MANILA, Philippines — Dear Chico and Delamar… I am an incoming sophomore college student in a sort of dilemma. I am studying in a private university where I also spent my grade school and high school years. Those were the best years of my life because I gained so many good friends, most of whom I also see in college. Boasting aside, I am quite a college figure. I was the president of my class, I represented my class to many university activities, my classmates and teachers like me (I think!) and I got quite good grades for all my subjects during my freshman year.

However, a few months ago, my parents lost their jobs. They worked in the same company and both of them had been declared redundant. This worries me a lot, more so because I might not be able to finish college anymore, under this situation. I heard that the money that they got from their company will be for a small business. I am just a student and I don’t really have the means to help them, but just to cut on my expenses and be supportive of them.

Then my cousin suggested that I transfer to the University of the Philippines in Diliman, knowing that I have good grades and have good chances to get into UP. UP’s tuition is a lot lower than in my present school, and of course, it is UP! True enough, when we inquired, it looked like my grades would qualify me to some of UP’s programs!

I am just scared that if I get accepted, it will be a whole new world. I have always studied in this school and I would be leaving a familiar environment behind, not to mention, my good friends. My loyalty remains to my school, as of now. I am also apprehensive of being in UP because of what I have heard about it, the rallies, the student activism, and the quite far distance from my place. But this is the only way I know I can help my parents with their current financial situation.

Knowing that you two are from UP, what are your thoughts? How do I adjust to a new environment like UP, coming from a very sheltered Catholic university since grade school. Please help me decide. I have filed my application but I am half-hearted, honestly. — Doreen

Chico says...

I supposed the primary consideration is the budget. If you had a choice, I'd tell you to stay in whichever school you are most comfortable in. The school is only the tool; everything else depends on you. And if you feel most confident in a certain school, then by all means stay there!

But it brings us to why you're in this predicament in the first place: financial restrictions. Money matters remove this from the realm of choice. In short, you don't really have much of a choice but to move to a less expensive school. To discuss the merits of which school you prefer would be moot, because if you could afford to stay in your school, then we wouldn't even be having this conversation.

The bright side is, you're not just transferring to a cheaper school, you're transferring to the State University. Whether U.P. is the best school or not is being petty. Suffice it to say it's one of the best schools in the country and it wouldn't hurt you to graduate from such a school.

Now, as to U.P.'s reputation as a heathen playground, I'd personally attest that this is farthest from the truth. What U.P. offers is not necessarily radicalism but freedom to choose in case you want it. U.P. offers a nook or cranny for every type of student: whether you're an activist, a nerd, an artist, a musician, an athlete, and yes, even sosyalerang echoserang frogs (as long as you can keep up the average).

The only reason U.P. has a reputation for activism is because it encourages free thinking. If you decide that politics is not for you, trust me, you can insulate yourself from the activist-types and stick with people of your own ilk. Find an org that could act as your support group during your college life and there are many to choose from: you have political orgs, science orgs, religious orgs, showbiz orgs, art orgs, gay orgs, and orgs for any inclination you might have.

That is what I feel is great with U.P. You can be the most diverse groups of people, but you can co-exist in one campus. I met people I would never have met had I not been in U.P. I did not necessarily have to like or hate them, but coming across them was enriching. No one will force you to adopt their world views. They can try, but you can politely beg off and most can take differences in opinions. And in the end, for the sake of argument that I was unable to assuage your fears, then it becomes a simple case of sink or swim.

If this is the only viable choice for you to finish your education, then I'm afraid you just have to make it work, whether you like U.P or not. But if you ask me, and you did, my time in U.P. was the singular richest experience that molded me into who I am now.

As to whether you like the final product or not, I credit U.P. for a lot of it. So for me, I love the University of the Philippines. Maybe I'm the wrong person to ask if you wanted an unbiased opinion, because if you ask me, my alma mater will always be U.P. naming mahal.

Delamar says...

“There is nothing to fear but fear itself” according to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

There is nothing to fear about going to UP. Really. It’s just like any school and the truth is its population now is, as far as I’ve observed and heard from people there, not nearly half as left leaning politically as it was in the 70’s and the 80’s. Activism is not as it used to be within the University.

Besides, maybe it will be good for you to even know what left leaning means before you get too scared of it.

But most of all, and the most convincing argument I can give you so that you won’t be too afraid is that it is still YOUR choice whether you want to participate in the rallies or not. It is still YOUR choice whether you want to be politically-active or not, aware or not.

The University upholds freedom and so even if you turn out to be an apathetic student that is still YOUR choice.

Of course, our UP tradition seeks to breed a studentry that can change the world and that can only happen with being politically-aware but again, not all students end up being so. Pretty much you can keep your head down your whole stay and just focus on your studies.

I don’t recommend that but many students have done that and are continuing to do that. Political apathy is a stand in itself and most people will not really like you for it especially if they have a strong political agenda. But they cannot force you. So if you want to just focus on your studies you could do just that for your whole stay in UP as many other students have done before you and no doubt after you.

For my part, I would always recommend that you have a modicum of political awareness just because you live in the Philippines and it is incumbent upon citizens, whether from UP or not, to know something about the political terrain they live in.

(Chico and Delle welcome your letters. Write to: youth@mb.com.ph or fax through 527-7511. Listen to the Dynamic Duo Monday to Saturday, 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. over Monster Radio RX 93.1)