Legazpi clergy, religious and student leaders attend National Situationer Assembly
By Natalie Hazel Quimlat, MD
The Diocese of Legazpi held a special assembly for members of its Clergy and religious congregations last Tuesday, January 14, at the El Palacio in Legazpi City. Entitled, “A National Situationer on the Philippine Economics and Socio-Politics”, the said assembly had Dr. Cielo Magno and Dr. Richard Heydarian as speakers.
Magno, an Economics professor at the University of the Philippines, spoke on “Governance, [the] Economic and Social Development” of the country, saying that an electoral revolution is necessary for change to occur in the economic and political landscapes of the country. Magno also advocated for anti-corruption efforts.
On the other hand, Heydarian, a prominent Political Scientist, discussed the current Socio-Political Landscape of the country. While the national situation is not ideal, he said, it is important to nurture good leaders. “There is just good enough space and urgency,” he continued to say, “for us to create the conditions to put this country in a much better place 5 years and 10 years from now.”
The same National Situationer Assembly was also organized by the student leaders of the Bicol University on the same day. Entitled “What’s up, ‘Pinas? A National Situationer and the 2025 Elections”, the said assembly for student leaders also had Senators Kiko Pangilinan, Bam Aquino and Leila de Lima as speakers -all of whom discussed the various socio-political problems of the country, from budget cuts to rising prices of goods. Magno and Heydarian spoke on the same aforementioned topics. At the beginning of the said Assembly, Fr. Rex Paul Arjona spoke on peace and change, saying that according to Pope Paul VI, “Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of structures that promote justice”. In addition, he echoed Pope Francis’ call “to be upset by things that are wrong and to find the courage to change them”.

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