22/08/2026
Resilience should only be commended when people overcome scarcityโnot when it is used to excuse continuous failures.
An Open Letter and Call for Accountability from the UA Central Student Council
Bayanihan. Resiliency. Survival.
These are words we often hear whenever calamity strikes.
For the past three weeks, Filipinos have once again been forced to adjust, evacuate, miss classes, protect their homes, and rely on one another because of flooding and the continuing effects of the Habagat.
And we always hear:
โAng galing talaga ng Pilipino. Nagtutulungan at gumagawa ng paraan tuwing may sakuna.โ
Yes, Filipinos are resilient. We help. We donate. We volunteer. We rescue.
But when do we stop romanticizing resiliency?
Puro na lang ba Pilipino ang mag-a-adjust?
Because while communities raise donations and volunteers risk their safety, investigations into the countryโs flood-control projects have uncovered serious irregularities. Government inspections have identified thousands of projects classified as ghost or non-existent, while questions have also been raised about the concentration of billions of pesos in flood-control contracts among a small number of contractors.
So we ask:
Why are Filipinos repeatedly being forced to survive problems that public funds were supposed to help prevent?
As student leaders, we call on our government officials to stop treating Filipino resiliency as a substitute for accountability.
As Assumptionists, our formation calls us to live out three fundamental values:
BIASA โ Scientia.
Academic excellence calls us to seek knowledge, examine facts, and understand the realities affecting our communities. We cannot demand accountability without first seeking the truth.
MAGANACA โ Virtus.
Moral uprightness calls us to stand for what is right, to uphold integrity, and to speak against wrongdoingโeven when doing so is difficult.
MAYAP โ Communitas.
Social responsibility reminds us that our education and leadership must extend beyond ourselves. We are called to serve our communities and stand with those who are most affected by injustice and calamity.
These are not values we should only carry within the walls of our University. They compel us to look beyond ourselves, ask difficult questions, and speak when our people deserve answers.
And this is why, as Assumptionists student leaders, we cannot remain silent.
We call for transparency.
We call for proper investigation.
We call for responsible use of public funds.
We call for accountability.
And to the Filipino youth:
As we approach the 2028 elections, let us remember:
Do not vote solely because of popularity, political machinery, family names, or empty promises.
Vote wisely. Vote critically.
Nasa ating mga kamay ang tunay na pagbabago.
Huwag mawalan ng pag-asa. Manindigan para sa bayan. Makinig. Magtanong. Maningil.
Because we deserve more than a government that praises us for surviving.
We deserve a government that works to keep us safe and secured in the first place.
Biasa. Maganaca. Mayap.
Not just words we carry as Assumptionists, but values we must live out for our communities and for our country.
For the Assumptionists. By the Assumptionists. For the Filipino people.
