Secretary
Carol Anne Balita
JOURNALISM junior and Central Student Council (CS)C) candidate for secretary Carol Anne Balita envisions an “inclusive” student council that goes beyond the borders of the mandated responsibilities.
“Ang vision ko sa CSC is siya ‘yong magiging autonomous na magpapakita ng itsura ng society ngayon. As a journalism student, gusto ko maging taga-pamalita ng Tomasino at ng mga Pilipino para hindi lang maging aware ang mga tao kundi para kumilos din sila para dito.”
Driven to break the stigma that secretariat duties are bound only within constitutional duties, Balita vows to promote Thomasian involvement through a multi-sectoral alliance and an immersion with marginalized communities.
“Hihingiin ko `‘yong voice ng Thomasians at kung ano ang tindig nila,” she said.
Balita served as the production head of the UST Journalism Society and the assistant secretary of UST Hiraya, the Uuniversity-wide feminist organization.
Robert Dominic Gonzales
FACULTY of Medicine and Surgery freshman Robert Gonzales upholds health awareness and quality education as he vies for the position of CSC secretary.
Gonzales, who took up Pharmacy in the University, envisions an effective student council in enforcing health policies and programs and in empowering personal and professional growth among students and teachers.
“I think it will be better if we do some modifications in the evaluation in of the faculty and staff, and aside from evaluating them we need to do the follow-up,” Gonzales said.
For Gonzales, student leaders should not settle in giving “mediocre service” for the students just to fulfill their platforms.
“I think it’s just practical to choose [platforms] na bihasa ka na kasi you don’t want to give mediocre service for the students. If you’re there to serve why don’t you serve them with full potential?” he said.
Gonzales served as the Faculty of Pharmacy Student Council secretary-general and assistant secretary in 2016.
Treasurer
Alek Pierce Joell Sta. Ana
LONE treasurer candidate Alek Pierce Joell Sta. Ana is advocating financial literacy and transparency between the administration and the students, especially when it comes to tuition increases.
Equipped with experience as a former executive staff member of his local student council’s treasurer, Sta. Ana believes he can occupy win the position left vacant last elections.
“I saw how the three members of the CSC performed and how they were able to go beyond their constitutional duties,” he said. “However, as a candidate for treasurer I believe I can fill this void up.”
Sta. Ana was not the sole candidate who filed for candidacy as treasurer. He was supposed to be running against Graduate School student Rome Voltaire who was later disqualified due to lack in of the required number of units enrolled.
However, Sta. Ana said he will was not contented with the fact that he only needed to win“not settle” with the fact that he only needs to compete with the 25 percent of the voting requirement prescribed by the University Student Elections Code to be proclaimed winner.
“Running as a sole candidate is a challenge because I have to convince the Thomasians not to leave the ballots unanswered and that I am deserving for the position,” he said.
Auditor
Adrian Lee Fernando
MEDICAL technology junior Adrian Lee Fernando is seeking a shift from local posts
to a university-wide council post as he aims for the position of Central Student Council
(CSC) auditor unopposed.
Having been in the council work for two years, Fernando believes that one of the main problems auditors face is the proper handling of receipts.
“I will be implementing a strict compliance mechanism that will collate and validate all official transactions made by the council,” Fernando said.
He said his experiences as the UST Medical Technology Society’s former external public relations officer and former executive associate to the president had prepared him in becoming a versatile and effective leader.
“I am a listener then a follower then a leader,” he said. “I learned how to listen
to the people around me, thus I became a leader who knows how to follow because I respect the opinions of each person.”
Fernando finds it a challenge and motivation to be the sole candidate for auditor.
“Dahil [malaki ang expectations sa akin], mas lalo akong na-motivate to do better in serving them. [I will] not just to prove my capabilities, but also show my advocacy and projects that go beyond the constitutional duties of an auditor,” he said.
Public Relations Officer
Jeanne Nicole Naval
BANKING on her two years of executive work in the Central Student Council, advertising arts senior Jeanne Nicole Naval seeks to build a council with “a better relationship with the student body.”
“My advocacy is focused on inclusivity and a more informative campaign for the students,” Naval told the Varsitarian.
Naval is counting on her advertising skills to help improve the PR system of the University, which, she said, lacked student involvement.
“I intend to address this problem by being more proactive in gathering facts and figures
regarding the issues,” Naval said. “Through this, we can be more thorough in evaluating our perspectives while upholding our Thomasian core values.”
Naval was executive associate to the CSC Secretary from 2015 to 2016 and co-director for
of CSC Community Development from 2016 to 2017.
Jeremiah Pasion
LONE male public relations officer candidate and political science junior Jeremiah Pasion vows to bring the CSC closer to students with his “proactive and pro-people” type of leadership.
“Ang lalo pang pagabot sa mga estudyante ang isa sa mga pinakamalaking hamon na sumasambulat ngayon sa pampublikong relasyon ng UST. Higit na kinakailangan na mas ilapit pa mismo ng isang konseho ang kanyang sarili sa mga Tomasino at mamuno sa mga laban nito,” Pasion told the Varsitarian.
Pasion stresses the importance of taking a stand on issues concerning both the University
and the country.
“Hindi sapat na pag-aralan lamang natin ang lipunan sa pamamagitan ng mga forum at
seminar; tayo ay din kikilos nang sama-sama,” he said.
He plans to hold alternative learning classes which that would raise awareness on socio-political matters.
Jan Krianne Pineda
FACULTY of Arts and Letters Student Council former public relations officer and political science junior Jan Krianne Pineda is ready to take on a university-wide post with platforms anchored on “participative, practical, and lawful initiatives.”
Pineda envisions “a more embracing” Thomasian community, with hopes of working closely with civil society groups to “address social ills through policy engagements, conferences
and community development projects.”
As a student leader, Pineda believes ideology alone is not enough when it comes to governance.
“Leaders must have a vision for the people they serve. They must have the necessary skills set for management to turn visions into reality,” Pineda said in an interview with the Varsitarian.
Pineda recently served as was the executive coordinator to the CSC PRO.
