After two separate meetings on April 20 and May 24 and two days of sem planning from April 21-22, the following University Student Council members were elected as committee heads:
Standing Committees:
as stated in the USC Constitution
Finance – Aisa King (USC Councilor)
Secretariat – Sarah Cabrera (USC Councilor)
Mass Media – Mars Veloso (USC Councilor)
Ways and Means – Paolo Mapula (USC Councilor)
*only councilors may head standing committees
Special Standing Committees:
The following committees are considered special standing since they are established as proposed. The USC first decides if there is a need for that committee and then votes from the proponents the committee head.
Academic Concerns – Kiko Serina (College of Eng’g Rep)
Committee on the Culture and Arts – Jeff Crisostomo (USC Councilor)
Community Rights and Welfare (CRAW) – Anton Dulce (CSWCD Rep)
Dorms, Orgs, Frats and Soros(DOFS) – Pajo Daep (USC Councilor)
Education and Research – Bang Dizon (CAL Rep)
Freshmen Committee – Pastor Dimaano (USC Councilor)
Graduate Committee – Kamar ibn-Alawi Muhammad (Institute of Islamic Studies Rep)
Gender Committee – Paula Mendoza (Educ Rep)
Lobbying Committee – Miko Nacino (NCPAG Rep)
Management of Environment, Security, and Health – Ralph Penafiel (Arki Rep)
People’s Struggle – Angel Clemente (Stat Rep)
Sports and Fitness – Mec Fajardo (CHK Rep)
Students’ Legal Aid and Action Committee (SLAAC) – Leni Papa (Law Rep)
Student Rights and Welfare (STRAW)- Ipay Bolibol (USC Councilor)
Saturday, June 2, 2007
USC Committees and Heads
University Student Council 2007-2008 Members
The first article came from the April 2007 issue of UPSE’s SIDHI, while the second article came from the March 12, 2007 news of the Philippine Collegian.
Abdulwahid leads USC ‘07-‘08
by Adrian Sadongdong
Shahana Abdulwahid of the Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP (STAND-UP) was declared the next chairperson of the UP Diliman University Student Council (USC) last March 7, a day after the elections. Abdulwahid garnered 4,365 votes, way above 3,225 votes obtained by Chesa Baltazar of Alyansa and 1,609 votes received by Hernan Barce of Kaisa. The vice-chairperson post was even more interesting with a close fight between Viktor Fontanilla of Alyansa and Ma. Isabel Artajo of STAND-UP. Fontanilla won by just 134 votes over Artajo.
Aside from filling the two highest positions in the council, Alyansa and STAND-UP equally shared the twelve slots for councilors with Alyansa candidate Herminio Bagro III ranking first in the list. UP School of Economics (UPSE) students Noel Reyes and Jo-ann Latuja, both from Alyansa as well, got the third and sixth spots for councilors, respectively.
Seven college representative seats were filled by STAND-UP candidates from Architecture, Arts and Letters, Education, Fine Arts, Social Welfare and Community Development, Statistics, as well as Library and Information Science. Representatives from Social Sciences and Philosophy, Business Administration, Science, Law, and Economics came from Alyansa. Alyansa also won the seat in the College of Engineering along with Kaisa which won three more seats in Home Economics, Tourism, and Public Administration. Two independent candidates from Mass Communication and Human Kinetics also got into the list of college representatives.
Of the 33 USC positions, STAND-UP won 14 seats, only one seat higher than Alyansa. Kaisa and independent candidates managed to get the six remaining posts. Below is the roster of USC officers for A.Y. 2007-2008:
Chairperson: Shahana Abdulwahid
Vice-chairperson: Viktor Fontanilla
Councilors (ranked according to number of votes):
1. Herminio Bagro III
2. Ma. Dalisay King
3. Noel Ricardo Reyes
4. Marcelino Veloso III
5. Paolo Marco Mapula
6. Jo-Ann Latuja
7. Nina Marie Angela Acasio
8. Patrick Joseph Daep
9. Vanessa Faye Bolibol
10. Jeffrey Crisostomo
11. Pastor Dimaano
12. Sarah Cabrera
Economics Representative to the USC: Marian Angelica Panganiban
***
ALYANSA on a close second
By Jerrie M. Abella
Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP (STAND-UP) secured the highest number of posts in the University Student Council (USC) elections on March 6.
STAND-UP bet Shahana Abdulwahid was elected chair, with 4,365 votes. STAND-UP also clinched six councilors and seven college representatives. (see sidebar)
Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (ALYANSA), meanwhile, came on a close second, with ALYANSA candidate Viktor Fontanilla elected as vice chair. Six councilors and six college representatives also came from the said party.
