kind, where they ensured that no single person or group of people can get unrestricted power by separating powers into three, and made sure each system never got too powerful by making them “check and balance” each other’s powers, hence why we now have legislative, executive, and judicial branches. In short, if I ever find myself on the “losing” side of the people, I can ensure that my basic human rights and interests (not to mention the BASIC FACTS OF TRUTH) are still protected by the government. THAT’S how it’s simple, really.
What does this all have to do with your point? Simply put, government (and our freedom as a people, also codified in our constitution) will keep on running as it is as long as no one chooses to blatantly disrespect it (as Marcos did to the 1935 constitution immediately after he declared Martial Law by outright rewriting it into the 1973 one). I find our constitution and the system of government it created very imperfect, but I’d rather have it over a dictator, a “true” oligarchy (which means something very different according to Aristotle), or – God forbid! – a true democracy any day. Personally, I can tolerate even the most incompetent, ineffective leader if he respects and upholds the constitution because frankly, the systems ensures that no matter how sucky he is, the system “protects” the people by making sure he can’t go drunk on power or batshit crazy.
And then there’s you. On one hand, you say that the important thing about democracy is all about the best idea and person willing political power. On the other hand, the very family you used as a baseline for your “unsatisfactory 30 years” OUTRIGHT REJECTED AND REWROTE THE CONSTITUTION FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT, THE VERY SAME DOCUMENT THAT ENSURES OUR FREEDOM AND ABILITY TO GOVERN OURSELVES.
I don’t really like any president. But I will protect my constitution. So shut up about this whole crap being survival of the fittest because if the constitution loses, WE ALL LOSE.
Also, for those who are reading this and are getting sick of arguments, you might want to read The Federalist Papers written by some of the American Founding Fathers to encourage states to ratify their constitution. I hear it’s a great read on why they (and by some extension us) have structured our government in such a way.
@Disraeli: “Not acknowledging” and “denying” when applied to the subject of “factual differences” mean two different things. My silence on these “factual differences” does not necessarily imply that I flat out deny their existence.
And so to the point you make here…
…the “factual differences” between then and now are irrelevant to the Philippines’ legal frameowrk — because there is no effective way to prove it before a judge much less hold someone accountable and punish him or her for the effects those “factual differences” had on millions of Filipino lives.
So being beholden to the Constitution as you yourself claim, you should be in the best position to appreciate the pointlessness of harping on the “factual differences” between “the Martial Law regime” and the 30-year no-results degeneracy of this Philippine-style “democracy” we suffer — because there is no legal framework upon which any action to resolve the accountability for and bring justice to the victims of those “factual differences” could be mounted.
Dude, I’m very amused at how you took my two, very separate points and treated them as one and the same. I apologize if that was unclear to begin with.
My “factual differences” are simply statistical metrics that I feel should be looked at to determine which era/world I’d rather live in. They’re not LEGAL differences, they’re FACTUAL ones. Higher GDP in the Aquino years than the Marcos years? Less chance of getting randomly killed some day? Obviously I’d rather be alive now than in 1972. And yes, these facts are COMPARABLE.
Also, “no legal framework” to bring accountability to the Marcoses? Uhm, I’m presuming you’re gonna deny the numerous court cases that have been brought up to the courts against him, several of which have been won. Also, a change in constitution does not mean a change of legal tradition, especially in our country since we use some common law traditions which states that previous decisions set “precedents” over later ones, and they can be even from years back.
Given the 1973 constitution was used to set up a puppet government in practice, I prefer the 1987 one any day, thank you very much
Oh and apologies for confusing “not acknowledge” with “deny”. Now that I’ve actually done the dirty work to dig up and present these facts to you myself, are you going to ACKNOWLEDGE them?
Also I need a virtual drink right now to unwind so is anyone willing to send me one? :))
And yet he roams free and is now running for and leading the vice presidential race.
Tough luck dude. Nobody gets medals for trying, only for delivering results.
I will concede that our justice system is imperfect. So are we as a people by letting him even come this close to public office.
By “leading the vice presidential race”, do you mean “being supported by people who know no better or are bribed to support him”? Because that’s a very likely hypothesis. At least our constitution will protect me, a lowly sheep, from being eaten by wolves for dinner. The popular choice isn’t always the best choice, and our constitution recognizes that.
