THE CENTRAL Student Council (CSC) launched a week-long campaign last Oct. 20 to 24 to gain more support from the Thomasian community for the passage of the proposed Students’ Code since it is not among the UST administration’s priorities.
“Kailangan nating aminin na hindi priority ng administration ‘yung pagpasa ng Students’ Code sa ngayon, kaya kailangan nilang maramdaman na gusto talaga nating maipasa ito ngayong taon,” Central Board speaker and Civil Law Student Council president Victor Villanueva said during the Students’ Rights and Welfare (STRAW) forum last Oct. 21.
Villanueva said local student councils are also to be blamed in the long-overdue approval of the code because they failed to actively involve the students in the issue.
“This is a criticism and a challenge at the same time. Kung ang mga student council officers noong panahon ng eleksyon ay kinakayang mag-room-to-room buong araw at abutin ang kamay ng mga estudyante, bakit hindi natin kayang gawin ang ganoong effort para sa pagpasa ng Students’ Code?” he said at the closing ceremony of the STRAW Week last Oct. 24.
According to Villanueva, the annual changes in the UST administration and CSC officers, and the competition among political parties should not also cause further delays in the passage of the code.
“We should be trained to exercise our discernment, so when we come out of the University, we are able to exercise the fundamental rights that we are supposed to exercise as citizens of the Philippines,” Villanueva said, citing that the code would help students to become responsible citizens.
In a bid to gain continuous support from the student body, CSC President Ina Vergara said officers would conduct a room-to-room signature campaign for the passage of the proposed code.
“It’s a tedious process pero kung nagawa naming mag-room-to-room during the election campaign, we can do it again for the passage of the Students’ Code,” Vergara said. Roberto A. Vergara, Jr.
