By Kimberly Joy V. Naparan | The Red Chronicles
Photo Courtesy | Kabataan Partylist
Only 30 years young, a young legislator from Iloilo City has emerged as a bold, vibrant, and fresh figure in Philippine politics in these recent years. With his powerful combination of tenacity, intellect, activism, and, most especially, wit, Congressman Raoul Manuel has become a prominent and undoubtedly dynamic voice for the Filipino youth, who are certainly seeking a systemic and timely change in the government and a departure from traditional politics or so-called “trapos”.
The Red Chronicles was fortunate to speak with Congressman Manuel, also known as “Kuya Raoul,” to discuss his stance on certain issues being faced by the country and his vision for a better Philippines as a youth representative in Congress. It is crystal clear that he has been on the frontlines in combating rampant corruption in the government and positioned himself as a relentless and committed advocate for education, social justice, and youth empowerment.
Heeding the Call for Genuine Youth Representation
Congressman Manuel began by acknowledging the challenge of youth representation in a Congress dominated by allies of the administration, where the majority are significantly older. According to him, there is a need for the youth to excel to effectively represent the viewpoints of young people, who are often dismissed as “entitled” or “demanding” by their elders.
“Ang bosses natin inside Congress, hindi lang naman ‘yun ang ating sandata. Ang efforts ng mga youth [youth organizations] natin, even outside Congress, kumikilos din sa universities or sa communities. Lahat ng ‘yan ay nakakatulong para ipakita natin ano ba ang brand of leadership na gustong ipakita ng kabataan na sawa na tayo sa traditional politics,” he added.
He did, however, stress that the youth’s work, both within and outside of Congress, is essential to demonstrating the kind of leadership they are looking for—one that departs from conventional politics. He thinks that the young people are calling for a different kind of leadership for the nation because they are fed up with the so-called “trapos” or the conventional politicians.
In connection with this, Congressman Manuel emphasized that the youth’s voice must be amplified by approaching issues from the viewpoint of the underprivileged, not the mainstream or those in authority. He strongly believes that “we can amplify the voice of the youth by delivering our analysis of the issues around us using the perspective of the marginalized.” He also mentioned that young people should understand that they have similar views to those of other voters on social issues and positively interact with them instead of confining themselves in “echo chambers.” For him, there are shortcomings that the youth must endure and acknowledge to introduce change.
“At the end of the day, biktima lang din ang ilan ng misinformation o patronage politics. Huwag tayong makulong sa mga echo chambers natin. ‘Yung tayo-tayo lang nag-usap, tayo-tayo lang nag-agree sa isa’t isa. Pero mag-dare din tayo na maging uncomfortable kapag may maka-usap tayo na hindi kayo pareho ng binoto ng past elections,” he said.
The young legislator also noted that the young generation must recognize that despite differences in politics, they almost share the same sentiments regarding social issues with other voters.
“Sa totoo lang, pare-pareho tayo na gustong ma-solve. Halimbawa, mataas na presyo ng bilihin. Pareho tayo na gusto din naman itaas ang rate ng sahod sa bansa. Pareho tayo na ayaw na rin sa corruption. ‘Yung ang isang matibay na paraan para ma-unleash ang capacity natin para makaambag sa pagbabago ng bansa at ‘yun din ang sinisikap natin inside the Congress.
Exercising the Vital Role of Youth in Elections
The young servant leader believes that the role of the youth in the upcoming 2025 Midterm Election should not be limited to the election period itself. Thus, he mentions that consistent civic engagement, such as monitoring the actions and stances of public officials even when there are no elections, is crucial to ensure accountability and drive meaningful change.
“Kung gano’n tayo ka-involved sa panahon ng eleksyon, like aware tayo sa mga issues, chine-check natin ang stance ng mga kandidato during elections, dapat mas ginagawa din natin siya lalo kapag walang eleksyon. Kailangan pa rin bantayan natin ang mga stands nila sa mga issues, kung ano ang mga programa na kanilang pinapatupad, consistent ba sila?,” he noted. “Gano’n sa democracy. ‘Yun ang mag-e-ensure na makikita natin ang pagbabago. Ang reliance ay nasa collective effort ng mga tao na nagde-demand na dapat ang service ay nai-re-render sa taumbayan,” he emphasized.
He also pinpointed a problematic mindset that should be minimized or at least be removed from Filipinos’ outlook during elections. For him, this change in mindset will improve the voters’ participation in the exercise of their right to suffrage and other constitutional rights. He described this as a “problematic mindset” that some voters should “suffer” the consequences of their votes and that this discourages citizens from exercising their right to express dissent and hold the government accountable.
He further emphasized the importance of creative and collective forms of civic action, such as signature campaigns, petitions, and street protests, in voicing concerns and demands, just to name a few.
“Kapag na-instill ‘yun sa tao, mananahimik na lang siya. Hindi niya mapa-practice ang right niya to express and to hold public officials accountable. Mahalagang bahagi din ‘yun na isang demokrasya,” he added. “Wine-welcome natin ang iba’t ibang forms ng pagpapahayag at sama-samang pagkilos ng mga kababayan natin para bantayan ang mga naka-upo sa gobyerno. Kapag may excess o maling ginawa ay panagutin sila. Bukas tayo na suportahan ang mga ganitong pagkilos.”
