Photo credits to Chezka Tabajonda.
This was me, Lee Contreras, during the debate. It was impressively hard to go impromptu, but I believe that my answers all came from the heart. My answers all came from what I truly believed, and what I experienced as a student. I didn't want to get my data from research and observation, I wanted to get my data from something more conventional. Immersion. I was still a student of DLSU - CLA. Why not use that to my advantage, yes?
Now, I will answer here some questions that people always ask me. These are the questions that people usually ask me in my RTR, or in the open forum.
1. Why did you run for batch president? Why did you choose to run as an independent candidate?
The choice to run for batch president came when I noticed a lot of things that needed improvement in the university. No, we don't need change. We're already in a state where change isn't exactly needed. We needed development. I could see nothing that is so wrong with our university. So why bother asking for change? Research? Observation? I'd rather not. I'm still a student. I used my being a "student" to immerse myself into a life of a student from CLA, and that's what I used to find out some concerns that needed to be addressed. I chose to run as an independent candidate because I believed that it will be easier to address their concerns if I wasn't affiliated with anyone. It provided me with an unbiased view, and it gave me a chance to really be a servant-student-leader. Before I ran though, I didn't have the confidence. I was looking for a push that would really let me go forward. I'm usually with this girl. She lives far from me, but I usually bring her as close as I can to her house. That's, in Santolan station. LRT 2. She was the push I needed to run as batch president. It's because of her that I am able to run for batch president. It is because of her, that I have the strength to work for a better future for ID 113, for La Salle in whole.
2. What is the M.A.M.O. project? Where did it come from? Why did you choose that as one of your platforms?
The M.A.M.O. project (Multiple Arts Manpowered Objective) is a project that aims to give recognition to our batchmates who are impressively talented. It will allow them to showcase their talents (singing, dancing, acting, art, poetry) to the public. I chose this as one of my platforms because I believe that our batch needs recognition. Our batch, as early as now, needs to be known university wide because we're the ones who will stay in the university for quite a long time since we just got here. Additionally, this is one way to improve social development (which is the focus of all my platforms) as I believe that one of the prerequisite for social development, is recognition. Recognizing the talents of our batchmates, the people around us. This will be the key to our future. The title of the project was inspired from the person who was the "push" I needed in order to run. It's a way to give my thanks to her, and it's a way to honor her as well.
3. How does it feel like to run as an independent candidate?
With all honesty, running as an independent candidate is the hardest thing I have ever experienced in my life. It's intimidating to go against two political parties, and it's hard because I don't have that much financial support and moral support. But then, the one thing that I keep in mind is. Who am I really running for? Am I running for myself? Or am I running for the people? I'm running for the people. If you're working for the future of others, if you're working for their happiness and success. Then who's to say that I can't make it? Who's to say that I should back down from this campaign? Yes, I must admit it's really hard. But nothing can stop me from proclaiming what the people want. Because as I always say in my RTR's, "I'm not running for myself because I won't get anything from that, no. I'm running for the people because I want to genuinely address what they truly want. Not what I think they truly want." Adding fuel to the fire was finding out that I, along with the other independent candidate, are the first ones to ever run as independent candidates in the freshmen elections in the history of the College of Liberal Arts, De La Salle University. It's pressure play, but I don't think there's anything that would really change my mind now. My vision is set, my platform is steady, and my will is stronger than ever. I'm more than ready to face whatever challenges I have for the College of Liberal Arts, ID 113. I will do my best to become their leader.