BEFORE ATENEANS can act to help the country, it is important to for them to know about the issues they need to respond to.
With this in mind, Bantay Presidente: The First 100 Days in Power (BP100) was born.
BP100, a project under the Socio-Political Alliance (SPA) of the School of Social Sciences (SOSS) Sanggunian, aims to evaluate the first 100 days of power of President Noynoy Aquino. Through its website and monthly digests, BP100 publishes articles about national issues, as well as the projects and actions of the current administration.
Knowing before acting
BP100 started when Project Head David de Castro thought of including it in his platform when he was running for Third Year SOSS Central Board Representative last February. At that time, there was hype among Ateneans regarding the national elections.
Project Head Iriz Beleno said that the hype of the national elections was “unusual from the Ateneans who are most of the time apathetic to political issues due to their dedication to their academics.”
Beleno added that “We want [Ateneans] to have full knowledge of what has been happening outside the Ateneo or their comfort zones. It is vital to focus on Aquino’s administration … because this will be the foundation of the state of the Philippines for the next six years and how it would affect the citizens—Ateneans included”
De Castro said “The relevance behind assessing the current administration is to determine whether or not PNoy is upholding the ideals of democracy—what Filipinos hold dearly.”
He added that monitoring the 100-day period of the new administration is important because “it is during this time that the President sets the pace for his six-year term.”
Analyzing the highlights
In order for a comprehensive report on the administration be made, BP100 is divided into seven committees: Human Rights, Foreign Policy and International Relations, Economy, Land Reform, Governance, Education, and Health and Environment.
Each committee has heads that have interests or have courses related to the issues. It also has its own set of writers and researchers.
Maria Pilar Luisa Elago, Human Rights committee head, volunteered for the position since she “[thinks] it’s a good effort on our part to make Noynoy accountable… even if it’s only on the school level.”
De Castro said that in order to capture readers, “We do make it a point that the topics of the articles are highlights of the Aquino administration to which a majority would react—for example: the no wang-wang policy, the possibility of an increase in the price of cigarettes, and…the Quirino hostage-taking.”
Not yet enough
After 100 days, De Castro said that the new government still has a lot to work on. “I think that Aquino administration is still struggling from the post-GMA period… [and Aquino is still] coping with the responsibilities of being a president.”
Beleno said that the Aquino administration is slow and struggling. “Basically, the president is still struggling because he does not have strong political will.”
Meanwhile, Elago said that Aquino has been showing signs of improvement. “May nangyayari na, pero kulang pa (There’s something happening, but it’s still not enough). People need more from him.”
De Castro added, however, that “Much is expected of our president but we should not also forget that we have a part in doing something for the country.”
‘What will you do?’
Although BP100 will stop operating once the 100 days of the Aquino administration are over, de Castro said that the SPA will continue to employ issue-awareness and governance projects.
However, de Castro said “I think a good question to ponder on will be ‘What will you do?’ after being aware of the capacity of Noynoy in his first 100 days. Initiative for positive change should also come from within each individual.”
Elago said that it is the people’s duty to be vigilant during Aquino’s days in power.
“It takes commitment to keep any democratic institution democratic. That’s why Ateneo, as a pool of would-be leaders, is a powerful community where change can really start.”
