Professional Documents
Culture Documents
?,tffill::*'
Lawvering
Remembering Still:
All rights reserved. Any part of this publication may be reprodirced or quoted for non-commercial purposes with appropriate acknowledgment.
lsBN 97.l-8899-15-4
Printed with the suPPort of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation
Torio
Cecille Rose P. Sabig Roland Limcaco Alexandra Cuyegkeng Craphic Design Cerry Baclagon
Acknowledgements
The Ateneo Human Rights Center wishes to thank:
of this anthology
The interns who have undergone the program and shared their
Mary Catherine
in the summer
of
1987.
Dumbrigue Jr., Shyanne T. Juan, Charmane J. Kanahashi, Simon Mesina lll, Carolina P. Orias, Ryan Jeremiah D. Quan, Jennifer L.
Ramos, Katherine May N. Rances, Margareth P. Reyes, Joey A. Ramos, Raymond Q. Salas, Cilbert V. Sembrano, Minerva A. Tan, Roselle C. Tenefrancia, Nelda Ethel P. Torio, and Regidor B. Tulali
ln
'l990,
- The lawyers and staff of the Ateneo Human Rights Center for
their continued support
.l990s.
of the Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA) and
the Working Croup for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism, and created a Child Rights Desk named Adhikain para sa Karapatang Pambata (AKAP). AHRC also has special desks on the rights of
iv
REMEMBERING STILL
policy reform advocary, education and training institution building law school cuniculum developmenq and values formation.
Foreword
It is with great pride and pleasure that the Ateneo Human Rights
With the support of student-interns, alumni lawyers, the Ateneo Law School, and its benefactors, AHRC will continue to strive hard
Center of the Ateneo de Manila School of Law publishes this anthology. This publication comes after I8 years of continuous implementation of the Cente/s Human Rights lnternship Program: its flagship program which has influenced the lives of over 500
lawyers and law students around the country.
This anthology chronicles the various journeys interns have taken
not only physically, but also in their hearts and minds as a result of their participation in the lnternship Program. lt shows how much the
internship experience has changed their ways of thinking deepened
their commitment to be of service to poor and marginalized SrouPS, and affected their career choices. Just as the interns are products of the internship program, in
a
sense, so is the Ateneo Human Rights Center. The Center has evolved through the years mainly because of the interns. ln the
beginning the only component of the internship program was the summer internship. This program now includes an immersion
during the semestral breah a one-year graduate internship, and
a
replication internship in various law schools around the country largely because interns made suggestions and helped the Center implement them. And it
is also
that the Center now has special programs on the rights of children,
leadership in government agencies, the judiciary law firms, nongovernment organizations, law schools and in many other sectors
of society which enable them to continue to pursue dreams and goals that the internship program has implanted in their hearts
and minds.
vi
BEMEMBERING STILL
We hope that this anthology will not only serve as testimony to the impact and importance of formation programs for lawyers and
law students, but also encourage and inspire others to undertake
similar journeys and set up similar programs to the end that larruyers
Message of Support
There's more than one thing I have in common with the contributors to this anthology. Although I am not a lawyer, as a liberal I believe in
and law students will continue to "learn the law, (and) serve the
peoplel'
To all the interns, through this anthology, we salute, congratulate
the importance of human righs. Respect of human rights stands at the centre of all liberal aspirations for a society where the freedom of the individual is safeguarded and guaranteed.
Carlos
P.
Medina
Jr.
Apart from being a human rights advocate, there is something else I share with the writers of this booklet. I started out my
professional career as an intern. I first applied for internships as a graduate student at Hamburg University in Cermany. Eventually I
was offered work as an intern at Radio Deutsche Welle, Cermany's
Executive Director
international broadcasting corporation. While my academic studies were responsible for my intellectualformation, my immersion into professional practice and real life basically took place during those crucial months as an intern at the radio. often recount those valuable times where learning and performing on the job went hand in hand. lt was because of the internship that
I
to Manila in early 2OO2,l have had a high opinion of the Ateneo Law School in general and the lnternship program
Since coming in particular. This is an excellent program. lt motivates law students at an early stage of their professional careers to proactively defend the rights of the underprivileged, of which there are far too many
in this country. Equally important is the impact the participation in this program has on the mindsets of the young lawyers. As the texts in this
anthology vividly demonstrate, working in the field has opened their
REMEI\,4BERING STILL
iX
to the academic training and to the practice of law in the comfort zones of highly developed Manila.
Table of Contents
I
Answering the Challenge Bumobo Ko so Bundok, Mokibohogi ot Honopin ong lyong Sorili Attributed to John Balisnomo
With all this said, I wish to congratulate the Ateneo Law School and all those behind the lnternship Program for their important accomplishment. May this little booklet serve as an inspiration for
new generations of interns, who like their predecessors, aspire for a society where every individual enjoys life in peace and freedom.
There is Nothing Special About Joining the Ateneo Human Rights Center
- Mark Robert A. Dy 2
Heeding the Call
9 Ang Aking lmmersion Ceoderick E. Carbonell
l0
13
t9
21
- Charmane J. Kanahashi
Random Thoughts Ramon Alcasabas
Pogloyo
3
x
REMEMBERING STILL
Regidor B. Tulali
31
Realizing Truths
35
I so n
Po g bo bo I i k-to now
- Minerva A. Tan
Everything Has a Reason
1 Answering the
Ohallenge
The lnternship Program is the Ateneo Human Rights
Center's (AHRC) pioneer program. lt is concerned with the formation of law students in the Jesuit educational system
and in the field of alternative law. Students from the Ateneo
A New Perspective
- Carolina P. Orias
Land Distribution: A Solution?
Nothing Profound
Jennifer L. Ramos
5l
Law School and its partner law schools are introduced to human rights advocacy in the Philippines.
Reflection
- Shyanne T. Juan
Realizations
Nelda Ethel
Torio
us. lt mokes us reolize thot whot we have learned ond whot we hove yet to moster within the four corners of law school ore
not enough."
63
Jesselyn N. Durante
64
Summer
.l999
intern
Raymond Q. Salas
- Cilbert V. Sembrano
Coming Full Circle
Arlene J. Bag-ao
REMEMBERING STILL
muni, pagpukaw at pagkilala sa sarili ang kinakailangang daanan. Bagama't sa ngayon ay hindi pa namin maaaring sabihin na
lnternship Program.
Tumugon kami sa Paanyayang ito ng may iba't ibang dahilan: mula sa pinakamarangal na dahilan tulad ng pagtulong sa bayan,
hanggang sa'di naman masasabing mababaw na dahilan tulad ng
Summer
.l996
intern
While in privote proctice, John joined the child rights odvocoqr ond volunteered to prosecute child obuse coses for the Department of Sociol Welfore ond Development ot Morilloc Hills. ln 2000, he wos omong the privote prosecutors in the impeochment triol of former President Joseph Estrodo. He joined the Office of the Solicitor Cenerol in Morch 2001 and ossisted former Solicitor
Ceneral Simeon V. Morcelo in the orol orguments before the Supreme Court on the coconut levy cases, the constitutionolity of the plunder low cose, ond the re-opening of the Kurotong Boleleng cose. He then joined the Office of the Ombudsmon in October 2002. He is now back in privote proctice.
REMEN/BEBING STILL
There is Nothing Special About Joining the Ateneo Human Rights Center
Don't get me wron8. This is how I feel, and I say this without any malice. lt's not that I didn't learn anything: quite the opposite actually. I learned more about law in two months than in my first two years in school. lt's not that I didn't have any fun; in fact, I rarely found a dull moment throughout the whole internship. lt's
not because I was overuuorked, although there were moments that came close to it.
