#FEATURE | Behind the Transition: Our Newly Elected Student Leaders
By Kaira Balcos and Jersey Gutierrez
Do you ever take a look at the people around you and wonder how they live their lives? Those well-rounded students who know how to weigh their responsibilities and serve as our leaders? Those are the students that form the Batch Councils. Some may see them as flawless and above the rest, but just like us, they’re regular teenagers too.
They all convey emotions, thoughts and feelings, like any other ordinary student, and our newly elected leaders are no exception. But what really goes on in their heads, especially during their transition period into the council? Why would you want to put more pressure on yourself with the burden of carrying out a lot of responsibilities? Is it worth it?
Last school year, there were already students holding positions in the council. Around a month ago, a few more students were chosen to fill in the remaining positions. Time is a crucial factor. Every second counts, which made some students ahead of the rest. For the newly elected officers, it may be hard to catch up.
“We’re bridging the gap nga …” said Cai Ibarra, 2021’s Vice President as she expressed how she felt about the first quarter. “But honestly I like where we’re going… Odds seem really stacked against us pero mukha namang kakayanin lahat going forward.”
There was a certain period wherein Wil Ang and Ej Mejilla, 2021’s secretary and treasurer respectively, were carrying out the job of the whole batch council. Once the three newest members came into the picture, it made the lives of the two somewhat easier, but it also meant that new challenges were about to arise.
“The day [actually, within the hour] we were elected na-add na kami to multiple group chats. We started working on the 2021 planner, and our week was basically booked with meetings with the PTA and prom [committee]. Yeah, it’s been pretty fast,” said Cai.
Clarice Gelogo, 2022’s Treasurer, wasn’t a running candidate. A process within the Batch Council members, students, and their batch adviser later on determined who to select for the position. As she was appointed, she stated, “It wasn’t difficult to adjust because the rest of the council are very welcoming and helpful.”
“All of the members keep an open mind,” said Clarice. Even with the hectic schedules and overload of requirements that the past few weeks were flooded with, the adjustment period wasn’t difficult since her co-members were flexible and easy to work with. The same applies to the rest of the batches, whose transition was made easier by the warm welcome of the older members.
“I think the Batch Council made a pretty good start for this year.” said the 2023 Batch President.” “Even though we are newly elected, we were able to start implementing one of our agendas, the formation of the committee, the Creatives and the Acad[emic]s, which already functioned this First Quarter. We already had a meeting with parents and students regarding the projects lined up by the PTC and the yearly activities. I think we already did a pretty good framework for the rest of our term,” said Celver Ortiz, the 2023 Batch President.
The 2024 Batch Council said, “These past few weeks have been quite hectic…It was difficult to adjust to the new responsibilities. It felt like one moment we were focusing on our own reqs then the next we were organizing committees and projects for our entire batch…just like a switch trying to be turned on and off simultaneously.”
The transition period is never going to be easy, especially for the freshmen. “We are still adjusting to the new environment of Pisay,” said the Batch Council of 2025.
Full adjustment would really take a lot of time for the new batch councils, but teamwork is all they need to start to feel at home. It was a productive first quarter, despite the number of class suspensions. But with three quarters still ahead of us, our batch councils still have a ton of work to accomplish. It can get tiring, yet they continue to push themselves to serve us, the student body. As for their upcoming projects, the councils already have a number of events already planned.
“Most of our stuff this year, besides the planner, are big events. We’re planning up to retreat, prom, so siguro the road going there won’t be that smooth for us, but I think the output should be fine” said Cai.
Red Loste, their president, added, “Mukhang medyo mahirap yung gagawin namin this year, pero I think we can do it.”
“We are looking forward to accomplish the events that we have promised for our batch which includes the Batch 2024 Night. This event has been highly requested by our batchmates and we really want to do this event for them. […] We want our batch to be free from stress, to be free from requirements and presentations. We want our batch to feel free again from everything for at least one day,” said the 2024 Batch Council.
“We want, hope and look forward to promoting unity, a sense of togetherness, and a sense of family within the batch…but this is just a stepping stone towards the many plans that we have.” says the 2023 Batch Council. There are still many things in store for the rest of the school year, and our leaders continue to work hard everyday to make them happen.
All of the batch council members are eager to continue to lead and serve their fellow students for the rest of the school year. The first quarter may have been a bit rough on them, but with three more quarters to go, only time will be able to tell how things turn out in the end. Hardships are certainly inevitable, but with the support of the rest of the batch, each council will be able to push through.
“We’re looking forward to working for you…and with you”
-Loste, Ibarra, Del Rosario 2021
“Hello! I’m looking forward to serving you all. Let’s help each other out because we all know that Grade 10 is not easy. Kaya natin ‘to!”
-Gelogo, 2022
“Recently, we have concluded the First Quarter, but this is just a stepping stone towards the many plans that we have. With the cooperation of all of us we can do many things and accomplish so much more than we ever thought was possible. Don’t forget to set your priorities, balance your work schedule and rest. We can do this together 2023!”
-Ortiz, Zara, Catolico, Ubanos, Balanga, 2023
“We hope that this year, we’ll be of great help to you and assist you through requirements and projects. We hope that you have fun with the events we have planned, and you benefit greatly from our projects that we implement! Thank you and we love you, Batch 2024!”
-Tan, Bueser, Lozada, Dela Rama, Panopio, 2024
“We, the batch council, will always be open to what our batchmates will say. We are hoping to serve the batch and serving the greater good. We are just a whisper away! Our dropbox is now ready and running. We hope that we could help the batch in the best way we can. It is our duty, as batch council, to help our batch and that is our promise!”
-Chua, Palada, Bermudo, Cheng, Alvarez, 2025
