Passion for politics and the TINGOG Carolinian Party

Lopez

When I was told by some friends that a certain operator of a senator was convinced that I am paid by the President to defend him, I did not even bother confronting him to defend myself.

You see, for people who get paid doing what we willingly do for free, the prospect of being moved by sheer passion (not profit) can be so inconceivable, we really ought to be more understanding of them. In life, instead of getting all worked up all the time, we just have to be more forgiving of other people’s ignorance.

I can’t speak for other vocal supporters of the President but, in my case, you really have to look at my background to better understand the things that move me.

I have been an active member-alumnus of the TINGOG Carolinian Party of the University of San Carlos for 17 years now, and it is here that you’d see different people’s common commitment to a cause that can only guarantee a most special sense of fulfillment. When you observe some of the most committed members of our party for extended periods, you would better understand the point I’m driving at.

We are a diverse party brought together by a shared set of principles, values, and a bond forged by fire so at the end of each battle, win or lose, we call ourselves a family more than a campus party. I say we are diverse because, in TINGOG, we encourage a plurality of views and so it isn’t a rare sight for pro- or anti-Duterte members and alumni to focus more on the things that unite us, rather than those that divide: our “students first” policy and the development and growth of our student leader members.

(The “students first” policy is the basis for TINGOG’s student agenda and our “specific programs of action” are anchored on this policy of putting the students, our core constituency, first and foremost, front and center; that is, while we encourage our members to participate in various causes outside the university, to have a say on the burning issues of the day, and to even agree to disagree amongst each other, the only time the party itself takes a united stance on a particular political issue is when this directly impacts student life.)

The TINGOG experience exposes you to a passionate display of young people — not only interested in politics — willing to invest their time, talent, resources and emotion to a cause larger than themselves.

Boy Abunda is one of our honorary members and, since he was conferred in 2007, he tries to reach out each year to give his message of support for our candidates. But like my mom would say, “your friend is Boy Abunda, but you, you’re always Boy ‘Abunado.’” And yes, that’s what I’ve seen in my seventeen successive years as an active member-alumnus of TINGOG, everyone just always making abono of their time, talent, and resources to support each batch of candidates who offer themselves to the Carolinian community as prospective student council leaders.

Why do we do it and is it even worth it? For sure.

It is said that politics is the “art of the possible” — and nothing is more hopeful than believing in possibility, in infinite possibilities. That’s why we call ourselves “Hope Warriors” and I guess that’s why, for the alumni, we come back for our yearly dose of inspiration, of hope, that we see in each batch/team… win or lose.

The TINGOG experience allows you to constantly witness the splendor of human evolution and the triumph of the human spirit, the ability of individuals to move out of their safe zones and become better versions of themselves, the strength of character to resist the urge to fight dirty even when others attack you and lie through their teeth about you, and most especially, the forbearance, wherewithal, and grace to accept defeat and rise after each fall.

This year, apart from attending three meetings and giving my usual contribution, I made myself rather scarce by choice. Sometimes, you just need to leave kids on their own, to win or lose by themselves, so they’re able to appreciate the entire process even more. They won’t grow if you can’t let go, something like that.

And like I told them last Saturday (quite foreboding and ominous, in fact): Maybe it’s time to lose. We haven’t lost in a while and, truth be told, while we celebrate our many triumphs throughout the many years and all the good we’ve done to return the trust and confidence the Carolinians have given us, the unshakeable legacy of leadership we are mighty proud of, it is the times we were defeated that truly defined us, that moved us, that made us stronger, and that ultimately shaped our characters as individuals and as a party.

‘Coz that’s the thing with hope, you really can’t appreciate it fully when everything’s going your way. You got to have something to hope for. Setbacks give you something to hope for, something to work for, something to fight for.

So our passion for politics, for the art of the possible — no, the “art of hope,” that’s what politics is — remains ever burning, we are Hope Warriors after all.