Cartoon by Louise Gabrielle Abing
Amplifying Voices. Defending Freedom. Publishing Truth.
The official student publication of Mindanao State University– General Santos City, Bagwis, will now be reaching its 43rd year anniversary. It has been the reflection of the sentiments, interests, concerns, propositions, and creativity of the student population of the institution since its establishment.
Bagwis has continuously handled official university events, such as general assemblies, SSC-related and college-focused occasions, yearly graduations, relief operations, and the most known of all, the highlight of MSU: the intramurals.
Now aside from these special occurrences, the publication itself not only showcased news and articles within the campus– but those happening within the country as well. From national political situations to celebrity trends, Bagwis articulated these in their printed magazines and now the newer practice of monthly online posts and compilations.
Year by year the responsibility of journalism and soaring through the truth has been passed down to the new generations– and year by year has Bagwis received backlash as well. It was either from the way articles were written, angles were discriminated against, or the amount of the publication wishes to receive from the students – “Where is it leading? Where is it used?”
Said counteractions were during campaign sorties, plus the publication has numerous occasions of being red tagged. To further elaborate, these are some of the specific situations that led to the hate: the DP blast during the Golden Anniversary of Martial Law, Bagwis being affiliated to radical journalism organizations, and a third, where Bagwis was red-taped and advised to “moderate” the publication’s positions on social matters, due to liberalism being disliked by the conservative public.
“They think they can hurt the publication?” Proclaimed current Editor-in-Chief of Bagwis, Aubrey Maye Arrieta. “Bagwis has already rowed past the bigger rapids of hardships throughout the years since it was built.”
The irony of it all is that most of those circulating issues about the publication lack the credibility publishers ascertain it to be– these are now mostly accusations– and once addressed, (or even left alone really), there is still the fact that there is absence of evidence.
Nevertheless, Bagwis will continue traversing the path forging the bequest to amplify the voices of masses, defend truth, and setting the truth ablaze.
Arrieta emphasized that Bagwis is not for clout. She added, “We entered the publication and that means we are ready to take the heat– because if members cannot, they will stop flying with us.”
The truth is a conundrum the masses are yet to accept, and the publication’s aim is for that to be delivered: to be the voice of the voiceless, to magnify the overlooked, and to fight for the injustice.
May it be another year of soaring through the skies of the unknown, Bagwis will still fly through with its wings, arm itself with its talons, and see through the painted lies of what is a proof of continuous act of dubious deception – for the righteous freedom of all is what the deliverance of veracity Bagwis is, has, and will do.
“Sa panahon kung saan naglilipana ang pagbusal sa bibig ng mga nais kumanta ng katotohanan, mahalagang matanto na kailanman ang pagsabi ng katotohanan ay hindi isang uri ng paninira," Aubrey Maye Arrieta, Editor-in-Chief of Bagwis Publication, 2022-2023.
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