Oh wait, you don’t even give two shits about our constitution. Imma just seek asylum then in some other country if I can.
I’m getting tired and I REALLY want to sleep in peace (knowing that there’s no death squad after me, natch) so I’ll leave you with this: http://bfy.tw/4daD
Indeed, “the popular choice isn’t always the best choice” and, yes, the Constitution as you again astutely point out “recognizes that”.
But recognising and mitigating that aspect of “democracy” are two different things. You can recognise a risk but that recognition is worth jack shit if you don’t mitigate it.
And, sure, we can hypothesise all we like about what motivates Filipino voters to vote for who or what. But, at the end of the day, it is number of votes that determines the winner. That’s your Constitution for you, and those are the voters this “democracy” we implemented entrusted the future of the entire nation to.
So, yeah, it really is quite tiring, isn’t it?
You can, of course, go to sleep, hopefully for your sake “in peace” too. But you will likely wake up the following day and all of I said above will still be true. And no amount of gnashing your teeth about “factual differences” and whether one or the other “acknowledges” these facts will change the way things are set up under that Constitution.
Under the Constitution, number of votes determines who wins. And only a Philippine court gets to determine who goes to jail.
It’s simple, really.
I will go to sleep well with the facts that:
1. As a proud citizen of this Republic, I can do many things that will benefit this country that even another Marcos presidency can’t stop.
2. I can vote for who I want to lead me and my vote counts, and if things don’t turn out well there is still my job and my calling that I can contribute for the betterment of his country.
3. I probably have successfully made you click on a Let Me Google That For You link.
Now tell me Mr. benign0 (who I have learned actually resides in Austrailia) can YOU Do the same for your country even if you have absolutely zero faith in your leader?
Sleep tight guys.
You make it sound like you’ve got a monopoly on an ability to (1) do “things that will benefit the country” and (2) “contribute for the benefit of this country”.
Might I ask you then: What makes you think others are not able to do the same?
Still waiting, bro!
Why do I need to? Those “facts” were not even the point of this article.
Oh no. We’re not supposed to acknowledge anything, even facts, that’s beyond the myopic point of the article. Sorry Disraeli. You lose this one.
beningn0, go secure your win by posting the evidence behind the “facts” you wrote in your article.
hahaha Joemin you almost got me there! :))
I don’t have that monopoly obviously.
So why are you here complaining about an administration that will end in a few month’s time instead of doing something that will last much, much longer?
Oh so now it’s “obvious”. People who bring up “obvious” things tend to be time-wasters. And I’m beginning to smell one right now.
DING DING DING DING DING
YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!
Not only that, but you also managed to dodge my question YET AGAIN, but you still took the time and effort to provide an answer!
As Mr. Goodluck with your life sir! has alluded to in the above, you’ve already made up your mind. So there was really no point in me trying to convince you to change your mind (and studies show that you really can’t change someone’s mind through debate anyway).
So what was my goal? To get you to express your arguments with me to be written down here for all the world to see. I don’t think you’d believe that there are a LOT of people who disagree with you, but now they can see your (personally rather lacking) rhetoric in full detail in this comment thread, and hopefully THEY’LL be convinced that your arguments are, as someone might put it, pure baloney.
I consider it a success that I wasted your time if it means you wouldn’t be able to do even more stupid stuff. Night.
Bye!
Sir with all due respect how you view years of studying, sacrifice, and effort is very insulting and if i may shallow. We’re not patronizing ANY political agenda or interest. Doing so won’t really do us any good. We would rather just spend our time doing our thesis or studying for finals. Yet most of us feel that it is our duty to be able to respond to such blatant gestures of apathy and detachment from Mr. Marcos. Not once in the paper did the faculty attack the person of Mr. Marcos or even his family. Doing so would be uncalled for and in a way unnecessary. Yet what you do is the complete opposite. You dare call people who sacrifice their time and efforts teaching the youth as mere elitists whereas they are the ones teaching us about critical thinking and involvement. If you view democracy as something so awful then maybe we don’t really deserve it and we should just go back to those “golden years” because quite frankly we don’t even appreciate our own liberty.
