By Jan Andrei Elizalde | May 7, 2024
Former Senator Leila de Lima, Cong. Teodoro Brawner Baguilat, and Cong. Lorenzo Reyes Tañada III engaged in a dialogue with Sillimanians during the “Chikkahan Sa Silliman.”
Held on April 23 at the Silliman University (SU) Audio-Visual Theater, the event provided a platform for students to share their advocacy-based experiences with politicians.
During the event, the visitors talked about their stories as advocates and the causes they are fighting for.
De Lima shared her challenges during her term as senator under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
For Baguilat, he talked about his experience as an indigenous politician who advocates for the environment. Meanwhile, Tañada shared his experiences fighting for labor and human rights.
Throughout the talk, the speakers also discussed the principles and challenges faced by their political party, the Liberal Party.
One participant, first-year psychology student Angelina Athena Rival, expressed that the discussion made her realize her generation still has more to learn.
She said that individuals nowadays live in an age where they possess all the answers, thinking their opinions are always correct.
“But listening to people who have so much experience in a certain field, [like] politics, and [who have] so much life experience […] has really shown me that I still have a lot to learn and I still have a big journey in front of me,” she added.
The SUSG Socio-Political Committee and SUSG Research Committee organized the session, which was also held under the SUSG’s Diverse Advocates for Student Inclusion and Growth platform.
