Founder explains International State College of the Philippines' purpose on social media
MANILA, Philippines — Trending satire page International State College of the Philippines (ISCP) founder Niño Ged explained that he created the page to satirize college life and did not expect it to become a hit on Facebook.
In an interview with Philstar.com, Niño said he credits the success of the page to its members.
“The ISCP was originally born as an idea to satirize college life. It was intended to post mundane college experiences in a lighter, brighter way than it is. It has relevance in my life because I'm also an incoming college student. I didn't really expect that the main page (would) blow out of proportion. It has become much bigger and almost has a life of its own. I am very proud of the people that made the ISCP grow much bigger than expected,” he said.
“It is like the idea has been born out of my mind and was nurtured by the community/students of the ISCP. It transgresses political, social, and every aspect that makes us divided. The ISCP makes us united in somehow a familiar way of how schools are doing in the pre-pandemic era. I think they miss being a part of the institution where they can actively participate. The students are now hungry for face-to-face classes and the resumption of the new normal. The ISCP, I can say, is a successful culmination of all the good things that happen in school,” he added.
Niño said that the purpose of the page is to force social media users to be vigilant about information published on the web.
“I believe that satire should exist as it helps people, whether or not they believe a thing without ever researching it. I believe that in this information age, we should be aware of the information presented to us. This is the new 'art of war,' not fought by blood or swords, but by brains and information. I advise that everyone should sharpen their minds and become as logical as possible in assessing information,” he said.
“Satire has always existed. I really love ‘The Modest Proposal’ by Jonathan Swift published in 1729. I love writing satirical content as it exposes the problems in our society via humor. If it makes us laugh, it makes us think that, 'Oh, it might be right or wrong,'” he added.
For the page bashers, Niño said they should “enroll to the school to see how great it is to build something and to be part of the interplanetary community as we have campuses all throughout the solar system.”
He also has a message for the people who are “enrolled” in the school.
“I would like to give credit to the Discord team namely the ISCP E-Youth Council - General Management Committee. They've really helped me manage more people as this was unexpected. If these volunteers are not there, the ISCP would be in shambles as I cannot manage more than 500,000 people at once,” he said.
“For the followers of the ISCP, I thank you for your participation in memes, in classes, and everything in between. You all make this possible. I thank everyone as they made everything welcoming. I love the memes in the ISCP (E-Youth Council), ya'll do a great job in capturing the school-like essence. I am very proud of all the Aspins and ISCPanians,” he added.
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