Questions for Student Leaders in Central Luzon State University

(Hello Shane, naka-bold ‘yung names kasi nalito ako kanina, well anyway every word is
translated based sa response ni Rod. I didn’t remove anything, just pure basic and simple
translation)

Jovan: Who is Vivencio Saulong, based on what you know? Please briefly describe who he is
and any notable aspects of his background.

Rod: The only thing I remember back then, it was like in one of our subjects, maybe about
Vivencio Saulong, I think it was during the Japanese era. Vivencio Saulong was a student
leader studying here at CLSU, and he was also a member of an organization that was like the
United Forces of students who were fighting against the Japanese.

Jovan: How did you first learn about Vivencio Saulong?

Rod: In our SOCSCI subject, history, Readings in Philippine History, and the part about the
Japanese occupation in the Philippines, we got assigned to Women of Mapanique. But they
also wanted to somehow relate it to CLSU, here in Nueva Ecija. The most prominent figure
connected to CLSU during the Japanese era was Vivencio Saulong. That’s when I first learned
about him. There are only a few articles about him, mostly just saying that he fought against the
Japanese, was a member of a certain group, and then he was shot.

Jovan: Saulong plays an important role in CLSU’s history. If you do not know Saulong, do you
think it affects you as a leader?

Rod: Actually, during that time, I was also a student leader, but it was just college-based, so I
was part of the college council back then. That’s when the kind of “spark” for a selfless era
started. At first, I was just focused on what I needed to do, but then there was Vivencio, who
was about our age when he died for the country. So, we always mentioned back then, like when
we had an assignment but also needed to do something for the council, “Country or self? Even
VS (Vivencio Saulong) did this and that”. That kind of became our mantra. So, it made you feel
embarrassed to put yourself first. If it’s for the country, then it’s for the country.

Blessilyn: How do you think Vivencio Saulong contributes to student leadership at CLSU?
What impact did his involvement in leadership have on you as a student leader at the
university?

Rod: It's hard to say that we look up to him or that we’ll follow his footsteps because I don’t plan
to die for something, and we’re not being invaded right now. Although we still don’t have full
control, especially in terms of economic foundations, because as you know, we’re still semi-
feudal, with capitalism and neoliberalism. The war we’re fighting now is about people’s
ideologies, not just a war of violence. Yes, there’s still violence, but it starts with the war of
principles and beliefs. Vivencio Saulong, back then, he was just a student, but he was already
fighting for the rights and independence of Filipinos, especially for the youth, because the youth
were the driving force of that fight. His impact today is like he serves as a connection, a
continuation of what we’re doing now. But now, we target the root causes of the problems more
deeply. Vivencio, aside from being a student leader, was on the front lines of the fight. And
those at the front lines had people behind them, those who planned, spread their ideology, and
gathered information to strengthen their fight. In today’s time, we can apply Vivencio’s life and
experiences in that aspect. We’ll fight, and we’re still on the front lines as the youth. But we now
know that the main reason is no longer physical conflict or fighting. We avoid violence as much
as possible. Like, if you have different principles, will you resort to gunfire? Of course not, right?
We now have peace talks, processes to calm them down, and at the same time, we aim to find
common ground to achieve real success in what we’re fighting for. That’s the main effect of
Vivencio Saulong, not in the exact same way he fought, but in the same way he stood firm. I
hope that’s what the student leaders here at the university are doing

Jovan: What role did Vivencio Saulong play in the development of student leadership in CLSU?
Can you provide any examples of how he influences you as a student leader?

Rod: Maybe I can’t say that it came from him, but it’s the same way as what he did. When I’m
given a task, especially if it’s related to students’ rights or welfare, I really skip class. My excuse
would be, “I’m at a law firm,” and the president would reply, “What are you doing at a law firm?”
I’d say, “I’m accompanying students with sexual harassment cases.” Actually, I’ll skip class later
because I’m going to Sto. Domingo, to the PAO. That’s just an example. The students here
can’t afford lawyer fees, so we’re trying to negotiate with the Public Attorney’s Office so
someone can represent the students whenever they need it. It’s like Vivencio was ready to die,
while my mantra is, “I do my work as if it’s the last day.” I do my service thinking, “What if this is
the last? What if the PAO office is closed tomorrow, but the student needs a lawyer this week?”
or “What if tomorrow everything gets canceled because of a storm?”. I always think that way—
give it your all now. Especially since we, as students, like to cancel classes. But when classes
are canceled, it delays work because offices are closed. That’s what I always think: “What if this
is the last day? What if tomorrow the student gets into trouble? What if tomorrow they no longer
have anything to eat?” It’s always like that. Vivencio was willing to die, but for us, we’re willing to
act as if today is the last day because tomorrow, we might not have the same privilege or
opportunity to serve with the resources and conditions we have today

Blessilyn: In what ways does Vivencio Saulong’s legacy affect student leadership at CLSU
today? Have you observed any current leaders who practice and manifest the influence of
Saulong?