Fighting Corruption Requires Immense Patience
Congressman Manuel also attributed the persistent cycle of the same old names and families in power to their ability to amass large campaign warchests through corruption, kickbacks, and vote-buying. He recognized that addressing this issue will require immense patience, as it involves changing the fundamental nature of the country’s democracy as we know it.
On the other hand, regarding the issue of “red-tagging,” the gentleman from Ilo-Ilo expressed his concern that while the practice may not be directly coming from the current administration, the state forces like the police and military continue to engage in it. He believes the President has a command responsibility to address this, as the head of the armed forces, and cannot simply wash his hands of the issue. As a lawmaker, Congressman Manuel plans to invoke the landmark Supreme Court decision that defined red-tagging as a threat to life, security, and safety to seek protections for individuals and organizations that are targeted.
He also tackled the following social issues, which he categorized as the most urgent: agrarian reform; national or manufacturing industry; rampant corruption; unfair foreign relations, a.k.a. soft colonization; and the least but also equally important is the education crisis.
Abolishing the Business Model of Education, Pushing for Long-Term Goals
Congressman Manuel did not fail to highlight the serious issues plaguing the Philippine educational system. He observed the three (3) main problems that are rampant in the Philippine state of education, namely: education as a source of profits; production of merely “export-ready” graduates; and frowning or discouraging rational and critical thinking skills of the students.
“Ang pagtrato sa edukasyon bilang negosyo. Dama siya lalo sa maraming mga private universities na parang unchecked ang paniningil ng fees, tapos hindi naman maramdaman saan napunta ang increase sa mga fees. Education is being treated as a source of profits,” he declared. “Kung seryoso tayo na gusto natin dito makapagtrabaho ang mga kabataan, tapos hindi magiging primary option para guminhawa ang mag-abroad, hindi ba dapat nire-review na rin natin kung effective ba talaga ang K-12 [curriculum] o hindi,” he said.
He firmly calls for a major change that is brought about by underlying and pervading causes that must be addressed immediately or critically. In other words, he brought to the attention that the approach to education in the country is likened to that of a business, in which the emphasis is put on creating submissive workers rather than critical thinkers. “Tine-train tayo sa school na dapat sumunod lang tayo. Bawal tayong magtanong, bawal tayong magsalita. Kung gano’n tayo as students at kapag naging empleyado na tayo, masasanay na tayo,” he added.
Moreover, he gave the example of the “No Permit, No Exam Policy” bill, which the Kabataan Partylist had submitted as early as 2009, to illustrate how to turn the concerns of the youth into legislation. He underlined how crucial it is to consult with young people to make sure that the bills they submit accurately represent the needs and preferences of their constituents.
“Dapat mas long-term ang tanaw natin. Ang mga problema na hindi natin maaaksyunan ngayon sa education, ipapamana natin ‘yan sa next generations. Ang approach natin, hangga’t ang mga root ng problem nandiyan, gusto natin ungkatin at i-address,” he said.
He did concede, though, that these issues are not unique to the Philippines and are seen in other low-income or developing nations that also export labor. In his words, acknowledging this common experience might promote unity and group initiatives to address these structural problems. With optimism, Congressman Raoul thinks that we, as Filipinos, are not actually alone in this dilemma.
“I think it also gives hope na hindi lang tayong nakakaranas [nito]. Feeling natin sobrang hopeless at ang malas na ipinanganak tayo na Pilipino, grabe ang kawawa na natin. Pero knowing na may gano’n din sa iba, it actually can build solidarity. Ibig sabihin, marami pala tayo nakakaranas nito at marami tayong pwedeng mag-talakay paano natin ire-resolve ito,” he said.
Committing to Liberation: Completing the Equation of Hope
Congressman Manuel’s vision for the Philippines under a government that prioritizes youth empowerment and social justice involves primarily serving the needs of the oppressed sectors, such as farmers and small-scale drug users, through rehabilitative programs and livelihood support, rather than resorting to extrajudicial killings.
“Para masabi natin na nananaig talaga ang social justice sa bansa natin, dapat ang mga oppressed na mga sectors ay ‘yun talaga yung primarily na sine-serve ng mga naka-upo sa pwesto,” he uttered.
He outlined his top five priorities: agrarian reform, the development of national industries, the eradication of corruption, the review of unfair foreign relations, and the address of the education crisis. Congressman Manuel believes that tackling these systemic issues is crucial to paving the way for true liberation and the full development of the youth and the nation.
“Ang vision ko ay hindi lang for myself pero para sa mga kapwa nating kabataan.” When asked what best describes his aspirations, he said “Liberation. ‘Yung decades-old chains na nag-limit sa youth at sa full development ng bansa natin, gusto natin makawala tayong lahat doon. Gusto na natin may mangyaring liberation sa kabataan at ang mamamayan natin.
“Kasi ang sinabi ni Gat. Jose Rizal, ‘ang kabataan ay pag-asa ng bayan.’ Actually it’s just half of the equation. Paano ba natin i-express o iko-concretize ang pagiging pag-asa natin? Kailangan talaga ay mayroon siya ibunga. Mangyayari lang ‘yun kapag na-put into action natin ang mga gusto nating mangyayari. Mangyayari ito when we exercise our critical and creative thinking,” he stated.
Note: This article was first published in Volume XVIII, Issue I print edition of The Red Chronicles.