There is nothing wrong with the internship itself. We are law students because we decided to take the extra step. After years of spending nearly every morning wishing that classes would be cancelled, after years of dragging ourselves to school, and after years of cramming
for examinations, projects, and papers, we had the chance to end the suffering we call academic life at our graduation. We could
to be compelled to read anything again. We job orrld have taken a to become self-sufficient. Our "obligation" Io be educated ended when we got our college degrees, but we t lrose to prolong our sufferings and pursue further studies. Our wlrole law school life is based on the fact that we chose (mildly r oerced or not) to do more than what was required of us - to
Ir,rve chosen never
r
lo law school wide-eyed and ready to make a difference only to t.rrd up being satisfied with barely surviving. ls it any wonder that
llrose who wanted to become idealistic lawyers end up becoming p.rrt of the problem?
I
hat is why there is nothing special about joining the Ateneo Human
liights Center. As law students, we should not be content with passing. We should be willing to take the extra step and become lhe best we can be. Learning the law exclusively from books and from the classroom should never be enough. lt should take place where it matters most - where it affects people. This is what the
REMEIVBERING STILL
Summer
.l999
intern
l'm
pessimistic, but
Mork hos worked in the low firms of Quisumbing Torres ond SyCip Solozor Hernondez & Cotmoiton' He is now working ot Puno & Puno Low Offices. He dedicotes his life to the pursuit of
hoppiness.
- Carl Rogers
How does one even begin to talk about an experience that is so profound, so elusive, and yet so real? How does one begin to pin down everything one has learned, when one continues to learn new things each day? There was nothing special about my summer experience. I say this because it was not about finding something "special." lt was about seeing reality: the common reality of pain, suffering and injustice. These things are alarming strange, and out of place to us who are sheltered by concrete buildings and consume what we need. But as I walked through the different villages, forests, jails, and other places of need, I realized that the only thing out of place was us. Did I see anything special this summer? No, I cannot say I did. The things I saw have always been there and will continue to be there long after I pass. But the imprint, the drive for transformation that it left in my mind, cannot be taken away.
BEIVEMBERING STILL
different human rights laws and issues, and equips interns with the
necessary skills in advocacy. The lmmersion is a live-in arrangement
The Ateneo Human Rights Center has been shaping would-be lawyers for many years now. This year, I was fortunate to be
accepted into the Summer lnternship Program. lt was both a choice
and an answer. lt was a choice because I was going to have to sacrifice a whole summer break I could have spent with my family
in Cebu. lt was an answer because I wanted to know if this was the right path for me: if I was strong enough to become a student and an advocate of human rights. I was lucky to enter into the program
ccctors of society. ln their host agencies, interns engage in legal re:;earch, field investigation, client interuiews, paralegal training
without any pre-existing stereotypes of what it was going to be about. I had little or no idea of what I had to accomplish or what
was going to happen to me. All I had going for me was a mixture of anxious trust and prayer. I knew that no matter what I would have
I didn't
know
mony foces. And the only thing that I hod to do wos to be humon. To just be myself. To occept
MRD is the president of the AHRC interns council. He is o psychologist, on ortist ond o writer. He is the vocolist, guitorist,
ond songwriter of o Cebu rock bond colled Sundown Coffeine. He olso hoppens to be o low student.
To open myself
to new
8
REMEMBERING STILL
Roselle C. Tenefrancia
Summer
.l996
intern
patungong Mindoro pagkatapos ng BOS. lsang linggo raw kaming makikipamuhay kasama ang isang tribo ng Mangyan. llang piraso ng tuyo, dilrs, de lata ng sardinas, at noodles ang aming dala. Puwede
na, isang linggo lang naman. lsang linggolAno naman ang gagawin
namin doon? Makikipamuhay daw kami sa mga Mangyan. Pansinin naman kaya nila kami? Marami na akong naririnig tungkol sa mga Mangyan. Sa katunayan, ilang beses na rin akong nakapunta roon, subalit hindi ko pa rin
sila kilala. Kung baga, wala pa rin silang mga mukha. Pawang mga
I
katutubo lang sila na walang halaga Para sa akin. lyan marahil ang dahilan kung bakit meron akong mga pangamba. Natatakot
akong malaman na nagkakamali pala ako sa pagwawalang-bahala
sa kanila.
si
Araw ng pag-akyat sa bundok. lsang batang Mangyan ang sumama para ituro ang daanan. Tatlong interns kaming magkakasama. Tahimik ang bata. Tahimik nga raw ang mga Mangyan. Sabagay, ano nga naman ang sasabihin niya, at ano naman ang sasabihin
ko? Pinagmasdan ko na lang siya. Ano kaya ang nasa isip niya? Kaunti lang ang nadatnan naming mga Mangyan sa itaas ng bundok. Nagkakaingin ang karamihan sa kanila. Habang nag-aayos kami ng gamit, may mga dumadaan-daan sa labas at nagmamasid. Madungis
nr,rpdpansin pa rin sa kanyang mukha ang kanyang kaligayahan. dahil hindisiya nanghihingi ngawa mula sa amin kunding "rgrrro
p,r6lmamalasakit. Si Mang Juan naman ay tahimik lang. Naroon l,rrrg siya. Ano kaya ang nasa isip niya? Siguro wala. Pero buti pa
,,rya tahimik. Matagal-tagal
l,|r)oong kapayapaan.
Arrcl kaya kung ako ang naroon sa katayuan ni MangJunior
ang kanilang itsura. Hindi na yata nila nilalabhan ang kanilang mga damit. Subalit kapuna-puna na silang lahat ay nakangiti. Buong galak
silang bumati sa amin. Humingi ang iba ng paumanhin dahilwala
ni
na silang ibang maibigay maliban sa PanSSatong. Matagal pa daw kasi ang anihan. Bakit ganoon, kung sino ang walang maibigay, siya
pang gustong-gustong magbigay? Canoon pala ang mga Mangyan'
Hindi pala iba si Mang Junior sa akin, hindi iba si Mang Juan.
Kagaya ko sila. Masuwerte lang ako at ako'y nabiyayaan ng mas masaganang buhay. Ngunit hindi ba kasabay ng kasaganaang ito ay
ang responsibilidad ng pangangalaga? Ang mga taong nakaaangat sa buhay ang siyang pag-asa nina Mang Junior at Mang Juan, at lahat ng mga dukha at inaapi, hindi bilang Mesiyas kundi parang isang kaibigang taga-akay. Kay hirap makita kaagad ang ganitong
- KohlilCibran
at How much of your self shall you give? How much of your self can you Bive? Sometimes, it just did not feel that what I should or could
give was enough. lt came to a point when I felt useless, like I was
makasariling pananaw. Pinalalabo nito ang aking paningin. Sinasabi na wala akong responsibilidad sa ibang tao. Marahil dahil dito, isa pa ako sa umaapi sa kagaya nila. Hindi pala dapat ganoon. Ngunit paano? May mga taong piniling "bumaba'l Tumugon sila sa tawag
ng mga nangangailangan. Totoong kahanga-hanga. Ako kaya, kaya ko bang tumanggi? Ceoderick E. Carbonell Semestral break 1996 intern
Oeo is now with the Philippine Deposit lnsuronce Corporotion (PDIC). Except for o few sightings, he hos been in absentio after groduating from law school,
wagting my time at Kabanabahan and doing nothing productive. Leah and I were not really helping with any of the community ftlembers' chores, farm duties, and daily activities. We were simply teaching the kids songs and dances that I thought would mean nothing to them when we left. I was worried they were beginning
but he assures everyone thot he will olwoys be on intern by hean ond thot he will not ceose being on advocote for human rights in his own woy within
his
sphere of influence.
felt misplaced. lt was not until the last night that everything made
5er"lse.
I'he kids sang beautifully on the last night. Their voices were louder.
