#NEWS | S.Y. 2019–20 Elections: The Candidates of Batch 2021
by Rafa Escareal and Alano Ines
In this year’s Batch 2021 Council Elections, the positions of President, Vice President, and Auditor, are up for grabs. Candidates from Buklod and Scholars Serving Our Batch (SSOB) are vying for a position to serve the batch.
Buklod is running with the aim to bring unity, collaboration, and advancement to the batch as well as assuring transparency regarding their projects and policies. They plan on making it easier for the batch to access files and forms in relation to school work and affairs, as well as materials needed for university application. They also want to improve student lifestyle through their policies regarding student mental health and classroom cleanliness.
SSOB is running with the aim to give the batch a voice, to leave an impact and legacy on the Pisay community, to allow the student body to have access to professional help for matters regarding their mental health, and to achieve these goals by organizing meaningful projects and implementing policies that align with their mission.
For the upcoming elections, we interviewed the two parties and asked them some questions about their party and platforms.
Why did you not run in last year’s elections?
Buklod: We had different priorities last year and running for a position in the council was not something we thought we could commit to. The three of us definitely considered it, but we didn’t have a lot of time to think about it, and if ever, prepare for the responsibility that is being a BC officer. We didn’t want to rush into it without being fully committed. After thinking about it over the summer though, we’ve aligned our priorities and know that we’re ready to take this on.
SSOB: Last year, we didn’t have complete grasp of what changes entering SYP would bring. However, after 1) having the summer to thoroughly think about it and 2) experiencing the first few weeks of SYP, we are now sure that we can balance serving the batch and our own academic responsibilities.
What made you run this year, and what can you bring to the table?
Buklod: We’re confident that we have the skills and experience to be part of the batch council. Now that we’ve set our priorities, we are ready to serve the batch to the best of our abilities. What we want for the batch is the smoothest possible running of everything and for us to be able to thrive as one unit, which is why we have our proposed projects, such as the digital form archive, the university information drive and Recharge.
SSOB: Being “newcomers,” so to speak, of the leadership scene (having never run for any positions in the BC or SC), we think our perspective on certain issues could bring a new point of view to the BC. We were the student body, and now we want to be its voice.
Both parties have policies regarding mental health. Why is yours better, and how can you assure its effective implementation?
Buklod: Recharge aims to help relieve the stress of the batch. It is what we think is most feasible and practical, given that other school organizations and authorities are also working on projects and policies to address this issue. Its implementation would be straightforward from there because, at its core, it is intended to be surely attainable for our council and can be organized in a relatively short time frame.
SSOB: We decided to go the more “professional help” route as opposed to supplementary activity initiatives that, although also important, cannot always stand alone nor completely remedy the core problem. We want everyone to have the chance to get professional help, and through this project, we believe it will soon become possible.
What PISAY value do you view as most important?
Buklod: Our party believes that service is the most important PISAY value. Apart from our duty to serve our country and its people, we now have another calling, which is to serve our batch. Our party has our desire to serve as the foundation for all of the things we do now, and we are convinced that with through this, we will be able to carry out our responsibilities in the best way possible.
SSOB: Integrity. For us, this is the value that shapes the way you do things, be it big or small, and also shapes how you think of yourself and how others think of you.
What policy/principle stated in your POA do you view as paramount?
Buklod: We believe that transparency is most important because as a batch council, before anything else, we have to be representatives to and for our batch. That responsibility defines everything a council does. How will we be able to fulfill that if they don’t know what’s going on? Our goal is to be part of an open, communicative council, because we want the batch to have confidence in all that we do.
SSOB: We plan to give the utmost importance to our policies regarding representation. It’s the foundation of our GPOA and expounded on in our SPOA through the “Transparency” and “BC Representation in the PTC” portions. Relating to the previous question, we want integrity to be present in the way the BC functions, we want to make sure everyone trusts us, and that we deliver on our promises.
Both parties seem confident in their platform and policies, but it will be up to you to decide on that. Our candidates have one more chance to prove their merit in tomorrow’s Miting de Avance, to be held from 12:10 to 1:00, at the 3rd floor auditorium. The links to their full GPoAs can be found here:
