Central Student Government (CSG) has implemented a total of nine projects and six initiatives for the first term of SY 2015-2016, CSG president Roshan Owais said at her first State of the Government Address (SOGA) held at Augusto-Rosario Gonzales (ARG) theater last November 23.
“Although we believe that numbers matter, the CSG’s mission this year is to reach out to the 14,000 students in our community,” said Owais.
The SOGA aims to inform Benildeans of CSG’s accomplishments to date, as well as its future plans, projects, and advocacies.
According to Owais, CSG’s first fully functioning date was last August 24, the first day of 1st term SY 2015-2016 because they were not allowed to perform during transition term along with the other student organizations. However, student concerns were still accommodated and answered. Apprehensions encountered outside of CSG’s area of jurisdiction were directed to corresponding officers, which fell under CSG Initiatives–letters and compiled requests of the CSG from student for the administration to hear.
A few of CSG’s implemented projects are as follow:
- UTILIS Night, an advocacy night prepared as a Halloween celebration where Benildeans were allowed to express themselves creatively by wearing Halloween costumes
- Bilingualism in Deaf Education, a seminar conducted during the Deaf Festival to raise awareness and promote to the Hearing Community the identity of Deaf Benildeans
- SMIT BAE Desk, designed to aid students regarding the enlistment, enrollment, and encoding processes
- Diplomats in the Making: A Foreign Service Officers Examination Orientation, provided Consular and Diplomatic Affairs (CDA) students an overview of the Foreign Service officers examination
- A general assembly for School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management (SHRIM) and CDA students to inform them of their programs
“We have more initiatives than projects, and I think that’s what really matter more,” said Owais as she shares her delight with the content of CSG. “Initiatives fall under the long-term effects, and I think that’s what the CSG is there for.”
Owais also mentioned that as of now, the overall budget of CSG amounts to 530,964.34 pesos. The College provides 150,000 pesos at the start of the school year as an operational budget, which is directly consumed in the implementation of CSG’s projects. On the other hand, depository budget or funds that had been collected through fundraising events by CSG sums up to 402,622.11 pesos.
At the end of Owais’ speech, Benildeans were given a chance by the CSG executive board to ask questions, address concerns, and verify details. Among the discussed matters were a few of CSG’s projects and the occurring problem with regards to SIS. CSG’s executive board then announced that they are currently negotiating with the national COMELEC to add Benilde to the list of the different universities that will be included in the caravan, where all candidate president visit to present their platforms. This project will be in partnership with Center for Social Action (CSA), Benilde COMELEC, and Benildean political parties.
In addition, CSG’s future project, “#HappyThursdates” which serves as a “substitute or provide alternative experiences for students” will be open for the entire Benildean community. CSG’s goal is to host one big event once a month on a Thursday. In Owais’ speech, she said that the biggest event of CSG will happen on the last week of January in line with the Lasallian week, where different activities will be conducted per day. “To kick off the event will be the Opening Fundraiser of Filipino Games, followed by the Alternative Benildean Learning Experience (ABLE), opening of the Benildean League, screening of Heneral Luna to launch #HappyThursdates, and lastly the culminating day which aims to gather the entire Benildean community for a food fest and concert,” said Owais.
A Benildean questioned the action between CSG and the registrar’s office regarding the plights he encountered during a pre-enrollment. “Nakasulat ‘dun sa list ng available sections if it’s open and close right? There was a time when I enrolled in the transition term. In that section, nakasabi close, meaning 40 students maximum, but when I came inside there, there were less than 40.”
In response, Owais said that the same situation happened to one the Multimedia Arts (MMA) students before. They met up with a dean from SDA and the registrar’s office, and the problem was traced to be in the department itself. In conclusion, Owais said that when problems like that happen, it is the department that you have to address. “So now it’s become a rule that the students have to meet up with academic advisers or to show up just so that academic advisers can open these sections,” explained Owais.
When asked if it’s not the problem of the registrar, Owais responded “the registrar said that all the access come from the department and then the registrar just sends it to the ITD. The ITD fixes the SIS, and then all announcements are just sent to us.”
In an interview, Owais shared that she thinks that CSG has created a huge effect on the Benildean community because of the revision of the student handbook. “That will last about four years so whatever the decisions we make now, will continue for the next four years, and I believe that is our biggest legacy in terms of long-term because it’s not like the other or the future students will experience our term, but they will experience our rules and regulations,” said Owais.
Consular and Diplomatic Affairs (CDA) junior student Samantha Suarez rates CSG’s performance eight out of ten. According to Suarez, keeping the students updated regarding school announcements and events through social media accounts like facebook and twitter is helpful. “But I think they still lack of having interactions with the students at school,” added Suarez.
To see the full list of CSG’s implemented and future projects, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CSGBenilde.
Frosh Elections Result
Commission on Elections (COMELEC) chairperson Justine Villafuerte announced the winners of the recently concluded Frosh elections after CSG turned over the program to COMELEC.
The following candidates were declared winners of the campaign:
School of Design & Arts (SDA) representative:
Joaquin Infante (355 votes)
School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management (SHRIM) representative:
Hansel Del Rosario (260 votes)
School of Multidisciplinary Studies (SMS) representative:
Naiane Martija (103 votes)
School of Management and Information Technology (SMIT) representative:
Nicole Batungbacal (275 votes)
Del Rosario admitted that being a frosh representative will be an added pressure to him, but he is very thankful of winning. “There are endless possibilities like what we always say, there are limitless opportunities and possibilities for everything so we didn’t really expect it, but yeah, it’s very heartwarming,” said Del Rosario.
Meanwhile, Music Production (AB-MP) frosh student Arvin Dela Cruz believes that all SDA representative candidates have their own strength. However, he expresses satisfaction in Infante’s victory. “Nakita ko sa Facebook na maganda yung platforms niya eh, so I think deserving siya manalo,” said Dela Cruz.