Completing the list of college representatives are three candidates from Nagkakaisang Iskolar para sa Pamantasan at Sambayanan and two independent contenders.
Higher voter turnout
The recent USC elections also saw an increase in the voter turnout from 41.68 percent last year to 45.21 percent. Out of 21,788 enrolled students, only 9,850 voted.
The colleges with the highest turnouts are the Asian Institute of Tourism (70.40 percent), the College of Law (70), the College of Architecture (65.47), the School of Economics (65.16), and the College of Business Administration (61.98).
The schools of Urban and Regional Planning, and Labor and Industrial Relations, meanwhile, posted the lowest turnouts at 5.43 and 10.88, respectively.
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Elizabeth Enriquez points to the computerization of elections in the College of Engineering (CE) and the School of Statistics, which posted turnout of 50.26 and 46.20 percent respectively, as a possible reason behind the increase. A total of 1,853 students from CE voted.
Enriquez said she will propose a gradual computerization of the USC elections starting from the college level next year.
Opposing groups
Abdulwahid’s and Fontanilla’s political parties hold opposing views with regard to the recently approved 300 percent tuition and other fee increases (TFI) in UP.
STAND-UP, one of the staunchest critics of the TFI, believes that the tuition hike is a form of commercialization of education and calls for the withdrawal of the TFI.
On the other hand, ALYANSA, is in favor of the TFI while pushing for the review of the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program brackets.
Abdulwahid said her immediate plan is to meet with UP President Emerlinda Roman and UP Diliman Chancellor Sergio Cao, where UP’s plans for its centennial next year and student issues like TFI will be discussed.
Fontanilla, meanwhile, said he will lead the League of College Councils in drafting a “unified stand” on the TFI.
Election winners will be proclaimed during the freshmen orientation program in June. # With reports from Cheska Montes
CHAIRPERSON
Shahana Abdulwahid, STAND-UP
VICE CHAIRPERSON
Viktor Samuel Fontanilla, ALYANSA
COUNCILORS
Herminio Bagro III, ALYANSA
Ma. Dalisay King, ALYANSA
Noel Ricardo Reyes, ALYANSA
Marcelino Veloso III, STAND-UP
Paolo Marco Mapula, STAND-UP
Jo-Ann Latuja, ALYANSA
Niña Marie Angela Acasio, ALYANSA
Patrick Joseph Daep, STAND-UP
Vanessa Faye Bolibol, STAND-UP
Jeffrey Crisostomo, ALYANSA
Pastor Dimaano, STAND-UP
Sarah Cabrera, STAND-UP
COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVES
ARCHITECTURE
Ralph Peñafiel, STAND-UP
ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TOURISM
Mae-Ann Mangaoang, KAISA
ARTS & LETTERS
Rose Angelique Dizon, STAND-UP
FINE ARTS
Angela Rae Sombillo, STAND-UP
MASS COMMUNICATION
Anne Kathleen Malolos, INDEPENDENT
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Oliver Allan Co, ALYANSA
ENGINEERING
Francis Seriña, KAISA
Jordan Ursua, ALYANSA
SOCIAL SCIENCES & PHILOSOPHY
Mae Emmeline Palgan, ALYANSA
SCIENCE
Gianina Kasandra Grey, ALYANSA
SOCIAL WORK & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Rafael Anton Dulce, STAND-UP
EDUCATION
Paula Mae Mendoza, STAND-UP
INSTITUTE OF LIBRARY & INFORMATION SCIENCE
Gerald Peña, STAND-UP
SCHOOL OF STATISTICS
Mary Angelica Clemente, STAND-UP
HOME ECONOMICS
Juan Miguel Eslava, KAISA
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & GOVERNANCE
J Mikhail Nacino, KAISA
HUMAN KINETICS
Jemima Katrina Fajardo, INDEPENDENT
SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS
Marian Angelica Panganiban, ALYANSA
LAW
Maria Leonila Papa, ALYANSA
***
Institute of Islamic Studies Representative Appointed
Kamarrudin bin-Alawi Muhammad was appointed by the
Since the current University Student Council (USC) constitution and the Student Code does not contain sufficient provisions regarding the election or appointment of student representatives from colleges offering only graduate degree programs (e.g. School of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Labor and Industrial Relations) , the USC 2007-2008 deliberated and discussed the procedure through which they become official members of the USC last April 15-16.
Muhammad assumes the functions of a college representative.