Rod: If you know our Vivencio Saulong awardee, Aljone, part of the process is that they’ll have
something like a leadership seminar or anything related to their advocacy. Since his advocacy is
youth empowerment, he invited me to his seminar, and I gave a talk. My topic was something
like 'Empowerment Behind the Shadows'—about those who work behind the scenes. Vivencio
Saulong was a leader, and when we think of leaders, we usually imagine them in planning
sessions or only visible when they’re in high positions. But he wasn’t like that. He was at the
frontlines, armed, and physically fighting alongside other youth on the streets, in clashes, he
even became almost like a guerrilla fighter, right? If we look at the student leaders here in
CLSU, there are two types. One is in the limelight because students need assurance; they need
the visible presence of a leader. If that leader isn’t visible, even if they’re busy or working behind
the scenes, students might feel unsure, thinking, 'Are they really there for me?' That’s one type
of leader, the one in the limelight. But there are also the people behind the scenes, the ones we
call 'shadows.' They work so that when the person in the limelight assures everyone, everything
has already been prepared. Here at CLSU, the student leaders, like Aljone, are a mix of these
types. I always tell him, 'Be yourself.' That’s what I tell anyone who asks me, 'Be yourself.' Start
with what you can offer. It’s hard to jump straight into the limelight if your talents and skills don’t
match being in the public eye. For example, public speaking isn’t my thing. I don’t like speaking
in front of people. But if you have an event and you tell me what you need, I’ll provide everything
you need for that event. Take the coffee at OSA, for example. You won’t see me handing out
coffee there, but I’m the one who paid for it and prepared it, yet you won’t see me handing it
directly to you. We just distribute it to others. Like Vivencio, he wasn’t only at the frontlines; he
also worked behind the scenes. The student leaders here in CLSU have a similar dynamic since
there are two types. That’s the impact or manifestation of Vivencio’s example, students should
have a support system. There’s the management side and then the idealists. The idealists
create the plans, present them, and lead them, while the management side ensures that
whatever the idealists need to achieve their vision is provided to make it successful.

Blessilyn: How do you think his legacy continues to shape student leaders at the university?
student leaders at the university?

Rod: It’s hard for us to say since only a few know him, but for example, Aljone, what impact
does Aljone have on the students? It’s not directly about saying Vivencio this or Vivencio that.
Instead, it’s about the individuals or students who apply the principles or learn from Vivencio’s
experiences. They are the ones creating a snowball effect, so even if they don’t directly
experience, witness, or apply exactly what Vivencio did or went through, the people who learned
lessons from him are the ones spreading his advocacy and his way of being a true leader.

Jovan: How does Vivencio Saulong’s contribution influence students’ social awareness and
modern leadership skills? Do you have any programs or practices inspired by his work that will
enhance students’ social consciousness?

Rod: If you remember what happened on October 12, during the NSTP-CWTS Seminar, I
messaged the USSC GC and said, “Are we going to make an official statement?” They said,
“Go ahead,” so I replied, “Draft it.” Knowing me, I enjoy doing those things since I used to be a
writer for the Collegian. So I wrote something, and as I scrolled through Facebook, I noticed that
the content of the official statements was all the same. It’s like this happens every year, it’s a
cycle. We hold a seminar, and then they invite a rude police officer or some NTFL
representative. What do the students do? They just release an official statement. It seems
noble, but after the issue dies down, the statement also disappears, and no one pays attention
anymore. I said, what if I put in the official statement something to call out those who make the
same statements every year? Because the administration doesn’t listen to their calls for action,
and the seminar has become a cycle, a platform used to instill cowardly or false ideas about
criticism. I said, we’re a State University, and the first thing we should foster is how students can
fight for their rights as people, their freedom, and their liberty to express themselves. Don’t we
even have a CASS, College of Arts and Social Sciences? I wrote that, and then the same thing
happened again this Saturday. This time, we didn’t post an official statement. People were
looking for one, right? But we had already sent a letter to NSTP. I said that if the NSTP doesn’t
make any move, we should address it directly to the president. It’s frustrating that every year the
NSTP knows students will speak out when they invite someone, but if all we do is issue official
statements, “Official Statement of USSC,” “Official Statement of CASSG,” “Official Statement of
CLSU Collegian”, we’re not bringing the issue closer to the people. I even wrote in the
statement to scrutinize the contents of those PowerPoints. Because they invite speakers who
discourage activism, who say it’s wrong for students to ask questions or criticize. But that’s
exactly what we need now. It’s a practice inspired by Vivencio’s work, he personally fought. But
I can’t just go there to confront Sir Armando or Ma’am Melanie holding a knife, right? Like I said
earlier, we fight with whatever we can offer. We fight using our skills and talents, as long as it
aligns with human rights.