Because we are given democracy and liberty yet we just see it as a nuisance hindering us from progress. Yet while we push things such as kill the criminals or a dictatorship we fail to see that the well-being of our countrymen is worth more than money nor a self-serving view of discipline. We are not great as a nation sir because of one thing, we don’t take responsibility. You’re there on your computer judging people who are asked to immerse themselves in the context of poverty in our society yet the same people that you judge grow up to be the ones helping the ones in need. What have you done to help the poor? Write hate articles on the net? Surely the poor and marginalized would greatly appreciate such self-serving acts. The problem here is that YOU view an argument as something that’s black and white with clear cut winners. Well it’s not. The value of an arguments is in being open-minded to the response of the other, not pushing for your own agenda. If you have something to say with how our institution addressed those years of oppression then by all means address a formal letter or talk to the administration. Man up sir! rather than just posting articles like this on a forum site. Be more formal, be more professional. This is our nation not just some game that you watch on your computer and you just comment if you see something wrong. If you believe that what you fight for is true and your beliefs for the Philippines will make an impact then stand up on your high chair and do something about it. The Ateneo faculty’s response is not the only thing that represents us in terms of the context of our nation. We actually move towards those who are margnalized. So yes we might be elitists in our own right but we form graduates who are more than willing to sacrifice for the nation and what they believe in. But then at the end of the day you’ll just reply and tell us that we’re blinded and we’re wrong. Whatever it is that we say are just mere opinions of the elites right? Thing won’t change, you guys will still subscribe yourselves to the absolute beliefs that you have.
What makes you think this is a “hate article”?
And you call yourself an atenean if you let your emo mindset get the best of you and can’t even tell the difference between hate and criticism. Looks like you only studied there to pretend that you’re an intellect because it’s “one of the best universities in our country”.
“For the greater glory of God”…is the motto of the Jesuits, who founded and is managing the educational institution;ADMU. Nazi Germany Minister of Propaganda Joseff Goebbels, was a student of the Jesuits. Nazi Fuhrer Adolf Hitler, was a Roman Catholic.
I am not surprised why the ADMU faculties, prostituted themselves for: Aquino, Mar Roxas, and the Liberal Party. To promote the Aquino political agenda against Marcos Martial Law.
An institution committed to intellectual research, and unbiased search for the Truth, must not promote political propaganda, of any party or any politician.
There are more pressing issues other than resurrecting the ghost of Marcos Martial Law.
The hidden take over of Aquino on the Legislative and Judicial branches of the government; using Pork Barrel Bribery. The Hacienda Luisita massacre. The Mendiola massacre. The Maguindanao massacre. The Mamapasano SAF massacre. The DAP, PDAF, Pork Barrel Bribery, etc…The Typhoon Yolanda Relief Effort, not implemented; the relief goods rotting in warehouses. The Missing Typhoon Yolanda Relief fund. The Lag Lag Bala scam at NAILA. Aquino and Abaya were involved in the Lag lag Bala scam. The LRT mess…trains not running well; and are always late.
The runaway inflation. The Chinese grabbing the Philippine territories, piece by piece. The rice importation scam ; by Chinese Filipinos. The Hacienda Luisita scam, done by the Aquino and Cojuangco families. The OFW issue. The Squatter issue, squatters are everywhere , in every major cities. The NPA growing strength. The MILF/ISIS/Al Queda in Mindanao. The BBL Law sellout, by Aquino and Mar Roxas. The high unemployment rate. The stagnation of the Philippine economy. The Hyper Inflation in the Philippines. The virtual disappearance of the middle class. The Land Reform Program shelved by Aquino…Feudalism…ETC…ETC…
The Ghost of Marcos Martial Law; the ADMU faculties can see. However, they are blind , as bats ;and Refuse to See these pressing issues facing our country. ADMU faculties, these issues need your immediate attentions!
I have no doubt they are politically prostituting themselves to Aquino’s political agendas…
Paumanhin, pero sigurado po ba kayo na ni-isa sa inyong mga binanggit ay hindi, kailanman, ikinabahala ng mga gurong nakibahagi sa nakaraang pagpapahayag ng kanilang matinding pagtatanggi sa “historical revision of the Martial Law”. Hindi man ito naging maingay, subalit may iba’t ibang opinyon din naman ang mga gurong ito ukol sa mga ibang isyu ng bansa, hindi lang alam ng lahat. Isang institusyon ang Ateneo at hindi ito, basta basta, maaaring magpahayag ng mga palagay sa mga politikal na bagay.
