The Struggle Behind the Seat: What Does It Mean to Be Dasig?

As student leaders confront the demands of accountability, representation, and collective action, the CASS-SC and NUSP forum challenges them to reclaim leadership as a commitment to public service. “Kung hindi tayo po-protektahan ng unibersidad o nang estado, tayo na lang pumrotekta sa sarili natin,” declared Hon. Jaliana Daniella Sabandal, National Director for Membership of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP),challenged student leaders to consider what happens when institutions fall short of their responsibility to protect and represent their constituents. On Saturday, October 17, approximately 80 participants gathered via Zoom for Dasig, a leadership discussion-workshop spearheaded by the College of Arts and Social Sciences Student Council (CASS-SC) in partnership with NUSP. Moving beyond conventional discussions of leadership, the forum examined the historical struggles, institutional realities, and civic responsibilities that shape student representation, raising a fundamental question about what it means to lead when accountability is contested and participation demands commitment. Setting the tone for the discussion, CASS-SC Board Member Prince Philip Labide opened the program with a message emphasizing public service and the responsibility of student leaders to uphold accountability and good governance. Before the first session, Hon. Sabandal facilitated an icebreaker featuring ten leadership questions, prompting participants to reflect on their roles and responsibilities as student leaders. The first discussion, “Reclaiming Student Leadership as Public Service: A Historical Background,” led by Hon. Angel Mariton Manalili, the 43rd UP Student Regent, traced the suppression of student councils and publications during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. to contemporary struggles over accountability and dissent. Citing reported arrests in Mendiola, subpoenas received by four student leaders, and notices issued to protesters following a demonstration outside the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Manalili underscored the continuing challenges faced by those who question institutions and demand accountability. She affirmed that “The youth are the vanguard of national reawakening,” emphasizing that student leadership must extend beyond titles, ranks, and academic distinctions to meaningful service and representation. For Manalili, excellence matters most when translated into action that advances the interests of the community. Following the first discussion, Sabandal led another round of individual icebreaker questions, allowing participants to reflect on the insights raised before the forum turned to the political realities woven into everyday campus life. In “Campus is Political: Understanding the Everyday Struggles of Students in the Academe and in Society,” Hon. John Allan Bucol examined how power, governance, and decision-making shape students’ everyday experiences. Citing concerns raised within MSU-IIT, including alleged financial management lapses involving the CED Student Council, calls for action from campus publications, red-tagging complaints involving the NTF-ELCAC and ROTCU, and low voter turnout in previous student council elections, he illustrated how campus politics directly affects accountability, press freedom, and student representation. “Our knowledge is not absolute, so as student leaders, you always have to question: why?” Bucol urged, challenging students to scrutinize prevailing assumptions and recognize how campus struggles intersect with broader social forces. He also questioned an education system reduced to employment preparation, emphasizing the need for critical inquiry into society and collective action to address the structures shaping students’ lives. Turning reflection into action, the talk-back session tackled the challenges of student activism and mobilization, including how to encourage participation in schools resistant to activism and invite students to join walkouts. Sabandal advocated reframing engagement strategies, while Manalili emphasized militant organizing, room-to-room invitations, and advance notice. Bucol highlighted social campaigns, while CASS-SC Governor Jhon Dave Manos sought guidance on making mobilization more effective within existing social realities. The exchange underscored that student mobilization requires not only collective action, but also deliberate outreach and an understanding of the barriers to participation. The forum concluded with the awarding of certificates to the speakers, recognizing their contributions to the discussion, followed by closing remarks from CASS-SC Board Member Suzy Smith, who expressed the council's gratitude to the participants and speakers. Yet the discussions left questions extending beyond the program itself, linking the historical struggles of student movements with contemporary concerns over institutional accountability and campus governance. Ultimately, Dasig brought student leadership back to its most fundamental test, not who occupies the seat, but whose interests that seat serves. Across discussions on historical resistance, campus politics, and collective action, the forum challenged student leaders to recognize that representation is not the fulfillment of responsibility, but its beginning. A title may place someone in a position to lead, but the true measure of that leadership lies in what they do with the responsibility entrusted to them. Written by Fritz Arkley Alidon Proofread by Harris Donmoen Illigan Layout by Jocel Mae Latris