1'heir faces beamed with pride, and they were very eager to show
everyone they knew the songs and actions by heart. They sang medleys of "Balay ni Superman," "Chikadee," "Ogakgakga(" "Kuya
Jess," and "Panalangin sa Pagiging Bukas Palad" tirelessly and with
so much fervor. lt broke my hebrt to tell them we were down to the last round of songs because it was beginning to get dark and dinner was ready. We prepared a small solu-solo (gathering) for them. Leah and I asked one of our neighbors to help us cook all
the food we had left. There were about seven packs of sardines,
12
FEN/EIVBERING STILL
eight packs of noodles, two packs of dried fish and nruo kilos of
rice left. lt was not much, but amidst those happy faces and high
spirits, one could not have asked for anything more.
Just when we thought that the night had ended, a few of our neighbors knocked at our door for some late night chitchal They started joking around about singing songs for Leah and me since
it was our last nighq and it was their only chance to do it. They
sang songs I had never heard of before. lt was simply beautiful.
Their deep and moving voices sung of love lost and found, hunger,
them. I gladly did. We all wanted to stay and carry on with our little concert underneath the stars, but they insisted that I rest since
I
was leaving early the following day. I agreed, and that was when
they started thanking me. Their thanks felt inappropriate. I kept thinking, "Why thank me? I really did not do much. I have all of
you to thankl' But finally I found myself saying, "Wolong onumon
They have the simplest of all needs, and yet it is the most difficult tu fullill. lt is a need beyond the material and the physical. The five
rlay= rniglrt or might not have made an impact on the Kabanabahan r.errlrrnrrnity, but I believe it was a start. I know in my heart though
that tlrt-.y have made me a different person. For that, I shall be etem.rlly grateful. Sano, bolong orow mokobolik oko ot muling
ttto.;iktyctrr ong mgo moniningning no
life.)
them.l was not asked to bring money, to feed anyone, or to do specific things. I was not asked to live exactly like them or to do the exact same things they did every single day. I was there to be a part of them and for them to be part of me. fhe Mongyons, the
natives, the indigenous people
they do not ask for money or for material possessions. They are
content with the kind of life they live. They need something more permanent. They need to feel the permanence of being part of
our society: that they are not and will not be isolated for being
different, for being a minority, or for continuing their old ways and beliefs. They need to feel that there are people who care, who understand their plight, and whom they can trust.
14
REI\IEN/BEFING STILL
A New Meaning
One of the most difficult decisions I made a year ago was to quit my job and to choose either to enroll in law school or to join the Jesuit Volunteers of the Philippines (JVP). I chose law school.
I
tasls: reading thick law books and cases, answering very difficult
exams, and participating in the dreaded dai$ oral recitations. lt was murder. Cradually I began to seek something more relevant. I joined
My immersion gave me a different perspective on contentment and existence. The experience made me appreciate my simple
comforts. lt took me days to absorb the thought of being content
it rart bc very frustrating. lt entails so much patience, time, and r'rrrrrrrritrnent. But as difficult as it is, I think this endeavor is one
of the rnost powerful tools in solving our worsening human rights
siturrtion.
r.arne face to face with jurisprudence that shook my adherence
with what you have simply because you don't have a choice. I left my immersion site with so much guilt. lt pained me to leave the family I had stayed with for several days and return to my comfort
I f irrl
trr llrtr rloctrine of store decisis during my immersion. This was a big
to read cases merely trr lc,rrn the issues my professors wanted me to know. I never
Irrrrrirrg point. Before my immersion, I used
in
I ,rlso had so much fun during all the trips I took. I met people
Irorn all walks of life and visited places I'd never seen before. But
rrrost importantly, I was able to see the true face of life and society.
16
REN/EIVBERING STILL
diei nert give it much thought. I did not expect however, that this *tatenRent would echo in my mind after my internship. My it rter r r,l rip experience was not full of adventure. lnstead of going
I really do not know if the purpose of the whole program was to attract me into becoming an alternative lawyer, or whether these were simply joys that formed part of the whole commitment.
After all my experiences and realizations, I think the most difficult thing for me to do was to pretend I saw nothing that bothered me.
It wa., lhrough these activities that I realized how great things ln lt.rvc humble beginnings. Since I filed and served pleadings
;rtopetly,rrrd fixed case files, the cases could not be dismissed due to tet trnrcalities. The lawyers also had more time to prepare their
rgLlnrenls. I was happy but not that content.
lndeed I was bothered. The experience Save my law studies the meaning I was searching for from the beginning: how to make law
relevant to society. The seed of alternative law has been planted in me. Even if I eventually end up joining the "mainstream," I think my way of thinking and my perspective will always be alternative' My immersion and this internship experience will always be my source of stren$h and will have a persuasive effect in whatever decisions I make in the future.
I'd like thank Ateneo de Davao Legal Advocacy Wor( the Ateneo Human Rights Center, and Kaisahan for making this summer a meaningful and fruitful one. Law school will never be the same
again.
Jr.
in
1B
RFN/EIVBEFING STILL
Random Thoughts
I cannot summarize my human rights internship experience in
a
Id
the Summer lnternship Program (SlP) that she didn't come tffth erpeetations so she would enjoy the whole experience. My
appreaeh was contrary to hers. I came to the SIP with expectations. I Epplied to the internship program instead of joining a law firm.
I
Attorney Quimson all rolled into one. She was a 1O-year-old rape victim. The interview went well. I got all the information I needed. ,I.0 recitation grade. I felt good. I felt as if I got a
My "adventure" did not stop there. I prepared her affidavit and accompanied her when she filed her complaint. Her long wait was over. Her case was now with the Proper authorities' I was relieved. I was happy. I was content. I will not forget that day'
I
flst
a crusade for
the poor, I indicated I wanted to help the marginalized during my interuiew at the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC). I never thcught it was more than that or that I was entering a covenant = a bond with the people of AHRC.
will not forget her voice when she said "thani' you" for the small
things I did for her.
actually forgot to thank her back. lt was because of her that I was
fre
able to appreciate what I have, especially my family. lt brought back my focus. She gave me my direction. I was able to answer the question, "Why are you in law school, Charmane?" I want to
be a real lawyer: not an 'Ally McBeal" type, but one with the heart to indeed learn the law and serve the people. Charmane J. Kanahashi
leid'back at the same time. lt was filled with rules. For example: we hed to be up by 7:00 a.m. sharp or there would be penalties, we
eeruld not leave the premises even to buy food at the store opposite
the hr:tel, and we had to tell our "deepest and darkest secrets"
during the trust walk. However, there were also many icebreakers, Edrnes and even a cultural presentation. I found these hard to reconcile. I expected a series of lectures and other activities, but I dtd rrot expect charades. I admit I am quite serious and not used to performing charades with people five years my junior, but I guess
the SIP had its reasons. We were taught, encouraged, and even persuaded to mingle with each other from the very beginning.
Quezon City.
20
REMEMBERING STILL
The immersion part of the program was very enjoyable. It was the
beautiful scenery nice townsfolh and great co-interns that made the six-day experience worthwhile. lt was not a hard adjustment for
the three of us who were assigned to a community in Bulacan. We weren't picky;we were fortunate that simple living came naturally to
us. We also weren't given any special treatment, and it was fine. We
Eur rule=bieakirrg shopping escapade. lt seemed fun back then, lpecially wltt:n we got to see the wonderful scenery during our htke, But I realized during the evaluation phase that what seemed
even cooked for the host family. We were proud we never intruded or burdened them in their daily living. Although we weren't able to reach out to most of the people in our area, we befriended some
blame ley solely on me. However, after I learned what the locals said te Attomey Chochoy, I felt that it was too much. I had to apologize.
I
was very llrankful that Attorney Chochoy was gracious with us.
us.
rileflted ter trc assigned to the labor sector since I was exposed to
herJ ltRle irrlerest in it. Little did I know that I would win a free trip
tegal
Center (ELAC).
I ws nrore involved in environmental work than in legal tasks. Altlrrlrglr I am more comfortable with office assignments, there were.r()nt(,aspects of my work that I really enjoyed. I did radio
Frngrdrn,; with Attorney Regi Tulali and my co-intern Ryan, and we
wprrl orr n(rtrrre trips around the Calamianes group of islands. Work
The people in our assigned community had a role-oriented society.
wrtlr I
lA(
The men were "bolo-carrying" farmers who were out in the fields
most of the day while the women stayed at home. This made the community a ghost town during the day. Nevertheless, it had life. We felt it when we treated most of the residents to arroz caldo (rice ponidge). ln turn, they gave a party for us: a night of cultural
and contemporary dancing. My co-intern Lea and I volunteered to dance the Chickodee and teach charades to the kids. This came
as a surprise to me as I considered myself a shy guy.
lf tlrere", orre thing that struck me during this month long internship,
it wa: llr,rt alternative law was not only about being idealistic, but
22
REN/EIVBERING STITL
IN
II IINS' REFLECTIONS ON
The question now is whether I will venture into the practice of alternative law in the future. One of the employees told me before I Ieft that I shouldn't promise that I would return to coron. All the past interns did that. I told her that I still didn't know because it would be difficult to tell if I could make this big sacrifice. Alternative law is definitely an option, and lwill approach itwith the knowledge
I gained this summer.
Paglaya
Summer lnternship Program (SlP) 2005 marked a lot of 'firsts" in my life. The immersion experience was new. Well, not exactly.
l've been through immersions before, but this one was something else. I consider it a first because for six days I lived a life completely
removed from what I was used to. The night before we left for
Ramon Alcasabas
of uncertainty and doubt. I was not sure what I was getting into. I am not adventurous, and neither am I
Tarlac, I had moments sporty. However at that point I had to bear in mind that I chose to
lmmersion was not so bad after all, despite the fact that we took
baths only once every two days and had to walk up and down the mountains through the lahar-covered areas. ln the end, I must
"Yeah right, dream onl" The send-off dinner came, and we were given our assignments. When I learned I was assigned to Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC) in Coron,
mixed feelings. I was apprehensive
again, but I was also jubilant. I was assigned to the sector of my first choice, plus I was going to travel outside Manila. "More adventures," I thought and I was right. tt was my first time
to take a boat trip for 12 hours. Once in Palawan, it was my first time to ride small boats. lt was also the first time I did not mind at
all how I dressed or how I looked. I did not care about these things
found Coron boring the first time I set foot upon it. lt was a small
provincial town. I could explore it in 30 minutes. Little did I know my month-long stay in Coron would pave the way for me to ponder
24
REMEMBERING STILL
After my stay in Coron, I felt far better about myself. I felt independent not because I was away from home, but because I learned a lot more from the internship than from classrooms or books. I wasalso able to break free from my "usual" life and broaden my horizons. But most importantly, lfeltfreedom because
I experienced life.
The entire month I spent in Coron went by swiftly, but the lessons
and memories will stay with me forever. SIP 2005 may be over, but this is the start of a new chapter in my life. I know there will many things, such as the question of why I was in law school. I still haven't fully answered this question, but it's getting clearer as
each day passes. be a lot of ordeals along the way, but I know that this is part of my quest to gain more "freedoms" in my life.
My ELAC internship is so far the best experience of my life' lt was an internship, and yet I didn't feel as though I was actually doing work. I enjoyed preparing visual aids, talking with ihe people in the
community, and being with the ELAC staff who became my family for one month. lnvolvement in NCOs is not something new to me'
Yet, it was only in Coron where I fully understood the hardships and sacrifices of NCO work. ltruly admired the people working at
ELAC. They have so much talent. They could be in more lucrative
When I was asked if I wanted to go back to Coron to work for ELAC, my answer was, "l'm honestly considering it." I am actually
considering it (but the next time I go back there, I'm going to make sure to bring an air-conditioning unit).
Ryan Jeremiah D. Quan
positions, yet they chose to take a job most people would consider odd because it does not Pay well. I have a very high regard for
It
was such a humbling experience to live in Coron and to work for ELAC for a month. When I first anived, I thought that I knew many
things. I also felt that I could do a lot to help. I was wrong. Most of my knowledge was theoretical. I actually had much to learn' I
blue ,grounds, this green-blooded Losollion found o home ot the Ateneo Humon Rights Center. His summer internship experience mode him more possionote about his principles ond convictions. Despite envisioning himself os on environmentol odvocote, he cloims thot his true colling is to become o topnotch medio personolity onstoge or off-com... or both.
26
REN/EI\IBEBING STILL
in certain areas.
My experiences
during the internship
My assignment to the Legal Resources Center-Kcsomo so Kolikoson, Friends of the Earth philippines (LRC-KSK) was a surprise. I would have preferred to have been assigned either to the labor sector or to the environmental sector. However once
there, I didn't have any reservations. enjoyed my relationship with my co-workers. The thrilling experiences I had during my fieldwork
I
ProSram Save me new perspectives. was both awed and dismayed. While I was astonished by the beauty of the distant mountains
I
were unforgettable. The troubling peace and order situation in Mindanao, the mall bombings, the incineration of public utility buses, and the taking of
passengers as hostages, allthese happened while we were in LRC_
connected Davao City to its adjoining provinces, not to mention the massive forest denudation of
some areas. I was also horrified to learn about the eviction of the
indigenous people from their ancestral domains, and the apathetic attitude of the government to their needs. My exposure to fieldwork
human rights and its advocacy. The paralegal training sessions we conducted were all exhausting yet enjoyable. The preparations we
made, the travels from one boro ngoy (community) to another, and
the warm welcome, the active participation of the people, their willingness to learn, and the joy in their faces brought relief to us.
REN/ENIBERING STILL
Building Relationships
It has been two months since the last day of my internship, yet it will not be so difficult to reflect on the experience. I carry it with me everyday.
Bobby Chan, a former summer intern and now a supervising lawyer at one of this summe/s host agencies, once told me, ,,you will never know what it's really like being in the Center until you
go through the summer internshipl' Having been with the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) as a paralegal for almost two years,
The abundant food and the fresh air also helped to revitalize us and gave us strength to go on with our mission.
realized that society needs more alternative law groups and human rights lawyers to fight for the rights of the oppressed and to bring about change. My experiences have inspired me to strive harder in
I
was intrigued by his remark. I applied for a slot in the internship program with that in mind and for many other reasons.
I
The Basic Orientation Seminar (BOS) was not new. I had gone through that before as a paralegal. The immersion though was a
meaningful experience. lt was my first time to trek though muddy rice fields to live with the most sincere, humble, and simple people
my studies so I can help bring about the needed change. Regidor B. Tulali
I had known in my life, in living conditions that were difficult to a Manila resident. The internship proper was an altogether new
low practice ofter possing the bor ond continues to passionotely work for
the couse of the indigenous people ond the environment of polowon to this
doy-
REMEMBERING STlLL
people who either do not know they need help, or do not want to be helped. lf you want to be an agent of change you'd better be sure you know what you are doing. A lot of times people do not know or even realize the things you go through for them. lt is
to work without being appreciated. That is the time you really know you are doing these things for no other reason than it is the right thing to do. When stripped of all
experience. Laguna wasn't that far from Manila, l)ut it still meant Iiving away from familiar surroundings. I could not slcep in my the romantic notions of people looking up to you and thankingyou for "saving" them, you are left with nothing but your own decision
own bed, could not watch TV, could not watch a de*:nt movie, could not talk with friends (most of whom were lellow interns),
and could not do a hundred other things. I was not cornplaining.
I
knew all this when I applied for the internship, Elesielt:s, tltese things
My partner and I were assigned to an agency which was a bit disorganized. Fortunately, it gave us the flexibility to do what we
wanted on our own time. Laguna was a place where the concept of human rights often meant radicalism and communism. Some of the people were apprehensive of our going around different barangays
(communities) offering to hold seminars on human rights. Others however, were just not that interested. So there I was, away from
home, fighting bouts of loneliness, and dealing with people who
We did experience the gratefulness of people. We did see the smiles on their faces and did feel the warmth of their handshakes. What I am trying to say though, is that the downsides of my story sum up my internship experience. lt made me focus on the more important questions such as: why was I there,
what did I want to do in the future, and was I really cut
REN/ENIBERING STITL
t
am also sure the answer is not an unequivocal "no.' ln the end I would like to say the most beautiful thing about the
3 RedizingTruths
Through the lnternship Support and Alumni Activities, interns are given the opportunity to keep in touch and take part in activities
even though they are not directly engaged in the practice of human
afternoon walking around the UP Los Baf,os field. There were times when we would run out of things to talk about and would just keep silent. But I was comforted simply by the fact that she was there with me. The summer internship gave me one of the
- something that cannot be acquired quickly but only through time - the gift of friendship.
most valuable things in life "Feeling the hurt will not be enough to moke
me o humon rights lov,ryer. I must olso have the desire to leorn how I om going to oct an the poin. There ore no hord ond fost rules in leorning how to become on olternotive lov,tyer;
you only leorn it from experience."
Margareth
P. Reyes
34
BEMEMBERING STILL
lsang Pagbabalik-tanaw
Mategal rla rin dng nakakalipas mula nang sumali ako sa lnternship rrg Aterreo Human Rights Center, subalit mananatiling sariwa at
ang
buhay ng nagsasarili. Kung ano mang paghubog ang naidulot ng dalawang buwang pagkalayo ko
sa aking pamilya ay malalaman ko
pagloo" na sumali
daw ang mga dahilan ko. Panandalian akong nag-isip ... sabagay, baka nga may magawa rin naman ako kahit papaano.
Natuwa ako, dahif sa bandang huli, ay nakasali rin ako. Subalit ang mas lalo kong ikinagalak ay ang pagkakadestino ko sa malayong
lugar. Sagot na ito marahil sa marami kong panalangin. Unang-una,
sa
napakalawak na hiwaga ng
Mahirap ipaliwanag
dito. Pero
kong matutupad lamang iyon kung pupunta ako sa isang lugar ng mga Bisaya. Sa awa ng Diyos, medyo natuto nga ako. pangalawa, matagal ko na ring pangarap na mapalayo nang kahit sandali man
ko na may mga katanungan ako sa buhay na, sa totoo lang, hindi ko alam kung saan hahanapin ang mga kasagutan. Subalit, isang
ako na-assign. Pero hindi na mahalaga sa akin ngayon ano man ang naging pamantayan ng Center sa pagpili ng area na ito. Sa palagay ko, kinailangan ko rin ng ganong klaseng "trabaho": isang pakikisalimuha sa mga politiko na walang kinalaman
sa
36
REIVEMBEFING STILL
IN
PHILIPPINES 37
kilenpng mealalc kung saan eko galing, kung aE ncpapebilng,,,ganeon lang ka"sirnple,
kaninong pamilya
Slya nga rin pala, lalong napagtibay ang aking paniniwala na kailangan
"empowerment" sa bawat barangay na napuntahan namin upang bigyan ng human rights awareness seminar. lyon din ang sinasabi
for the summer to begin. Somehow things didn't turn out the way
I imagined them to
be. Dealing with the disappointment was not easy. Words of encouragement could not comfort me. Worse, the internship
proper had just begun, and I was already losing interest in carrying
buhay. Nalulungkot lamang ako dahil hindi ko maikukwento rito sa kanya ang lahat ng gusto kong ikuwento. Sana na lang, mabasa
niya ang mga pagmumulat na nakasulat sa likod ng mga letra ng maikling sanaysay na ito. Minerva A. Tan
of my fate followed.
I began to forget my own interests and became more concerned about the people who
Paralegal work became therapeutic.
in 1999, she worked in the judiciory from I gg7-200I. on to become the ELAC oreo monager (Eostern Visoyas) from Jonuory 2OO3-July 2004. She rs currently working os legol stoff to the
Though she groduoted
She then moved
REMEIVBERING STILL
IN THE
PHILIPPINES 39
A New Perspective
I was definitely disappointed upon learning I was
igstrhing thElr lntErcst was a difficult task, Out of necessiry had tc vrtrmE my shyness and my tendency to go into a state
to be assigned
to a labor federation. First, I never really expected the assignment; I was sure I made it clear I wanted to work with either children
or women. Second, I never liked labor as a subject in law school
I will always look back at my internship as a series of struggles: a strugSle against disappointmen! a struggle against indifference from my audience, a struggle against my own limitations, a struggle against boredom during idle hours, and a struggle against losing enthusiasm for topics I had repeatedly discussed. These were all
struggles I somehow overcame. am not sure what Cod's plans were when He sent me to Laguna. l'd like to think that maybe part of it was to show me I had strength
I
and never really considered venturing into it. Third, I had this preconceived notion I would be working with men who are moskulodo (muscular), borumbodo (scoundrel), modumi (dirty),
oktibisto (activist) ot ibo po (etc.), which was not my cup of tea. With these biases and stereotypes I had about the labor sectol I could not help but cry. When I learned I could not change the assignmen! I told myself I should not make things harder by sulking
and try to have fun instead.
I guess it is true Cod gives you something you need and not something you want. ln my case, my experience with my host agency allowed me to put aside my biases and to learn firsthand the sufferings and joys of the workers' lives in this country. I no longer have just a vague idea about the labor sector; it now has
many names and faces for me.
FEIVEMBERING STILL
within society if we ourselves do not even know what is wrong in the first place.
Carolina
P.
te upllft ther live=, there seerrr: to be .r lack of earnest zeal in the lmplementation of perlicy, ln fact, I agree that the Philippines has gome of the most numerous labor laws. However, the problem does not lie in the laws themselves but in their implementation. I am quite sure our lawmakers intended what was good and just
when they passed the Labor Code. However, there seem to be too many loopholes that allow abuse. The laws are there to protect the labor sector, but no one checks whether it is indeed protected.
Orias
My short stint with {he labor federation gave me an opportunity to see firsthand how the "real" profession of law is practiced. The laws, when learned in school, seem so clear and straightfonruard.
I was wrong. I have learned that in
42
REIVEMBERING STILL
lNTEl"lNf
Land Distribution:
Solution?
I
used to believe that land redistribution was the only solution to the
would be solved if each farmer was given his own piece of land
to toil. For me, it was "land redistribution or nothing," because that was the only equitable thing to do. That was my view while I was
in high school.
ln college, the equity argument was weakened by the efficiency to surface. Would it still be efficient to redistribute considering that the land available could not be increased while the population continued to expand? The pie was not growing but the number of people was, and this
argument. Doubts began effectively reduced each individual's share. A farmer, no matter
how hardworking he might be, could only produce so much within
farming, and the possibility that some farmers whose families have
been tied to the land all their lives would like to live a different
life. ln other words, my four-year college stint made me think along lines
entirely different from my previous beliefs. lt's not that I no longer believed that the farmers needed help or that land redistribution
(agrarian reform included) had no merit to it altogether. lt's just that
could have been the most effective recourse then but with the changing times, it might not be the perfect choice now.
was in this mindset when I had my first Basic Orientation Seminar
emphasis was not on being self-sufficient (producing all goods and services needed) but in specialization (producing what one is
good at and importing the rest).
