I spent my high school years in Ateneo. Every time someone would ask me why I didn’t pursue my college education in Ateneo, I always say that I don’t feel like I belong to Ateneo or with “Ateneans”, for lack of a better answer.
In Ateneo, we were formed to be future leaders who will serve the Filipino community or to be men for others. We were instilled with the value of compassion for the underprivileged, the poor and the disadvantaged, with a conscience to defend what is right. There is nothing inherently wrong with those. But now that I come to think of it, it all seemed elitist and messianic. Even the school’s geography complements this dynamics of social space. “We stand on a hill between the earth and sky” cries our alma mater song. Indeed Ateneo sits on a hill (a ridge, actually, Loyola Heights) looking down on Marikina Valley, where we actually often go for our exposure trips and Tulong Dunong tutoring sessions.
I don’t pretend to be proletariat. Ateneo, apparent in its mission vision for its students, recognizes the fact that much of its student population comes from the privileged few of this country. Whether you like it or not, Ateneans do become the leaders in business and politics in this country. [It is interesting to note that all of the Arroyos are Ateneans]. And that is why Ateneo apparently tries to mold us future leaders into socially responsible ones while in its ‘care’. [Let's try not to think how many Ateneans failed to live up to their alma mater's aspirations for them to be the leaders it aspired for them to be].
Ateneo High School has a lot of social service programs for its students, geared to make them more ‘aware’ of the society they live in and to make them realize of their status and social responsibility as ‘future leaders’. I volunteered for the week-long exposure trip to Zambales, diligently fulfilled tutoring and community service duties, but in the end I don’t think afternoon exposure trips and weekend immersion programs or weekly community service sessions are enough. They are but temporary “field trips” Ateneans could conveniently take when they need to or when they feel like it. I guess I wanted to take it to another level. It was time for me to become a man WITH others. As part of this society I wish to serve, it was imperative for me to be with the people, to be with the bayan I am part of. Some Ateneans might find this terribly offensive, but chances are slim of fulfilling that desire while I remained in this exclusive gated and guarded university we call Ateneo. [Okay fine, it's my bias].
In UP, I found myself within an atmosphere more conducive for the fulfillment of my personal and social convictions, which Ateneo played a big part in forming. This is not to romanticize the university but it is truly in UP where I feel like I can do more. The experience of being with others is more genuine. You are part of and much committed to the bayan you used to observe from the comforts of Loyola Heights. You are more committed to the bayan who toils to pay for much of your education. You get to have the chance to understand better their struggles and aspirations and join them in their call for reform and changes. It comes to a point when you reazlie that you shouldn’t even make the distinction between a me and a them. It become a collective struggle. It is our struggle as a people.
In its website, the Ateneo High School claims that it is a college preparatory school, and as such it prepares the student for the university. With that, I might as well say that Ateneo High prepared me well indeed to become a student of the University of the Philippines . If anyone would ask me why I left Ateneo, I’d now say it’s because I find fulfillment in my being a man for others by being an iskolar ng bayan.
law student, national democracy activist, film school graduate, photography hobbyist
naks naman. alam mo pareho kayo ng kuya ko. nag-hs din sa ateneo at lumipat sa UP dahil naniwala rin siya na doon niya mas matatagpuan ang sarili niya. tama naman siya.
pagpatuloy mo yan at kipkipin sa sarili ang paninindigan bilang iskolar ng bayan! 
I suppose that’s why they say “down from the hill….”
Animo!
Amen.
Even after spending both GS and HS in Ateneo, my loyalties belong to U.P.
I’m not from Ateneo (mwahahahahahaha), but rephrasing the mission-vision for yourself as a “man with others”? sounds fishy. (different context).
Pero you have to admit, you do try to appear appealing to the proletariat, or at least, pa-humble, down-to-earth effect, which isn’t really bad, but I know you try… that is until people see your camera. *snickers*
sorry for the useless comment again. *gomen*
I was moved by this entry… ang galing ng tone ng persona! But don’t get the wrong idea, i definitely am not from Ateneo…
Matatapang, Matatalino
Walang Takot, Kahit Kanino
Hinding-hindi, Magpapahuli
Ganyang kaming mga taga-UP!
Cheka lang..
Ah… I haven’t visited your site since a year ago. This is gabriella from tabulas, btw. Anyway, what an interesting post. I agree on a lot of ways, since I’m also from UP (ha! graduating na ‘ko! malapit na maging alumni!), but I wonder what Ateneans will think after reading this. I don’t think it’s directly offensive to them, but perhaps some of them might think it is offensive.
