Playing with Fire
A proactive PACU
By Gonzalo Duque
THE barangay and Kabataang Barangay elections are only two months away.
We advise those who are training their eyes on becoming officials to avoid being controversial these days. The President has his “listening centers” all over the country and won’t hesitate to apply the presidential whip to any erring official.
Some policy-making advisers have advised abolishing these organizations. Maybe they should go – but not yet at this time.
Our democratic President wants to give everyone a chance to make up and be an asset to the Republic.
* * * *
We are humbled by the nice words many of you have heaped on us with our election as Philippine Ass’n of Colleges and Universities (PACU) president.
Are we sincerely happy?
We’d be a hypocrite if we say no because we are blissful. We worked hard for it.
Three years ago, we launched our bid to lead the organization. Sheer bravado, you might call it.
We wanted to lead the organization because it appeared to us as not behaving according to the times. PACU was mostly a toothless, social club, you know.
On our first day of participating in its sessions, we saw to it that our voice was heard — not the sound but the soundness of our ideas. There was a need for change.
We joined the elections for president. We lost, but got elected First Vice President.
The following year, we ran again, yes, for president -but lost by one vote. We became First Vice President.
In our third try the other week, applying what we learned in the Jaycees and Varsitarians Ass’n plus careful, thorough and detailed planning, we won with an overwhelming margin of 75-25.
Our election was providential because it was timed with PACU’s Diamond Anniversary. PACU is now 75 years young!
It’s time PACU (Reminds me of my father “Paco”) changed, to be proactive, democratic and relevant.
We thought PACU should make a dent in the corporate world with social responsibility as its norm. PACU under our watch will not only exist for its members – but also, if not more so, for the students and country. Before, it only figured in tuition fee increases. Now it will be on the forefront of major issues such as health, environment and poverty alleviation and every concern that affects our lives.
With deep humility, we accept the challenge. With God’s help and with your support and prayers, We will succeed.
Lest we’d be misunderstood, we were not that critical of the practice by our local schools of importing their basketball players in order to win sport competitions.
Because given a choice, we would want to see our locals beat the “aliens” or imports. What’s the purpose of those games anyway? Is it not to train them to become athletic heroes and future leaders?
A local broadcaster apparently got us wrong when we emphasized that point when the University of Luzon players, which had some “imports”, clobbered their foes black and blue in the PRISAA games opening. We should be happy because UL’s bosses who are our partners, Macky and Councilor Chito Samson, are our bosom buddies.
Those imports, we were informed, came from a defunct school -World City College – in Manila. Would you settle for the name, “University of Luzon -World City College” wins PRISAA games?
That’s what we mean. We hope some deadline-beating reporters won’t misquote us again.
Nangangantiyaw lang tayo, di ba, Macky?
(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/playing-with-fire/)
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