This was the statement of Datu Tungig Mansumay-at during the 5th State of the Youth Address(SOYA), July 25 at the Finster Auditorium, Ateneo de Davao University.

The event was hosted by Buklurang Atenista, a socio-political organization from AdDU, and the Kabataan Partylist Southern Mindanao Region. SOYA was in anticipation of the State of the Nation Address (SONA), which was held yesterday.

The SOYA is a collection of addresses that included the states of education, urban poor youth, youth laborers, lumads, human rights under Aquino’s fifth year, national sovereignty and patrimony, just and lasting peace, and youth acting against corruption.

According to Omid Siahmard, the event was held “to create a discussion, to learn, and to know the concrete and true condition of our country as youth, students, and as citizens of the Philippines.”

Few of the highlighted issues were the increasing of tuition fees, militarization of lumad areas, and the “US-Aquino” regime.

“We cannot deny that there is injustice in our society,” Ateneo Reactor Jane Torregosa, Social Science representative, said. “As students, we should be open-minded to all sides of the coin.”

Students from different schools and progressive groups from different organizations attended the said event.