Vying CoS Student Leaders Go Head to Head in Pre-Election Debate

By: Tobey Fhar Isaac Calayo

Disclaimer: This is a concise summary of each candidates’ platform and project rationale. The full video of the 2022 Miting de Avance may be viewed at the official Facebook page of the College of Science Commission on Elections.

Weeks of campaign and election preparations culminated in an afternoon of point-blank questions and pre-election debate as the annual Miting de Avance was held on April 1, 2022 in the Facebook page of the UST College of Science Commission on Elections at 2 pm. This gave student leaders an opportunity to expound on their platforms and answer multi-faceted questions on different aspects of the college’s students, policies, and existing student-centered systems.

10 leaders, eight (8) from LAKAS-LOOB (Lakas-Leadership Onwards Outstanding Beginning), one (1) Independent, and one (1) LAKASDIWA-SCI (Lakas ng Diwang Tomasino-Science), make up this year’s roster of candidates for the College of Science Student Council (CSSC) 2022 Elections, where only the position for public relations officer is contended by candidates Rouanne Fae P. Bernos, the sole bearer of LAKASDIWA-SCI, and Gabriel Angelo M. Enriquez of LAKAS-LOOB.

Bernos seeks a platform to fact-check controversial mental health statements, debunking ‘kuro-kuro’ with a post-assessment session for ‘kumustahans’ and follow-ups. She also wants to spearhead the “Maria, Ikaw ang Bukas” campaign to be offered as a webinar for woman empowerment. She also aims to reestablish and improve the former methods in camaraderie to strengthen the League of Public Relations Officers.

Nicole Louise S. Golez, the sole independent candidate running for Internal Vice President, highlighted her project MISO: Mental Health Inclusivity, Student Assistance, and Open Communications. This would be integrated in her goal of building connections, breaking gaps, and establishing a more formidable system for irregular students via proper directory, a buddy system, and watch lists coursed through the various academic societies.

The only LAKAS-LOOB candidate with an opponent, Enriquez wishes to fulfill projects under #EfficienSCI, which will include a telegram channel and email-blast methods of augmenting and improving information dissemination through SCIger Knows. With his project CommTact, he hopes to amplify intact communications under the objective of centralization, proper publicity, and representation.

Simon Justin R. Haygood’s #SCInergy had transparency and literacy as his primary motivating factors. According to Haygood, this is crucial knowledge for the CSSC Auditor — the position he is eyeing, where synergized and methodized projects would help establish a definite auditing system which will ensure in-depth analysis and full-transparency through audit reports and graphical representation of the two (2) sources of income of the CSSC — the student activity fund (SAF) and the student council fund (SCF). He also wishes to implement a webinar-project to enhance the knowledge of Thomasian scientists in financial literacy.

The #InSCIte of Frances Althea R. Antonio, running for Assistant Treasurer, was centered on the Piso-Paaral-Program (PPP), and aimed to improve the flow of funds. Through her project Change for Change, donation boxes will be established all over the college for the PPP, while altogether fulfilling training towards student leaders via webinars and a series of talks. The candidate also suggested the appointment of financial coordinators per block protected under a system for safe resource mobilization and money transfer, promising ExSCIllence Through Service.

Jan Steven D. Ortega’s wishful run as the next CSSC Treasurer aims to implement COIN — COllaborate and INspire, while encapsulating the training for class treasurers and providing them with necessary kits for paperworks and other needed materials to fulfill their mandates. This would be done under #MagkakaSCImaPabalik.

The Assistant Secretary candidate, Angel Reign P. Santos advocated for PANTONE, which stands for Public Awareness and Navigation, Translating Oddity, and Noting the Expression. This will systematically be fulfilled with proper needs-assessment to promote safe spaces among Thomasian Scientists belonging to marginalized communities while hearing them out by the virtue of educating people beyond their sectors, and hearing their experiences as members of the community. Her platform would also support them through the release of support statements by the CSSC.

Julianne Jesh D. Villena’s #SCIeizeTheChange is aimed towards embodying the secretariat duty, and is composed of Shift, Step, and Sail. Shift will help students in transitioning to face-to-face classes by re-aligning adjustments through tabloids, podcasts, and series. Step will create video courses on both organizational and time management, and the creation of a curriculum vitae and resumes, while Sail will help nourish the secretariat work culture in dealing with paperworks.

Mikaela Renee R. Ong, running for External Vice President, introduced #tranSCItionwithAZURErance which will include project BabalikSCIyo to increase face-to-face confidence through webinars on rapport, etiquettes, adjustments, and how-to’s in fostering relationships. On the other hand, Project Kinabukasan is career-oriented and will invite CEOs and HR Managers to talk about employability and marketability after the phase of online classes.

As this year’s only Presidential candidate, Angela Justine E. Bautista embodies the LAKAS-LOOB motto, especially through her platform, PreSIYENSYA, which will foster student-administration relations, student-representations, and organizational collaborations.

Following the elaboration of their platforms and projects, each candidate was given the opportunity to clarify points and ask questions to four (4) other fellow aspirants. The event continued with a fast-talk, which examined the candidates’ stands on relevant social issues, whether they were for or against the motion. These were further inspected by panelists, followed by the College of Science community, in the Question and Answer portion. To conclude the annual debate, each party gave their closing statements, in time for the upcoming CSSC Elections to be held in the coming days.