At saka, hindi tungkol sa mga Marcos ang kanilang argumento noon. Ito’y sa mga katotohanang (FACTS) noong Martial Law na kritikal sa edukasyon at kaalaman ng mga estudyante.
Magandang araw, mula sa isang mag-aaaral sa unibersidad inyong itinutukoy sa artikulo. Ako’y nagsusulat sa wika ng aking bansang kinagisnan dahil mas bihasa ako dito…
Napakalalim naman ng mga salitang iyong binitiwan. Subalit ni-isa sa mga ito ay hindi matatakpan ang kawalan ng saysay nitong artikulong ito, ni-matatapatan ang katotohanang ang mga Atenista ay nakikibahagi sa isang matalinong diskusyon ukol sa mga artikulong nagdaan.
Tila isang panunuya sa pangalan ng website na ito ang mga artikulong inyong inilathala ukol sa mga Atenista at ang mga edukadong gurong nagtuturo sa unibersidad. Kung nais niyong gisingin ang bansa sa katotohanan (ayon nga sa kasabihan niyong “Get Real, Philippines”), kayo mismo ang mauna. Hindi ba’t mas maganda kung may matibay muna kayong batis o sanggunian ukol sa inyong mga akusasyon bago niyo ito ilathala nang sa gayon ay maging makatotohanan at kapani-paniwala ang mga ito? Ngunit, tila mga “fallacy” at “stereotype” sa unibersidad lamang ang aking nakita at napulot dito.
Buksan ang mga isip, mata at tenga sa mga puna at hamon ng mga estudyante’t guro. Huwag isarado ang sarili sa mga taong may ibang paniniwala kumpara sa inyo. Maghihintay ako (o kami) sa isang intelihenteng artikulo kung saan inyong papakinggan at isasaalang-alang ang mga hamon ng iba.
Maraming salamat.
Ang sinulat ko, ay pinaninindigan ko…Kailangan ang mga professor ninyo sa ADMU, ay sagutin, ang sinulat ko na Blog sa English.
May pinag-aralan sila…mayroon din akong pinag-aralan. Hindi lang ako nag-aral sa ADMU. Hindi ako Atenista…
Troll alert.
Ano to? Nag expect ako ng mga kapani-paniwalang argumento. Karamihan lang naman pala nito mga walang laman na panirang puri sa mga Atenista. Hindi man lang patago. Halatang halata siya agad. Hindi man lang nagbigay ng mga sapat na datos. Mga opinyon lang din ang karamihan. Tila gusto lang nito manginis ng mga sa nabanggit na unibersidad. Wag nalang patulan ‘to, wala rin mararating.
Hindi mga paninira ito, kailangan sagutin ang mga tanong namin , ang mga ADMU professors ninyo. Ang mga tanong naming, ay katotohan sa nakikita namin, sa pamamahala ni Aquino at Mar Roxas…
What makes the article “paninira”? Specifics or you’re a drama queen.
i didn’t know till lately that the Tribune is a yellow propagandist. how could Grace acquired a dead man’s SSN? once you’re dead the government deletes a dead man’s SSN. so, will the SC disqualify Grace for the admin to declare martial law? no they won’t do that. martial law will be base on what’s happening in mindanao they will create chaos ‘cuz they can’t afford to let go Hacienda Luisita, it’s worth dying for.
One thing I just thought about. Let’s say the Ateneo Faculty succeed in raising anti-Marcos sentiment on a wider scale. Some people might go on to bully or harass pro-Marcos people, to the point that banning pro-Marcos sentiments will happen. Or people will try to block pro-Marcos people they know from voting on the day. That is what you call violation of freedom of speech (and other freedoms).
Too bad people these days (especially Yellows) don’t believe in Evelyn Beatrice Hall’s (not Voltaire’s) words: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
It’s the same old “either you’re with us or against us, and if you’re against us, we’ll hurt you.”
if there is a revision of what happened during martial law, it’s the yellows who wanted it and not Bongbong. the mess started at hacienda luisita why the aquinos’ are hungry for power. Marcos just did the right thinking to defend his motherland from communist takeover.