Ewwww. Ateneo pride. *lolmao*
hmmm, moving. Finding a place in this complicated society could be the hardest struggle in one’s life. Glad u’re enjoying ur stay there but if you think you’d want to know how it is being a prolet join the ND orgs, not the elitist clubs. Just a thought….:)Enjoy ur age, you’re young and has alot to offer to our nation.
as one friend said to me, sa UP tinuturuan kang maging tao. you can take with different meanings, bahala ka na daw dun mag-interpret.
well-said bikoy! i hope you don’t lose your idealism when you start working later on.
However, it is a sad fact that many TRAPOS same from the “prestogious” Universities in the country.
I teach in ADMU. I’ve taught in DLSU (I quit because its true that it has degenerated into nothing more than a diploma mill). So I can say without any bias that I have had the best education my country has to offer.
I teach in ADMU. I’ve taught in DLSU (I quit because its true that it has degenerated into nothing more than a diploma mill). So I can say without any bias that the State University has given me the best education this country has to offer.
Mabuhay ang iskolar ng bayan!
wow, tumagos sa akin ‘tong artik mo, nag-aral din ako sa ADMU pero di ko talaga gusto yung social climate,. .la lang,
a great speech.. hehe.. sana ‘pag nakapasok ako sa up, tapos ‘pag grad na (ambilis!), kayo maging speaker.. sobrang heartwarming ung message eh..
mas lalo tuloy akong na-inspire pumasa sa upcat..
wow excited na tuloy ako sa first day ko sa UP!! haha. mabuhay ang iskolar ng bayan! woohoo!
kudos to you man.. soul-searching.. i like it.. even though i’m only from kostka, i do share your ideas.. like your alma mater, beda thought me well to serve others, on our own initiative.. not because it is warranted from us.. but because we have the social obligation that we owe something to others that we were not fully aware of! PAX!
this is a very nice blog indeed …
Hmmm… a certain loss for the Ateneo spirit. It is ironic to say ‘no comment’ coz this is a comment box, but… no comment. Haha. Cheers!
Amen.
wow!!! dat was something… nice one.
i’m also from UP..
Mabuhay tayong mga Iskolar ng Bayan!!!
gabriella’s right..i also tnk it’s a it offensice for some Ateneans..
pero anyway..saludo ako sa ‘yo..keep t up..
aahhh..interesting. reading this makes me realize that la salle and ateneo have mroe or less the same mission-vision. too bad they happen to be the msot bitter of rivals. ;p
A well-versed article such as this shows that at least in the academe, the Ateneo is still doing a good job. Coming from the AGS and AHS, I can say that’s one of the good things Ateneo has left me with; it trains its students in sapienta et eloquentia (wisdom and eloquence).
As for the values, I made the choice to go to UP for college in order to, as they say, experience “the real world”. Though you still might find some pretention in UP (every school has its share), there is still the fact that in this university, what matters is not your background, but how hard you work and what kind of person you are. Here, you find the true testing ground for whether the values you’ve been formed with in your early years will still stick to you. You’ll eventually discover if you really have what it takes to LIVE OUT your ideologies, and not just memorize them like morning prayers.
Keep up the good writing!
-Drei
(AHS batch 02)
ewan pero mdming trapo sa gobyerno ngaun n ngraduate sa up sut dlsu at ADMU ewan ko ba bat ganyan tinuruan n nga e BUHAYA PARIN MgnuraKOT
wEll wala sa School/university yan na sa TAO TALGAH YAN!
you.. have a point.
–from an incoming 2009 JGSOM student.
ATENEO VS. UP
ofcourse. before i took the UPCAT && ACET. i was thinking of getting to UP once i passed or.. whichever.. when the results came.. i passed both ACET && UPCAT.. i then went to the stage of.. confusion..
there were endless nights.. && countless conversations between me && my parents. ofcourse they favored me being in UP. because.. i will be an ‘ISKOLAR’ ng bayan there.. whereas in ADMU.. i have ‘FEES’ && definitely not an ISKOLAR. lmao.
but the idea of being an atenean excited me kasi they were sending stuffs that entice you.. (eg. newspapers, journals, kits).
so there.. i enrolled in ADMU && the campus is so enticing..
with all the security guards && facilities.. you are definitely pampered. so i get your point. you can’t get in ateneo if you can’t afford it rin di ba? hmm. the diversity of the population really makes a difference in your formation. i guess you are right.. coming from a science high school where we were all scholars && the student population is composed of kids from different lifestyles.. i get your point..
i was studying in private schools since i was 4 until i was 12. && being in a public science highschool. it made an impact on my personality. (AMEN to that).
hmm. since i am already enrolled in admu. now let us see things FROM THE HILL the ignatian way. i guess. it does not matter ‘WHEN’ .. you go down the hill or up the hill.. important thing is.. you must try getting your feet everywhere.. wherever part of the hill that is.
it is a good thing that you went to UP..
staying won’t teach one anything.