How do you see his influence reflected in your leadership skills?

Blessilyn: As a student leader what do you think is the significance of studying Vivencio
Saulong’s contributions to CLSU? How does understanding his impact benefit the student
leadership?

Rod: For us, our chairperson was the runner-up to Aljone. I’m also a member of LIGTAS. I
make captions and handle paperwork to get the supplies we need. In both LIGTAS and the
USSC, the student organizations I’m part of, they’ve both experienced the VSA (Vivencio
Saulong Award) process, and both are awardees of Vivencio. It’s like people hold them in high
regard or have high expectations of them. The value we get from them is, for example, Chair
Dharcel. When it comes to standing up for something, if you’ve seen the Collegian’s article, the
USSC was really at the forefront. The USSC is supposed to be the representative of the
students, but we were almost excluded by the Sports Development Council during planning.
That’s why, until now, no program has been released. At the same time, the CLSU Collegian is
also being denied access to decision-making and planning concerning students. So that was
posted, the first example of taking a stand. The second example is Aljone. Aljone is goal-
oriented. When he says to LIGTAS, “Let’s do this,” we do it. Even if it’s tomorrow or the day
after, we’ll do it. We’re often surprised, like, “We have a partnership now.” For example, on
Thursday, he’d say, “We have a partnership with someone.” “When is it?” “Saturday.” By
Saturday, we’re already doing it. That’s how goal-oriented Aljone is. It’s like Vivencio Saulong
going to war because he stood by his beliefs. That’s what’s happening with our student leaders
or student body, they’re ready to go if they know it will help. At the same time, they don’t care
even if we get called to the president’s office or if Sir Agoton comes here and makes a scene.
They embody both standing firm and being goal-oriented.

Jovan: How relevant is Vivencio Saulong to student leaders? Are there any other aspects of his
legacy that you think are important to be embodied by a student leader?

Rod: Often, we feel scared. For example, when a student comes to us asking for help, it’s scary
to pursue what they’re asking for. But it shouldn’t be like that. It’s like being in a war, a battle of
the fittest, a survival of the knowledgeable when it comes to resources. We have a lot of
resources here that can help students. When you move forward, like Vivencio, you should know
you have weapons, not weapons like knives, bows, guns, or machetes, but weapons like your
knowledge of policies, fund sources, charity funds, financial assistance funds that students can
access, free medical treatments, or cash-for-work programs. When a student comes to you,
before you proceed with helping them, you should know what you can offer. Because as
students, our resources are limited.
Blessilyn: Do you have any additional comments or insights regarding Vivencio Saulong’s
impact and significance on student leadership at CLSU?

Rod: Maybe it’s the boldness and bravery because, nowadays, if you notice our political
climate, student participation is very low. We don’t really know the exact reason, but once you
join the council, you’ll understand the reasons. It’s not easy, and it can be scary because it’s like
you’re taking the anger of the students while also taking the anger of the administration. You’re
the one who faces both sides. But you’re offering service here, what are the students asking
for? What are the conditions of the administration? What happens is we’re the ones who always
talk to the administration about what they want as conditions to grant the students’ requests. If
you have courage, boldness, and bravery, you just go for it. But students aren’t always right,
and the administration isn’t always right either. So, you have to measure it for yourself. Like
Vivencio, you don’t just recklessly rush into war. First, figure out if the war you’re about to fight is
for the right cause and if you can at least gain something, even a small victory, in the end.