Well, if these are the arguments, then I’m clearly happy of being a princess in an “ivory tower.”
I stand corrected. Marunong pala mag-Tagalog ang mga Atenista. So now I therefore conclude that Ateneans are not elitist after all. 😀
Maybe they think expressing themselves in Tagalog is enough to convince non-Ateneans that they are “coming down from the hill”. Pwede-na-iyan”, kumbaga.
Syang tunay. Umiistyle pa ng Tagalog kuno. Ke Mar Roxas ata nila nakuha yang ka-phoney-han na yan e.
I accept that this response will be classified as another “butthurt” reply from an Atenean, but I implore you to think beyond your biased views on the collective image you people have about us.
I find it childish that the root of the conversation has come down to this, that from the injustices of martial law we are now at a point in which ateneans and “anti” ateneans are going at each other for apparent reason than to prove each other wrong? So ano na ang punto? What productive conclusions have we generated from these conversations with each other? Wala diba?
Mas galit pa tayo sa isa’t isa dahil ang pananaw ng karamihan sa atenista ay mga elitista na walang pakialam sa kapwa at sa mga isyung nagpapahirap sa ating bansa. Hilo ba kayo? Parang sinabi mo lahat ng taga UP komunista, eh hindi naman totoo diba?
Benign0, tanong ko sayo, ano ba ang problema mo sa ateneo? O may problema ka lang sa kanilang pananaw laban sa mga marcos? Hindi krimen maging pabor sa mga marcos, kaya easy ka lang, kung manira ka sa kapwa parang ikaw lang tama eh. Matuto ka naman tumanggap ng opinyon ng iba.
The way I see it most of the people commenting on this page just to flex their “intellectual” muscle, but nothing productive ever comes out of these online debates. Honestly its a useless form of dialogue because we all think we’re right, right?
And yes, sige sitahin niyo ako sa taglish comment ko, I welcome it, as if it isn’t embedded in our society these days, hindi lang within the confines of ateneo culture.
Seriously, you people need to set your differences aside and talk honestly about the real issue here, that martial law is a lesson to us all and how we need to reflect on whether or not we have taught the new generation about all aspects of this era, so that they may think for themselves and perhaps give this country a better future.
Hindi ako nagmamarunong, pero sigurado ako merong sasagot dito ng masama, wala na akong magagawa dun. But please take it from an atenean and lasallian (highschool and college) that not all are elitists, that some of us truly care about this country and our fellow countrymen.
Please stop fighting and talk about the real issues, oo na may masama tungkol sa atenista, totoo naman eh, pero tanong ko wala bang mali din sa inyo?
Focus on the things that need our attention in this time of great discontent, malapit na ang eleksyon, saka na natin pagusapan ang pro/anti ateneo/elitist sentiments, for now we need to elect the right leaders who will at least bring us forward in the next six years.
@Educatedbutnotbrainwashed: You are absolutely right in what you say here:
If we take the time to carefully understand the body of ideas and underlying messages articulated in the articles in our fine site, we will find a consistent focus on the issues.
Coming back to specifics around this whole issue of Martial Law “activism”, our aim remains consistent with that overarching approach — to strip out all the emotional baggage that stubbornly clings to the Martial Law topic and highlight the objective core issues underneath all that.
What we’ve found so far can be summarised as such:
1. Efforts to prosecute, convict, and punish any of the supposed bigwigs of Martial Law have failed over the last 30 years. So any accusation of “brutality” or any other sort of atrocity thrown at anyone remain just that, accusations.
2. Two men Enrile and Ramos who were key alleged executors of Martial Law are seemingly immune to activist persecution which instead is disproportionately directed at Senator and vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos.
3. Fairly or unfairly, the statement issued by those 400 Ateneo faculty has come to be associated with the Ateneo institution itself. This highlights the point made by many observers now — that perhaps there is a need for the Ateneo community to work out among themselves some communication protocols to prevent future PR debacles like this.
