Keep fighting for our country.
This is the call of civic advocacy group Team Pinas to the Filipino youth, a growing number of whom feel seemingly helpless amid the political, economic and geopolitical controversies in the country today.
Team Pinas’ core members urged young Filipinos not to give up fighting for the country and their rights at The GenZennial Tour (We Decide the Future) held at the Nicanor Auditorium of the Far Eastern University in Manila on Aug. 25.
Dr. Ederson Tapia, Team Pinas co-convenor and a professor at the University of Makati (UMak), challenged the idea of helplessness without invalidating the frustration over corruption and political issues his young audience felt.
One of the students in the audience articulated what many of her peers were feeling:
“Marami na po akong kakilala na nagsasabi na po sila na nawawalan na daw po sila ng gana, or nawawalan na daw po sila ng pag-asa na ipaglaban pa po yung Pilipinas… (I know many people who say they are losing the drive, or losing hope, in fighting for the Philippines…).”
Being hopeful must be coupled with taking steps to transform the current situation into something positive, said Tapia, who serves as UMak’s Dean of the College of Continuing, Advanced and Professional Studies.
“How can you organize yourselves to become a more productive force in our country?” Tapia asked the youth.
Accountability, autonomy, action
He offered his ‘3 As’ framework — accountability, autonomy, and action — as a guide for the youth when discussing political issues, like the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Under accountability, Tapia urged the students to understand how public funds are being spent. “Napakahalagang alamin kung paano ginagasta ang pera down to the last centavo (It is very important to know how the money is being spent down to the last centavo),” he said.
Tapia also connected autonomy to the impeachment trial and the importance of due process, which he said is happening in the Senate right now. “It’s political, true, but it has to run in some kind of legitimacy tests (and we see) now how the process is being run.”
The third A – action – means using opportunities available to young Filipinos to make their voices heard.
“Buhay pa iyong impeachment, ito iyong pagkakataon ninyo to make your voices heard, (The impeachment is still ongoing; this is your opportunity to make your voices heard)” he said.
Tapia also reminded the youth that their influence should not be dismissed. “The feeling is valid but I want to assure you that you are an important stake between now and especially the future,” the college dean said.
He pointed to the previous election as an example that young Filipinos can already influence the country’s political direction.
“Pinakita ‘nyo na ‘yan nung previous election, (You already showed that during the previous election),” Tapia said.
Offline engagement
However, political participation is not automatically meaningful simply because young Filipinos are active online.
Prof. Richard Heydarian, a Filipino political scientist, media personality, and another core member of Team Pinas, warned that social media can make it easy for people to become angry and mobilize in the moment, but sustaining that engagement can be more difficult.
He described this tendency as “hyperpolitics,” saying that young people must examine where their sense of helplessness comes from.
“So instead of just saying we’re helpless because the world is helpless, we have to realize where this helplessness is coming from because maybe it’s coming from us not putting the right amount of energy,” Heydarian said.
He stressed the need for young Filipinos to invest in longer-term solutions instead of limiting their participation to immediate online reactions.
“Kung hindi tayo nag-iinvest in long-term solutions and reforms, we are gonna be in a worse situation,” he said.
Beyond political participation and social media, the GenZennial Tour also tackled the long-standing issue of the West Philippine Sea as another avenue for youth participation.
The 3Ms
A third Team Pinas core member, Prof. Ranjit Rye, of the University of the Philippines’ Department of Political Science specializing in Philippine Politics and Governance, encouraged the youth to follow his ‘3 M’s’: mag-aral, makilahok, at manindigan (study, participate, and take a stand).
For Rye, being informed is essential in addressing disinformation surrounding the West Philippine Sea. “Fighting fake news requires truth-telling, and truth-seeking,” he said, exhorting young Filipinos to study the issue, particularly the country’s position on the West Philippine Sea.
The UP political scientist also supported the inclusion of the WPS in history classes at the high school and college levels, citing the importance of understanding the issue.
“Kasi kung may kaalaman tayo, may proteksyon tayo sa disinformation at fake news, (Because when we have knowledge, we are protected against disinformation and fake news)” he said.
Rye said participation does not necessarily mean joining street protests or rallies, noting that attending fora like the GenZennial Tour is also active participation, where being part of the discussion is a form of engaging with an issue to help them eventually take a stand.
The discussion also addressed political differences among families and peers. Dr. Guido David, a University of the Philippines Professor of Mathematics and Data Science, shared that he has friends who support Duterte, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and former vice president and now Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo.
Bridge political differences
David, also a Director of Diliman AI, and an OCTA Research Kwatro Alas Co-Host, emphasized that political discussions should not be centered on personalities and underscored that bridging political differences is one of Team Pinas’ goals.
He urged his audience not to be combative or exclusive, while encouraging young Filipinos to respect differences in political opinions and engage in healthier discussions and debates through a more holistic approach.
Team Pinas Executive Director Carlo Flores, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of listening, particularly when engaging with people of varying political views.
He said people sometimes lose the ability to listen because they focus on preparing their next rebuttal instead of understanding the other person’s perspective.
“Kung hindi kita ma-convince today, but I will look at the points. I want to understand where you’re coming from,” he explained.
Understanding another person’s perspective is an important step toward building a bridge despite political differences, Flores said, adding that taking a stand is already a huge step.
Editor’s note: Jade Ruby Flores is a Polytechnic University of the Philippines student writing for VERA Files as part of her internship. Artificial intelligence was used to enhance the photos from the event.