SANGGUNIAN PRESIDENT Gio Alejo reported on August 3 that the Sanggunian Central Board (CB) has already been conducting consultations with key offices for the past week in order to address the displacement issue stemming from the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone (Apeco).
Last July 20, four farmers from Casiguran, Aurora met with the CB and raised their concerns with regard to the ongoing construction of the Apeco.
Representative Juan Edgardo Angara and Senator Edgardo Angara sponsored the bill enabling the creation of the said economic zone. Thousands of farmers and fisherfolk, as well as the native Dumagat who reside in Casiguran, have been displaced because of it.
Alejo said that the CB has already consulted with Theology Department Instructor Michael Liberatore. One of the key points to be taken from this consultation is a call for advocacy.
“We should avert the justice that was robbed from these farmers,” said Alejo. He added that instead of highlighting the injustices that has happened head on, a more constructive approach towards addressing this concern should be done.
“There’s an issue of [the CB] not really mobilizing well. So before advocating [the issue] to the community, we must already be prepared on what we can do as students and how the community can really be involved,” he said.
Alejo further said that they are still trying to gauge the feasibility of including the whole Ateneo community to support the cause. Another option they could take is the CB members themselves directly lobbying the issue to the government officials involved.
Conducting a forum regarding the Apeco issue is another option the CB is considering, but Alejo noted that the representation of parties involved must be balanced.
“The Angaras are smooth-talkers. They know what they are talking about, and mababango ang mga salita nila (they can talk cogently),” he said. Alejo added that proponents of the bill know what they are talking about and have the ability to convince people to accept “that what [they’re] doing is for the betterment of the community.”
On the other hand, Alejo also said that the farmers are being moved by their emotions. “There’s an anger, there’s a disappointment of them being booted out without due proper consultation, and we should take these things into consideration. Kumbaga, hindi lang tayo sugod nang sugod (We should not just charge right away),” he said.
Alejo said the CB would soon coordinate with Theology Department Assistant Professor Roberto Guevara, PhD, the Office for Student Concern and Involvement (OSCI), the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) and the Office of the VP for Social Development.
They also plan on consulting with Development Studies Program Director Leland dela Cruz in order to see which way is the best to frame the issue and present it to the student body.
Alejo noted, however, that making the Ateneo community really involved with the matter would depend on the opinion of University President Jett Villarin, SJ. A letter addressed to Villarin is currently in the works.
Sophomore School of Social Sciences (SOSS) CB Representative Polo Martinez felt that the direction of the plans still seemed to be unclear.
“Do we have a structured series of steps that we’re actually pushing through for this? Everything seems to abstract for me,” Martinez pointed out during the meeting.
Alejo acknowledged his point, but told the board that these consultations are only part of the preliminaries of the actual steps the Sanggunian will be taking.