The important point to be made here is that the ability to cut emotional baggage from the latest outrage fad or prevailing conceptual paradigm imprisoning people’s minds is a cognitive skill that Filipinos — and, specially, our “activists” — need to learn. This emotionalism that infests Filipino culture is a cancer we’ve highlighted many times before and is one of the key pillars holding up the monstrous dysfunction that casts a black shadow over our society.
Nakakaumay magbasa ng reply ng mga Atenista. Panay butthurt replies. Is this what they call the Ateneo way?
Yep it’s the ateneo way alright…..to be drama queens. Pa-elitista pa sila pero halata namang status quo ang hinahabol nila dahil lang nag-aaral sila sa “isa sa pinakamagandang unibersidad sa buong Pilipinas”. Mga mayayaman kamo sila pero mga utak squatter naman.
Hi domo. Mukhang marami kang gustong sabihin at baguhin sa mga Atenista. Kung gusto mo, simulan mo sa’kin kung gusto mo talagang may mabago. Kwentuhan mo naman ako tungkol sa mga dapat namin baguhin. Message mo ko sa FB kung may oras ka para sa matinong usapan.
If “utak squatter” can win international competitions, invent socially responsible technology, churn out award winning pieces and/or produce national heroes, then so be it. I’m proud to be “utak squatter”.
I have absolutely no idea how your brain defines discourse. But statements like these (ex. “drama queens”, “Mga mayayaman kamo sila pero mga utak squatter naman.”) just shows that you are somehow incapable of partaking in one. Though, there is also this possibility that you are blatantly covering your intellect with insulting generalizations, I hope that that’s the case.
And seriously, don’t generalize people in the squatter areas, I’ve encountered a lot of resourceful intellectuals from there who would invalidate your insults.
I got two words for you why I call most of you ateneans “utak squatter”: “malicious” and “vindictive”
http://getrealphilippines.com/2011/11/the-noynoy-aquino-government-is-turning-the-philippines-into-a-vindictive-society/
Sige mag-drama pa kayo mga “intellectual”. Your already filling my glass with your delicious tears.
Hi domo. Were you ignoring my call for a discussion on FB? 🙂
Yes.Because, well, no one questions the motives the venerable ATENEO. =)
Ah, so that’s what they want. If Ateneo wants an apology from Marcos, forget it. The Marcos son will always support his father’s regime. Asking for apologies is another tililing rampage thing. And even if he apologizes, nothing will be gained. All who are dead are still dead and it won’t solve the country’s problems. If it will make people feel better, that feeling can go away soon.
And if Marcos should apologize, then the current Aquino should apologize, too.
If I were a crook and asked to apologise, well, I’d just apologise and then go back and continue to steal. Big deal. Point is, apologies are not worth the saliva spray that accompanies them — not in the Philippines at least where people’s words count for shit essentially.
These “activists” have to be a bit more clever and think beyond this idiotic demand for “apologies”. Both those who issue and those who demand apologies in the context of politics are losers.
A bit of creativity and innovation and a bit more kick-ass (and less girly emo styles) in activism in the Philippines is long overdue.
Asking for apologies is representative of the Filipino self of entitlement. This is more pronounced when Filipinos demanded apologies from people who say the truth like Chip Tsao and Adam Carolla. Such overinflated Pinoy egos.
Failipinos will ask for anything: money, jobs, accolades, apologies, foreign husbands and visas, and etcetera. Once Failipinos get what they want, they will flaunt or use it against each other and call it, “Pinoy Pride.”
And besides, asking for an apology misses the whole point of seeking accountability, which is what these so-called “activists” should be doing in the first place. Asking for an apology is not demanding justice for wrongs done: it is demanding “justice” for their bruised egos.
Common sense: does anybody really think that an apology forced out of someone will be sincere?
As for the part about seeking accountability from the Marcoses, the confronting questions are simple: what weight do the calls for justice have? how exactly will they make the guilty parties accountable? Without court convictions, they have pretty much nothing.
Establishing accountability, pinpointing blame, investigating the gravity of the blame, and determining the appropriate punitive action to resolve the blame is what you call — watch it, here it comes — the criminal justice system.
So you can’t really apply an emo apology-based approach to exacting “justice” from one person or another. You need to follow the process, and the process is there because popularly-elected representatives in the legislature have voted to sustain that regime.
A bunch of bozo activists cannot change that situation by using crybaby appeals to emotion.
