Concerned Artists of the Philippines in Quaipo

Once an Elbizen, always an Elbizen. When people find out that I am from UPLB, one of the stuff they ask me about is if I was an activist. If they don't ask, I can read it off their body language or comments.

Some people never outgrow the need to fight for what they believe is right. I have been there, okay, just once for the Tuition Free Increase rally in Mendiola. I was paired up with this exchange student from Australia. I pitied that she didn't understand what was going on. For the life of me, I don't know if she was aware she put herself in a dangerous situation. I was fighting for the chance to pay the same amount of school fees. My parents had three college students that time. So I needed to try. Though my mom threatened to make me go home and throw me at University of Batangas instead of UPLB if she ever finds out that I was in a rally. She is in the newspaper and magazine selling business, if I get caught on cam or video, she was bound to find out. So I ducked from the camera and ended up next to a friend from my elementary school days. He was dating a tibak (activist) and was in the same situation at me. So we hid behind the banner whenever the camera panned near us.

I have heard songs, translated speeches but I never saw a paintings in one of those rallies. People tried planking but that seems just odd for me.

I liked this rally better. I even got to see an old BACA '02 batchmate.