We plead guilty to the charge that the University of the Philippines is a breeding ground for activists. We accept that activism is not only a big part of what we are as an institution but is also its leading edge. Activism is a refusal to keep to established ways because we are convinced that something better lies just beyond our field of vision. We cannot see into the future, but we feel it gnawing at our insides. Activists are people driven by such an impulse. They are hopelessly hopeful --- throwing caution into the wind, risking their own welfare because they believe they are helping build a better future.
This semester has been extremely challenging. For many of our constituents, remote teaching and learning are uncharted waters. We are painfully aware of the difficulties experienced by faculty members and students. We are cognizant too of our limitations, and we are doing our best to address them. Our courses and practices are being reimagined in unprecedented ways and at a scale never before seen. With great difficulty and much anxiety, we are exploring the possibilities offered by technology. We are also learning to better care for the most vulnerable among us and for each other. We are transforming the University.
We suffer greatly today because we are building a better future. We suffer willingly because we want to lead and cut a path for those less able to do so. A better and stronger U.P. awaits us just beyond the horizon. We ask all members of the community to resolutely stand with us. Let us stay the course, finish the current semester the best way we possibly could under the circumstances, and be the best versions of ourselves yet.
