To our esteemed Chancellor Edgardo Carlo Vistan, to the vice-chancellors and deans, to Dean Fernando Paragas and my fellow members of the Board of Judges, to my Editorial Board, members of the Collegian, and friends, good afternoon to you all.
When we started this editorial term 10 months ago, we embarked on a mission to restamp the Collegian’s relevance in university life. We charted that goal, bearing in mind that we must regain lost ground during the two years of physical separation brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Kulê” used to be a household name for every UP student, and we wanted that back.
However, we had to be aware of our limitations—both internally and outside of the publication. We continued our monthly magazine format, aware of our staffers’ limits in attending to in-person presswork and coverages. We underscored that in an information ecosystem already rife with lies and deception, the Collegian could offer more explanatory and in-depth content. We retained our print medium precisely because the Collegian has a larger audience beyond the confines of the university—in mobilizations, communities, picket lines, among others.
But our targets had to be made more realistic and attuned to the conditions on the ground. Because of the introduction of blended learning, most of our staff had to be reintroduced anew to how the Collegian newsroom works, beyond the Zoom calls and the Slack messages. Slowly and gradually, the publication’s on-the-ground coverage of important events returned. Despite attempts to be in line with the slow journalism movement, there are still news items that need to be covered. Killings and other forms of political persecution under the Marcos administration had to be reported instantaneously. And though we were able to print again this term, bureaucratic hurdles and nebulous procurement processes delayed our releases.
We recognize these limitations, but alongside it is our larger responsibility to the university community and the basic sectors that this Collegian has pledged to serve. Building from the gains of the past terms, we expanded our digital reach and started our venture into multimedia and interactive ways of delivering the critical and progressive reportage that the Collegian is known for. During our coverage of this year’s student council elections and chancellor selection, we published multimedia outputs to better equip our audience of the candidates’ stances. We also produced various news reels after major mobilizations to further amplify our calls and campaigns.
A student publication’s importance, however, isn’t only measured by its ability to publish. After all, releasing content is the foremost reason for the existence of any news outlet. At the start of this term, the Collegian pledged not to be confined within the comfort of its office—we wanted to act and to partake in the making of history, not just mere chroniclers. The Collegian never pretended to be an objective nor neutral institution, especially in matters that directly affect its foremost audience: the students.
The publication goes beyond its medium and involves itself in the many goings-on not simply because it wants to, but rather our society requires it to. This term is proud to have endorsed a UP presidential nominee, the first time in nearly three decades, bearing in mind that a Marcos-installed leader in UP would spell the death of our freedoms within the university. Our endorsement shattered the illusion that a publication must remain neutral. And it must not, especially when it has a duty to resonate with the voice of its publishers—the students.
Faced with a troubled university and a national administration hell-bent on silencing dissent and railroading anti-people policies, the Collegian did not back down. It has not been an easy term, but we had to deliver. We had to continue publishing—and we could not do it alone. On behalf of the Editorial Board, I thank all members of the Collegian for soldiering on despite all the challenges we have faced. Truly, the Collegian is only as strong as its members. It has been my honor to have served alongside all of you.
I am confident in the ability of my successor and the incoming Editorial Board to correct the mistakes we have made and, at the same time, build on our gains. The Collegian, much like any other journalistic institution, is a self-correcting one. This new term is a chance for the Collegian to renew its commitment not just to its readers, but also to itself—a commitment to be better, and more critical in drawing the sharpest line in the pressing issues of the day.●
As-prepared remarks during the turnover of responsibility to the next Collegian editor-in-chief. Delivered during the turnover ceremony held at the Student Union Building, UP Diliman on August 1, 2023.
