Features: Between Survival and Doom: Creating a Shock Before It’s Too Late

The genuine change that we aspire for will not be finished in the first one hundred days, nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, nor in the next generation, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin. –JFK

With the aim of raising the bar of Thomasian Nursing excellence through social awareness, the Nursing Council Board of Students (NCBS) organized a symposium entitled DEFIBRILLATE: Creating a Shock to Coax Student Leadership and National Responsibility.

“We wanted to give the students more practical and something more than what we’re well-versed in. Being future leaders, we wanted to fuel up student leadership. Also, since the national elections are fast approaching, this could be a means of promoting leadership for one’s and other’s rights”, said Dane Gustillo, NCBS Secretary.

Ms. Arlene Burgos, a graduate of the University of Santo Tomas with the course BA in Political Science, was the chosen speaker for the symposium. She took her masteral degree in journalism at Ateneo de Manila University, where she currently works as a part-time professor. She is also the former editor-in-chief of Bandera. Together with broadcaster Alan Ayalin of ABS-CBN, they were remarkable with their speeches about nationalism as they imparted to the whole student body the importance of leadership and how all can be catalysts of change by taking a stand to initiate a paradigm shift in our country.

Being advocates of a clean and honest election, these two personalities encourage everyone to join Boto Mo, I-Patrol Mo: Ako ang Simula and believed that if only every Filipino will be willing enough to be boto-patrollers, a change which everyone has been longing for so long will be within reach.

Together with millions of Filipinos taking part, this new medium enables everyone to have an immediate feedback and action with so much ease. “It’s important for you to secure your votes and make sure that it is counted; if you see something you think that is not right, you have the duty to report it to us,” Ms. Burgos said. She made it clear that voting is not just a matter of shading the names of our eyed politicians. It’s a matter of national survival.

“It’s up to you who you want to vote… You can go for the one in yellow followed by plenty of showbiz personalities; support the one who believes in every dream or be amazed by the self-made man. It’s plainly your choice. What I’m saying is that you don’t just vote for that person—you have to guard your votes as well and act when something wrong happens”, were Arlene Burgos’ last words as she stepped down the podium and received the audience’s applause.

And it didn’t just end there. The audience was more surprised when Mr. Gian Carlo Torres stepped on stage and amazed us with his on-the-spot pathophysiology of the whole complex process of life-threatening events such as cardiac arrhythmias and ventricular fibrillation that may eventually lead to the need of defibrillation as he explained the reason behind the symposium’s theme.

The symposium aimed for us to realize the dire importance of keeping the flame of true leadership, which arises from our very own hearts, continuously burning and making sure that our ideals are always in place.

As elections are getting sooner and campaigns are becoming more widespread, the mass is now expecting a cascade of political issues. These issues may pave the way for another heap of scandals that widely affect every Filipino’s life. Just when almost every politician acts like what they are doing is purely for public service, we shouldn’t be easily fallen as prey. Behind these facades, lay their desire for fame that when they are finally catapulted to power, both abuse and corruption would be inevitable.

Now we are left with the question of whether we’ll let ourselves completely deteriorate or wake up now and be the one to create shock in every individual’s life. It’s never too late to redeem our hopes and keep the flame of passion in leadership alive in our hearts. As youth, we must be united in opposition against this menace.

By: Bianca Nicole F. Cervania