IN THE roster of the Kabataang Liberal ng Pilipinas (KALIPI), three
young people stand out. Meet Blessiline Alvero, Hiro Masuda, and Eric
Caliboso—campus leaders, KALIPI members, true liberals.
Twenty-year-old Blessiline, or Bless, is the president of the KALIPI
chapter in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Hiro, 20,
is the chairperson of the student government of the City College of
Manila. Eric, 22, is the KALIPI national vice president for students.
The three are well admired by their peers, passionate about their
part in KALIPI, and, as this interview shows, astute political animals.
KALIPI has been widely touted as the training ground for future leaders,
not only of the Liberal Party but also of the nation. Established
in 1989, it has evolved from being the youth wing of the LP into an
organization with a dynamism entirely its own. Espousing liberal political
values, KALIPI provides trainings and capability-building seminars,
and endows its members with a sound political orientation.
Discovering KALIPI
Bless, who finished with a degree in political science, discovered
KALIPI in the highly charged days of EDSA 2. After joining KALIPI
friends in the Jericho March from Makati to the People Power monument,
she began to participate in the organization’s activities and
is now a mainstay in the headquarters.
Hiro and Eric learned about KALIPI in their campuses, finding in
the organization the ideology and the vision that complemented their
personal convictions. Eric, who took up political science, had been
in search of a society on campus that he believed in—and amid a confusing
array of choices, he decided on KALIPI. This proved much to the club’s
benefit, because as the current VP for students, Eric now helps in
building chapters of KALIPI in universities and colleges nationwide,
spreading awareness of liberal values among the youth.
A popular campus figure in CCM, Hiro was voted president of his school’s
KALIPI chapter—and he wasn’t even around during the elections.
But quickly he filled the role and rose to become one of the most
dynamic KALIPI leaders today.
The Youth After EDSA 2
The three of them belong to the youth sector whose only real commitment,
as perceived by many, was to text messaging, hence the near-derisive
tag “Generation Text.” Then EDSA 2 happened, and overnight
the label became something like a badge of honor, as young people
brandishing both cell phones and firm will trooped to EDSA and called
for the ouster of a president. Committed to the country and to the
people, the youth startled and delighted the nation with their fervor—a
country rediscovering its young.
As youth leaders, Eric and Bless, products of PUP, which has one
of the biggest student populations in the country, have become spokespersons
for the Filipino youth. Eric believes young Filipinos have already
demonstrated that theirs is a strong force in the Philippine political
scene, with the two EDSAs as an example.
Still, he admits the youth sector has not yet achieved political
maturity, and does not deny “some youth are apathetic.”
Eric laments “even students in universities don’t know their
mayors or congressmen…”
More than that, Eric believes, “the negative perception that
the youth have of government takes them away from public service.”
Fewer youth are considering serving through government as an option.
Bless sees a bleak picture. While crediting the youth “for peaceful
revolutions,” she still believes that a majority of the sector
remains uninvolved in and unaware of issues that can greatly affect
them.
A Track Record in Overcoming Challenges
Hence their mission: to promote a higher sense of purpose that
would lead to greater participation among the youth. The task is gargantuan,
and at this point they can be dismissed as idealists—almost. With
a track record in overcoming challenges, Eric, Bless, and Hiro can
hardly be taken lightly when they are committed to a cause.
This trio is neither a shirker nor a stranger to a good challenge.
When most youth his age led carefree lives, Eric put himself through
school while expertly juggling his time between academics and extra-curricular
activities.
Bless shares the experience of the balancing act that student leaders
have to keep. On a typical day in her senior year, Bless would show
up at practicum, adjudicate in a debate tournament, and organize the
student elections in her university. All this while she strove to
keep her grades up and excel academically. Under her leadership, the
KALIPI-PUP chapter flourished to become the most active nationwide.
Hiro, who is half-Japanese, knows what it is like to overcome a challenge.
He recalls that when he was younger, he was the only kid in kindergarten
who had P100 for lunch money. But one day his privileged life came
to grinding halt, as they lost their home and livelihood. To survive,
his mother sold sampaguita and became a laundrywoman.
Hiro too started selling sampaguita to help his mother. On one occasion,
as he was peddling leis to graduates in the PICC, a security guard
chased him away. Only a little boy, he vowed he would one day don
a toga and finish his schooling. And that he did; in March 2003 Hiro
graduated from CCM with a degree in psychology.
Candid and Revealing
We asked Eric, Bless, and Hiro to give us an idea what today’s
young Liberals are thinking. Their insights on various topics were
candid and revealing.
2004 Wish List – who do you think should be the Liberal Party’s
standard-bearer in the presidential elections?
Eric and Bless agree, “Rep. Butch Abad.” Eric feels the
Batanes congressman’s leadership style is exactly what the Philippines
needs right now. Bless says the way he is running LP bides well for
a future in Malacañang.
Hiro’s bet is Manila mayor Lito Atienza. “He’s done
so many good things for the city, even changes that some people thought
were impossible to achieve,” said Hiro.
What concerns must the LP carry on its 2004 platform?
The three actively discussed this topic, and chose good governance,
education, and economic reforms as their priority issues.
With their years of exposure to the LP, whom do they consider their
role models from the party?
Eric is all praises for former LP president Jovito R. Salonga, whose
courage and patriotism he feels came to the fore when the former Senate
President led his fellow Liberals in voting against the US bases in
1991. He considers Salonga’s “ethics and accountability
in public service” as outstanding, and can even quote some of
JRS’s writings.
Bless admires Rep. Neric Acosta for being “an inspiring leader.”
While she is taken by the Bukidnon representative’s intelligence,
she also hopes to one day emulate the “dynamism of LP Director-General
Ely Quinto and (Education Undersecretary) Chito Gascon.”
Hiro is a major follower of Mayor Atienza, whom he respects for being
“very sincere.” Being results-oriented himself, he says
he admires the LP stalwart because “he does as he says.”
As the youth wing of the LP, would they give the party leaders the
thumbs-up?
Eric is not so eager to. He finds it frustrating there is “no
significant support to the party’s youth sector” from many
of the LP leaders. Eric adds he is glad there are a few who do extend
their concern and support to KALIPI, and hopes that more may follow
suit.
Bless thinks some party members avoid taking a definite stand on
national issues on the flimsy excuse that “we are liberals.”
As young persons who have taken liberalism to heart, certainly the
KALIPI has high expectations, from no less than its own party leaders.
Young After All
And while it is apparent these three KALIPI leaders—promising,
brilliant, and committed—can go on and on about politics, they sometimes
keep the political talk at bay.
On those days, Eric can be found hunched over a book (alas, on public
administration), Bless would be dreamily composing essays, and Hiro
would be playing the latest video games. On those days, they are just
regular young people. Little reminders that despite how mature they
can sometimes sound, they are still young after all.