(BOS) in 1997.I was still in a similar frame of mind when I had my second BOS this summer. Then came the internship proper, and
irony of all ironies, I was assigned to a non-government organization
Could it be also that some people assumed too much: that the farmers would like to be farmers all their lives? A tendency to romanticize the simple barrio life seems to pervade people's
mentality. This tendency doesn't take into account the difficulty of
REMEIVBERING STILL
I wegldn't say that the thrce=and=a=half weeks of experience glgcther chcnged the pasitien I hec1 formed over the span of
feur yeam, but it made me reeonsider many things. Maybe equity
and efflcieney arc not eompletely opposed to one another. Maybe
their life is with the land benefit from the fruits of their labor. As for those who want to pursue a different vocation (provided such
choice was made intelligently), let them be. What is important is that they be given the choice and the opportunity to take control of their own lives. Elizabeth L. Benin
to join while lwas still a freshman so that:: 1) my mistakes in the internship would be forgivable since I had the ready excuse of being just a freshman, 2) next year when required to work for the summer, I could work in a law firm, and 3) I would at least have experience in legal work * enough to impress the law firm I would be applying to next year. I am not sorry for my reasons. I do not think there is anything wrong with them. But I forgot to
include "service" in my list. After the internship, "service" was the one thing I learned.
I had
already
.l999
intern
completed one immersion when I was in college, but that was quite different. My immersion in college was with the urban poor
Presently, Beth is on ossociote at Puno ond puno Low Offices. prior to loining Puno, she hod a two yeor stint ot the Senqte, os o legislotive staff member for one of the senotors.
46
REIVEIVBERING STILL
F
like them, and how it would feel like to be helpless. Let me tell
cannot help but feel sorry for the Mangyans and the other people
couldn't really promise anything, and that we were only there for
wee(
One even commented that lots of people have come to live with
to help them when a storm hit, not even the mayor. So what was the point? And up to nory I still don't know the answer.
sector in Caloocan. We were in the city. There were no problems
As I have said, the immersion was only the first hurdle. The second
with food, water, or shelter. There were sori-sori(variety) stores everywhere, and the families that welcomed us had small but
decent houses. Though we stayed in a squatters'area, I never really
internship
was that we would all be assigned to a certain non-government organization (NCO). I wasn't too apprehensive about this since
I
felt what it was like to be poor because they treated us as guests. I felt as though I was only on vacation. lt was different from my
experience in Mindoro.
didn't know anything about NCOs. I never really bothered to find out what they did or what they contributed to society. I just knew
they were non-government organizations. Period. So I didn't know what to expect.
felt helpless in'Mindoro. I could not get out of our place to buy
Having no expectations was a good thing. After every intern had shared his or her experiences, I realized that I hadn't really done much this summer. I didn't blame my host agency for that because
it just so happened that not many activities were lined up for the
it?"
I hated
the place where I was assigned. I soon realized that sulking wasn't
going to do me any good. So I tried, with the help of my partners,
to accept the situation. Slowly, I forgot about my previous questions and started to ask new ones. 'What would it be like to be stuck in this situation as long as I lived?" I guess that was the turning point
summer. I did not do much legal work. I only translated some of the lecture materials for the paralegal trainings (PLTs), observed
meetings and PLTs, and did clerical work. Nevertheless, I felt that
in one way or another, I was serving other people. That fact already
for me. I began to see the immersion in a new light. We weren't there just to /ive with the Mangyans. lt is easy to live with them
and then leave at the end of the week without giving them another
made me happy.
I cannot say that joining the summer internship has answered all
FEN/EMBEBING STiLL
r
I
like to live in style, Qur batch of interns had this discussion about
Nothing Profound
I can still vividly remember the defining moment. I was in fourth
a day, and quality education for their children. The problem was that, either way, I wanted more. I wanted to travel the world, drive a Jaguar, own a big house...the list goes
year college majoring in legal management, and my teacher in environmental law was engaged in an apocalyptic discussion on
illegal logging. I thought it too superficial compared to our discussion
on.
However, I realize
that what I want materially might not coincide with my other wish,
Post Script:
Three years after law school, I realized that the Ateneo Human
Rights Center mattered greatly in my life. The principle for which
was no
of lessons and memories. Beyond the blisters and the sunburn, all the hardships we faced brought self reliance, compassion and understanding. I finally understood: there is life outside of law
school, and it needs my involvement.
Veronica Jude E. Abarquez
received good training on environmental education and advocary at Haribon-University of Santo Tomas. I also did my practicum at Tanggol Kalikasan (TK). Though already a freshman law student
two yeors. She is now with KMPA Phils. Loyo Mononghayo & Co. working in
its Tox ond Corporote Seruices division.
BEMEIVBERING STILL
at Ateneo de Dav,ro, I still went all tlre way to Quezon City for ttre TK internship, Ihat's how clehrrnined I was to prepare for my
ealling,
It was probably the combination of the oppressive heat outside and the coolness brought about by the air-conditioning unit inside the van that did me in. I had a fever. The next day I was back to my exuberant self and off for paralegal
training in Consolacion, Cebu. I was surprised to find the venue very humble. Based on my past experience, this type of training was usually held in a hall with a sound system. This site had only a
canvas tent for a roof. lt was kind of cute anyway, with open air and
a good view of the sea. I didn't mind until I noticed the heat above
I thought I had it all planned: the internship in TK and my commitment to singlehood. Besides, the pay could hardly put a
child through medical school, and above all, I wanted to take care of the earth with the same tenacity as the nuns who pursue their religious life. I never lost sight of the dream, and had nurtured it for years in law school where alternative lawyering was more foreign
my head and the cold and hot sea breeze on my back. I panicked.
I
than the Latin maxims. What about that dramatic earth shaking moment in college? Was it all for naught? For all my fervor and
preparation in pursuit of that dream, it was humbling to realize that
I actually entertained the thought of giving it up because of some
Then it dawned on me. This is the reality of an environmental lawyer. There would always be the heat, long travels, sleeping on the floor and other inconveniences. Coodness knows what else there was in store. Friends working
discomfort
ashamed of myself.
contrasted with my canvas tent existence. I was never attracted to amenities and a huge paycheck before. I was ready to embrace a life of bare necessities. ln fact, when I received a scholarship from one of the firm's partners, their lawyer in Davao told me that
I
would like to believe everything was merely triggered by feverish aftershocks, delayed delirium, or maybe sheer vulnerability. lt is
I
consoling
thoughts.
would be "invited" to the firm after law school. lnstead of basking in the flattery of that inchoate invitation, I heard myself tactlessly
blabbering about environmental law, as if to say, "no thanks."
52
BEI\IEMBEBING STILL
INTERNTJ' I]t:I
IN THE
PHILIPPINES 53
to mature,
convictions
Reflection
'Whg is thot girl I see. Storing right bock ot
me? Why is my reflection someone I
you can't stand alternative lawyering, don't feel guilty. Many are
curious, but few are chosen. I myself wavered on persevering when
I got sick. But when I recovered, I realized I still preferred to work
dont
where my heart was no matter what. Kohit umiitim oko (even if am getting darker), kahit nogkoko-acne oko (even if I am getting
I
my heartl'
Jennifer L. Ramos
Summer
.l999
intern
Jenny founded the Ateneo de Dovoo Advocoq Legol Work after her replicotion
the minds of the people I would eventually meet? I don't come from
internship with AHRC. After working for more thon three yeors with Environment Legol Assistonce Center, she hod o stint as the provinciol legol officer
It was pretty much the self-centered junk from the preceding paragraph that occupied my mind during the Basic Seminar (BOS) and the first few days of the immersion. I woulcj notice the "bad stuff' and constantly compare it with the "good stuff' l've had all my life. I admit I complained silently most of the time during the immersion. Don't get me wrong. I was seriously and constantly telling myself to open up to the experience. I
thought I did. I did what I thought was expected of me: unwavering participation during the BOS, chores during the immersion, etc. But
somehow everything felt pretentious. Something was wrong. I was trying to be part of something I couldn't quite fit into.