What can zombies gain from an apology? Well, it feels soothing as in “justice finally served”. That’s all there is to the PH justice system: trial by publicity on media and mock senate hearings.
Apologize and they view you as “admitting guilt.” So no need for a real trial. The reward is that people’s hearts soften and you’re given a second chance – just like Erap (almost won as president again).
The other extreme is that they will demand compensation: “Since you admitted guilt by apologizing, now pay for the damages”… in the end it boils down to money. Pay in cash and people’s hearts will soften.
Lee Kuan Yew and the Singapore he built is proof that the Philippines did it all wrong…
Read the full article here! 😀
all i can think of is Gretchen Ho. I would date her all day everyday. 😀
Title pa lang nakaka irita na…masyadong mataas ang tingin ng mga Atenista sa sarili nila.
Since 2014, the Ateneo has remained silent on its position on the pork barrel thievery of the government of President BS Aquino…
Excerpt from the Manila Times article Ateneo should hold debate on Aquino performance.
What a jaundiced institution.
This is likely to be the reason the Ateneo is disinclined to be critical of the government of President BS Aquino:
Ateneo renames school of government after Ninoy, Cory
Excerpt:
There you go. For all the “critical-of-the-current-administration-within-the-confines-of-our-classrooms” charade, the stink just can’t be masked.
Apparently, a deal has been made. And this deal led to an institution becoming beholden. No surprise.
With my observation here in the US, I know of 2 graduates from Ateneo. Both came from well to do family. All I can say, they did not land in jobs compatible with their degrees. One was a mailman and the other is a filing clerk and shipping clerk till he was laid off. My brother, after working in Middle East, Singapore, Diego Garcia and other places came to the US and has a lot of job offers in his field. He landed in a big construction company as estimator and won several contracts. The president of the company always come to visit him in his desk to congratulate him. He was a graduate of MLQU. He always felt he is inferior because of the school. I told him, in America it does not matter. They want to see if you can deliver because the company will not pay you a high paying job if you cannot perform. It is a merit system, considering we (filipinos) are consider minority. So enough of this Atenista.
Wondering? What is this fixation with “ateneo” in this blogsite? The ateneas I know here (US, Europe) have the same jobs as most of us. Well, maybe not most of us. Heck, when I call AT$T (callcenter), it’s usally a DLSU and atenean graduate.
Isn’t this the problem? This “I am better than thee” attitude?
Who cares about these rich, self centered, egoistic Ateneo graduates/professors…they are spoiled rotten and they think themselves, as “intellectual elites”…they have the same self centered mindset of Aquino and Mar Roxas…whom, they put on their “elitist pedestal”, and worship…
You don’t have the fucking right to fucking criticize Ateneo if you’re not a fucking Atenean!!!
Now that I think about it, you’re probably not because you’re a fucking dumbass piece of shit who constantly spouts ridiculous bullshit just to elicit responses from dumbshit people like you who’ve never stepped foot inside the Ateneo.
So the next time you write an article like this, I suggest you stick it where the sun doesn’t shine or I’ll gladly do it for you. And when I do, it’ll be the last feeling you’ll ever have
Ha ha!
Mga ‘Atenista’ nga naman talaga
Parang Aso
Matangkad lang kapag naka-upo.
Hoy Kanor mahiya ka naman! Atenista ka pa mandin! Yung utang mo pala sa tindahan namin paki bayaran na!
Cry us a river drama queen “atenista”
Link to YouTube video
Just because something isn’t a lie does not mean that it isn’t deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.
“Perhaps this episode (and there will be many more to come) should be regarded by the Ateneo community as a call to action. Rather than shrink away from the matter of the perceptions (fair or unfair) of elitism they cop from the broader Philippine public, Ateneans should be that “man for others” they fancy themselves to be and confront with courage these perceptions with an open mind and a measure of that self-reflection they supposedly learned in their classrooms.”
The fact that you scoff at this notion with passive-aggressive snark just proves how you don’t want the status quo to change at all. You want to keep the easy target who you can blame all our failures on.
I’m done with this. If you want to keep blaming Ateneans for (supposedly) encouraging elitism and class-gap, go right ahead. I’ll just work on my life and let you fight among yourselves.