“For me, nationalism is an advocacy, an advocacy that promotes the interests of the different sectors of our society, especially the oppressed. How can we promote the idea of a just and equitable nation when majority of our people are poor?”
So says Mark Ivan C. Tabol, a BS in Management major from the College of Management who garnered the highest GWA of 1.394, magna cum laude, from among the graduates of CM.
In promoting for a just and equitable country Tabol said that we need to lobby for the right of every farmer to own land, the right of every teacher to salary increase, and the right of every worker to be provided social services from the government.
The native of Pavia, Iloilo was also a very active student leader and was involved with various student organizations which exposed him to different community engagements and opportunity to render public service activities.
On the prospect of working in the Philippines or abroad where there is a huge difference in paycheck, Tabol said that given the foreign exchange rate of the dollar to the peso, it is really more lucrative to work abroad. He said however, that it never crossed his mind to work abroad.
“I always said that a UP diploma is for the Filipino people. As Iskolars ng Bayan, we owe our degree to them. Now that I am done with my studies, it is time to give back. It is therefore fitting that we choose to work for the country even if there are far greater opportunities abroad,” he pointed out.
On a lighter note, Tabol said that if he had the chance to redo the last four years of his stay in UP, he said that he should have been more sociable from the outset of his college years.
“I was the typical, socially awkward first year student. I always go home after my classes, not participating in any activities of the college during my first two years,” he recalled. He became more outgoing when elected as the Vice-Chairperson for External Affairs of the CM Student Council.
Had he been more sociable he said he could have known his friends better and built a stronger bond with them. Yes, it sounds regretful but nonetheless, I still had wonderful semesters with my constants who have always been there for me every time I needed support.