I
REMEMBERING STILL
r
place, lwas bawling my eyes out and confiding my inconsequential
different parts of Palawan, beyond the different species of beautiful fish I swam with in the crystal-clearwaters of Coron, beyond the rich
'l'm
here to helpl Look'around you. They don't need us. We need them
able to gain that experience and be part of evefihing. I know it's deeply. lt made sense. lt was true. I exhaled and let myself go. that it's really all about perspective. ln the confines of law
a cliche, but words are truly not enough to encompass everything
I realized
I've learned
school, we were taught that excellence is not about being a super human being. lt's about having the heart to absorb everything and
anything the good and the bad, the task that has to be done. lt about humbling yourself enough to realize that you are merely
alone.
is
a
part of a bigger picture, and that you can never ever do everything
able to become more conscious of. This lost city-bred girl has found
- herself.
Shyanne T. Juan
I gave. But I thinh at the end of the day, that's the whole idea.
We're not here to save the world. We can only hope to be part of
the solution.
56
REMEMBERING STILL
Realizations
I initially thought that I did not have any expectations when I did my internship with the Women's Legal Bureau (WLB). I thought that I did not carry any biases. At the end, I realized that I did have
expectations, and that I was disappointed when these were not
me. Some of them might just be details, but they were significant
enough for me to hold on to them. I recognized that it was important
would have an idealworld. I soon understood the shortcoming of my belief; an NCO is supposed to take a stand on certain issues
and work from that position. Clothing other people with biases is an inevitable part of the job.
also now understand that though everything is far from perfect, the
fact that there are a lot of people striving to reach their definition of perfection (e.g. a woman-friendly world in the case of WLB) fills
58
RENIEIVBEFING STILL
r
fire wifh hope lor the tuture, I know that I am not alone in thinking that this world is far frorn perfect and that there is still a lot of work th.rt needs to be done. Nelda Ethel
Torio
P.
I am actually a bit slow I have trouble following directions and cannot think clearly when faced with complicated matters. I am
not capable of deep intellectual conversations, especially those that delve into the human soul and spirit. I learned to simpli{y things to cope. However, as much as I managed to turn the act of simplifying
ideas and thoughts into a gift, it is also turning out to be one of my
weaknesses: I tend to oversimplify. As I went through the summer internship, I observed that human
rights work involves huge and complicated issues. There are issues
on labor, environment, children, women, urban pooq indigenous peoples, and even on the human rights institutional mechanism
itself. Nonetheless, I realized the driving force behind all of these issues was the desire
to help people live a decent life. Human rights work for laborers aims to help them have decent working
RFMENiBERING STILL
t
people how to live a sustainable life. Human rights work for children
desires to protect their innocence. Human rights work for women
aims to provide them with the same rights as men. Human rights work for HIV victims hopes to give them decent lives despite their
sickness. Human righs work for indigenous people strives to protect
4 Cornmitting
our Hearts
Through the Craduate lnternship, law graduates and lawyers who
their culture and way of life. Human rights work is about helping people live a decent life. Anything less is unacceptable.
But then again, please forgive my oversimplification.
rights
Arellano
advocacy are still provided with support activities by AHRC. AHRC's institutionalization of the internship program in the law
in Cagayan de Oro City. These centers serve as the outreach arm for community service in their respective areas by engaging law
students in their legal aid programs.
of o more reolistic oppreciotion of whot it is. Though my odvocooy moy be offected by the unprediaoble ebb ond flow of my possions ond
struggles, with groce ond to my surprise I hove
200i
lntern
REMEMBERING STILL
t
Once an lntern, Always an lntern
"... there is no need to compore (olternotive lowyering) NCOs with low firms becouse
they involve totolly different struggles. We ore my answer should be. I quipped, "ls that what we should call what we do? We were never really oriented about iti'
An orientation on alternative lawyering is not enough to define, describe or detail what it means. To people who do it, it is simply doing the best they can with what they've learned. For others,
however, it is more than that. They first need to have an analytical discourse on the legal system, its structures and the nature of
octuolly 'troilblazing' in this oreo. Moybe we ore redefining whot lovuyering is oll obout
intern." I joined the AHRC Semestral Break lnternship program in 1998 during my second year at the Ateneo Law School. At that
time, I was just looking for some significance to what I had been doing in school. I wanted to know if there was something more
besides the cases, the commentaries, and the laws. I thought that lwould be able to find something more in an internship program
that had an immersion component. I was lucky that I found my "something more.'
I fell in love with Palawan the first time I saw one of its islands. The beaches are not just pristine, they are beautiful. lts forests are not just tropical, they are magnificent. My love affair with the place didn't end there. lt was complemented by ELAC, the NCO
I
lf there is one alternative law group that lives and breathes the principles of alternative lawyering, ELAC is it. ELAC's passion for the environment is so compelling, it is inspiring. ELAC works together with local communities: indigenous people fighting
64
REN/EMBEFING STILL
constant struggle to do the best with what you have learned. That
is the essence of any internship program. That will always be with
Lebanon. The reflection poper submitted in 2OO3 might hove romonticized his groduate internship experience, but he considers thot one-yeor sojourn os one of his most defining moments os o lowyer. He thonks AHRC ond ELAC for thot experience.
mine with ELAC and Palawan after a year of serving my graduate internship program. Though the prospect of continuing what I was doing with ELAC was exciting, I wanted to be based in Mindanaw where I was born and raised. I also wanted to cover more than just the environment. I wanted to work in other sectors also. With that, I had to say goodbye. During my despedida (farewell) parry
I said that leaving ELAC didn't mean I wasn't happy there. ln fact,
ELAC should be proud that I wanted to work in another alternative
law group. I will not claim now that I live and breathe alternative lawyering, though others might infer that from this reflection. I will only claim
what I am now. I am presently with SALICAN Mindanaw, a branch office of one of the oldest and biggest alternative groups in the
BEMEMBERING STI[L
NTERNS'
I.IFF:I
t
An Alternative Lawyer
"Your vocation, your calling is the intersection of
F
Kosomo so Kolikoson, Friends of the Earth Movement (LRC-KSK) in Quezon City where I researched cases. I also attended hearings in Mauban, Quezon, met with the Mayor in Sagada, visited a mine
in Benguet and walked five hours in darkness to attend Cordillera Day in Abra. After that summer, wanted to be.
SJ
Lingop Ponligol(Saligan) for a little over three years, the first year of
The first time I read this line I marveled at how it exactly captured
what I felt about what I was doing. I felt blessed to have found
what I believed then to be my vocation. I knew so many people
who were confused and lost in the maze of figuring out what it was that they wanted to do with their lives. "My name is Kat, and I'm an alternative lawyer," was how I introduced myself to the world.
Program for leading me towards that intersection.
I
for l5-minute
what lwas doing. The Summer lnternship Program in l99B sent me to live with
a
family of Dumagats in Quezon where I learned to drink lambanog and to cross rivers. I was assigned to Legal Resources Center-
to imagine how my heart broke when I realized I was no longer happy with my job. Perhaps it was burnout or homesickness or a
combination of these factors
was that I wanted to stop what lwas doing. I was scared shitless to
the maze of figuring out what they wanted to do with their lives.
Earlier this year I resigned from Soligon and went back home to
my heart's deepest happiness and the world's greatest needl' But one of the lasting lessons I learned from my summer internship
seven years ago is that being an alternative lawyer is not limited to
working for NCOs or being part of alternative law groups. lt is more than that. lt means having a heart for the marginalized sectors and
being true to your self. I realized that as we grow as human beings,
REN/EMBERING STILL
point in my law school life. I had entered law school thinking this
was the place where I could equip myself with the skills I needed
will always find us again. My name is Kat and l'm an alternative lawyer.
Mary Catherine A. Alvarez
where I could easi! get lost, instead of the sanctuary where I could
divine what I was meant to do.
The internship was therefore a chance to reclaim myself. lt did not disappoint. Through the program I found out law can indeed be made to serve the people. I learned that behind every court decision were lives irrevocably affected by the "fell clutch of
that it couldn't be anything buf personal. The very real faces and
the very real lives I came into contactwith demanded no less and
allowed no quarter.
