#FEATURE | Light amidst uncertainties: The newly elected 2024 Batch Council
by Andy Ganancial & Wrynah Calpito
Kalinawan, Kaliwanagan, Karunungan, at Kapakanan. (Transparency, Communication, Academics, and Student Welfare.)
These are the promises of the newly elected Batch 2024 Council.
The straight win of the Lampara Partylist as the new Batch 2024 Council was announced last November 23 by the Philippine Science High School–Main Campus Students’ Electoral Commission (PSHS–MC SEC). The council now consists of Ula Beatrix Lim (President), Myka Angelyn Ylarde (Vice President), Raine Saiya Delos Reyes (Secretary), Bianca Marie Sacramento (Treasurer), and Julianne Earl Sales (Auditor).
From having mere dreams to now making change.
Stepping up, from the start
The members of Lampara were the few who stepped up to lead the batch despite the difficulty of transitioning from two years of online classes to the current face-to-face set-up.
Though they did not initially plan to run, the members came together and formed the party as they shared the same advocacies and knew that the batch council would give them the platform to realize their goals.
“Before we came together, we all had our own intent to find ways to address the concerns that we experienced in the batch, be it a lack of easy communication, lack of action towards projects, etc.,” Lim explained. “[T]his shared want for change and new perspectives was the red string that tied us all together.”
Ylarde, the newly elected batch vice president, was the batch auditor last school year. When asked about her past experience in the batch council, she shared: “One of the many things I learned was how to work with other people and ask for help from the previous Batch Council on important decisions. I also learned how to use statistics and feedback to find out how I can improve for the people I work with as well as the entire batch.”
The newly elected officials, except for Ylarde, are new to being members of the batch council. Despite this, they assure Batch 2024 that they will face the difficulties they may encounter head-on and use their various leadership stints in the past to help 2024 foster as a batch.
“It may be my first time leading an entire batch; however, I also have my share of prior leadership experiences, which will help me perform my job well,” Delos Reyes remarked.
“It scares me a little that as someone who is a first-timer in the batch council that I may not reach the expectations of some, but with this to drive me, I hope to fulfill all the plans we have in store in order to make the rest of our Pisay stay memorable,“ Lim added.
To Batch 2024
During the first 30 days of their term, the Batch 2024 Council aims to establish the Prom Committee and the Batch Council Staff, which will consist of the Academics, College Applications, and Communications Committees. According to the council, applications for both will open in December.
They also plan to establish profound and closer connections through student representation and improve online communication through emails and Discord and offline communication through block representatives.
“We come from different friend groups, sections, blocks, clubs, school communities[,] etc., and we’ve already come to create connections with different people from the batch through these, but despite that, we still aim in creating new and deeper connections,” Lim stated.
Sacramento also mentioned that the School Fair their batch is organizing will be a major fundraiser for this school year.
“We will also be having minor fundraisers in the near future, “ she added.
New leaders
When the results of the election were released, Lampara couldn’t be more delighted knowing they would be able to lend a helping hand to the batch and work together in achieving this goal.
Delos Reyes stated that she’s thankful for the batch’s trust in her to lead and serve. “I’m also looking forward to working on our proposed projects with my fellow batch council members and the future [Batch Council] Staff,” she added.
“Again, thank you [for the trust]. Rest assured that I will always do my duties with dignity and competence,” said Sales.
However, being in a leadership position comes with struggles they must face.
“There is pressure since this will be my first time leading the batch, and I feel the responsibility that comes along with the position,” Sacramento expressed.
As they said, it will undoubtedly be a difficult path. But with each other’s backs, they can serve the batch with the best of their abilities.
“The batch can expect that we will always have your interests at heart,” Lim concluded.