REN/EN/BERING STILL
Now, six years later, after working in a law firm for a while, I find
uncertain day. I know there are other avenues where I can also be of help, but I find myself compelled to make my stand here. The internship program made such an impact on me that I find myself obligated to give back as much as I possibly can in the
here and now.
There are many moments in the score and a half l've spent on this earth that I have learned to be thankful for. But few as special as that
moment which brought me before the doors of the Human Rights Center that September morn in '99 to hand in my application.
Ma. Ngina Teresa V. Chan-Conzaga
of obligation
to serve that was almost overwhelming, it also brought home a sense of tremendous freedom. The internship taught me not to take myself too seriously. I don't congratulate myself too much in times of personal glory nor berate myself too long in times of
personal failings. l've learned to laugh at myself, to pick myself up, and to brush myself off after a fall. Becoming an intern anchored me. I've learned to contextualize my
existence in the greater scheme of things. I now know I cannot save
the world, but I also know I can do my part in making my small corner of it a better place. Through having deah with the people in the sectors we serve and seeing their capacity for joy and warmth
despite difficult circumstances, l've learned to prepare for the future but to live in the here and now. There is no better time to eat ice cream than the present. I've learned to stop and stare at the stars
on the days when l'm lucky enough to see them. I've learned to
sing, albeit off-key, when my heart becomes too full. l've learned
72
FEME|VBERING STILL
through the years and shared with others. The impact of the internship did not and does not stop with me.
The basic principle or value (if you may call it so) that I have learned
from my internships
had
is
developmental advocacy is in how it empowers the poor to avoid lawyer dependency. Educating and treating marginalized sectors as partners or as genuine stakeholders are two empowerment tools that I have tried to constantly apply in my work through the
years.
to learn the law in a profound and more practical way. I first joined the AHRC in
as a semestral break intern. I was active in the AHRC for the next three years of my law school life. I was one of
the pioneers of the AHRC Para-LegalTraining Program in 1992. also joined the Exposure in 1993 and the Summer lnternship in
the four graduate interns in 1996. lt has been 14 years since
have always treated encounters with my clients as opportunities to educate them about the nuances of the law. I encourage my students and legal aid volunteers to do the
same. With respect to the law school communiry I have used this approach as part of the guidelines for handling cases under the Clinical Legal Education Program. I also hope that I am making a positive impact on my students at the Ateneo Law School. I try to tickle their curiosity about alternative lawyering by introducing it in
1994. Finally a few months after taking the bar, I became one of
l99l
I hope that my
somehow made an impact on the lives of the paralegals and law students we helped form. After each training program that we conducted with various communities, I remembered how they would thank us for sharing our knowledge with them: knowledge which helped them avoid becoming the victims of human rights
abuses. Another concrete example of propagating developmental legal advocary was when, as a mentor to public defenders in East
Timor, I incorporated provisions on empowerment in the case guidelines that I drafted. lnternationally,
BEN/EMBEBING STILL
,l30-l40
women in 1989, lattended a seminar on laws affecting urban poor communities. The communities we were organizing were
negotiating with the Aquino administration for a housing program
did not and should not stop with the interns. lt is inevitable that it
will cause a ripple. With more than 5OO AHRC interns spread all over the globe, I believe that the internship does not only create
ripples, but also Benerates waves that positively affect peoples' lives all over the world. Praise Cod!
Cilbert V. Sembrano Semestral break
in Commonwealth, Quezon City. At the time, I believed that lawyers were necessary in a sectoral campaign only when the community had to respond to an actual case filed in court, and
that understanding the law would not be beneficial to the sectors and their struggles. I thought that attending the seminar was a
waste of time until I found myself amazed at how the community leaders came up with a plan to use legal arguments in presenting
l99l
intern,
their claims to the government. The communities eventually succeeded and a big portion of the area was declared for urban
poor housing.
Laguna told me that I should study law and become a lawyer since
I was still young and could still handle the requirements of law
studies. The seed germinated after my experience with the urban
REMEIVBEFING STILL
poor groups. I thought law school would help me understand the legal processes that would benefit these sectors.
I found law school a constant struggle. I encountered laws that were biased against the poor. I thought of going back to being
a
community organizer. Just when I was about to give up on studying law, I met the lawyer who gave us the seminar on urban poor laws. He asked me if I wanted to join the law school's internship
ProSram.
time, inspiration came from the lawyer who talked in the seminar
on urban poor laws, and who later invited me to the law school
internship program. I realized during the internship that we do not
learn everything inside the classroom. We are also educated when
working with basic sectors in the Philippines. I was assigned to the peasant unit where I worked with paralegals from different
farmers' organizations.
we live with communities who actually confront the law and the
legal system.
I was assigned to handle several cases pending before the trial courts and the adjudication board of the Department of Agrarian
Reform. One case involved the ejection of farmer-tenants in several
to look at my previous experiences from a different perspective. realized that laws can be used to advance the rights of the poor,
before a scheduled hearing to work with the farmer-tenants in drafting a position paper that we were supposed to submit before the adjudication board.
As soon as I anived in Quezon, I met with the paralegals who were
and at other times can be used against them. I found out about the importance of legal knowledge for the poor communities: the
people should be able to understand the law so that they can use
the legal system to protect and advance their rights. I could not
wait to finish law school and join a group of lawyers who worked for the marginalized sectors.
I thought that my experience with
farmer-leaders tasked to lead the community in addressing their legal problems. One of them approached me and asked if I still
remembered him. His face looked very familiar but I had difficulty
recalling his name. He laughed and told me that he was my totoy
(ather) and that I lived in their house during the immersion part
of the internship program. He also told me that he was very happy
ZB
REMENIBERING STILL
.F
ii
also
with agrarian reform laws, they also identified strategies that would convince the government that they have a right to the land they till. The feeling that I can give back what I learned from them is very fulfilling, not only as a lawyer, but also as a person. Their wisdom, their knowledge of the law, and their perseverance in claiming what is rightfully theirs, continue to remind me to be humble.
of the Ateneo Human Rights Center. He is still an active worker in the alternative law community in the country. I know that a lot of law students and lawyers like me continue to draw inspiration from him. Like them, lwould like to thank him,
Arlene J. Bag-ao Semestral break
l9g2 intern
After more than lO years of practice in alternative law, I still find myself learning new things. I now work in an organization that
innovates and adopts creative methodologies to advance the rights
of the poor and marginalized. We strive to always be relevang and
Koka is currently the Executive Director of BALAOD Mindonov4 on olternotive legol resource orgonizotion bosed ond operoting in North Mindanoo. She is from Loreto, Dinogot lslond, Surigoo del Norte. She loves to watch movies, eot out with hiends, ond ploy sungka.
I understood Chief Justice Davide when he said alternative law groups should not be considered the alternative because they
are what lawyering is all about. But I think alternative lawyering is incomparable to traditional and mainstream lawyering because the benefits are different. lt may not even be wise to compare. am very happy and fulfilled with what I do and my experience in
the internship program remains an inspiration in my everyday life. My work continues to strengthen my belief that all people have the same rights as I have: to be happy and to have a meaningful life. And if other people are in a situation of poverty and injustice,
something is definitely wrong and I have as much an obligation as
is
REIVEMBEBING STILL
572 lnterns
from 7 law schools all over the country under the guidance of B lnternship
Directors, and
I Executive Director.
After our internship, MOST OF US have finished law school and have
pursued different careers
as professors in the academe A NUMBER OF US have followed the call of our hearts to join alternative law practice, and continue to work with the marginalized sectors.
ALL OF US continue to live out the lessons learned during our internship days, advocating
Directors invite others to journey with us and share in our COMMON love for justice.
TNTERNS
1987 - 2006
'The internship served as a venue for law students to unveil the different faces of the laws that we are studying.... At the end of my internship, I was compelled by a moral obligation to constantly look
back and relish my experiencel'
Joey A. Ramos
REIVEIVBEFING STILL