Since the start of the school year, the different units of the University Student Government (USG) have been active in fulfilling campaign promises from the candidates during the General Elections and initiating projects for the student body. While the Office of the President focused on educating students about national issues, the other offices, particularly that of the Vice President for Internal Affairs (OVPIA), Vice President for External Affairs (OVPEA), Executive Secretary (OSEC), and Executive Treasurer (OTREAS), set their goals on providing quality student services.
An online survey conducted by The LaSallian with 122 respondents showed that 53% are pleased with the performance of the USG this year. Those who were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied compose 42 percent of the respondents. Only 14 percent were dissatisfied.
The OTREAS has succeeded in developing student financial services through the Lasallian Scholar Program (LSP) and by introducing the calamity loan grant. OSEC, on the other hand, has managed to maintain communication channels pioneered from the previous year. and maintained in the current. OVPIA has improved existing student services while adding additional programs such as delivery services of Agno concessionaires, while the OVPEA opened more exchange program opportunities. OPRES, on the other hand, stressed its efforts in initiating advocacies. A recent example was during the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Martial Law, where an exhibit was set up by the office in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
Despite such efforts, survey results shows that some students feel that the different units are not equally visible, particularly OPRES. Jana Cabuhat, USG President, explains that this may be because while all the other units focused on offering student services and improving them, she chose to become the external arm and concentrate on bringing to mind advocacies which make Lasallians aware of more pressing issues outside the University.
Many units, one USG
Cabuhat agrees with the view of former USG President Cabe Aquino in making the organization more cohesive. This vision, One USG, refers to the student government’s conscious efforts to market itself as one united office instead, of merely being a federal body composed of several units.
She admits that the present conditions in the USG show that there is still much work to be done in order to achieve this, but she said that there have been developments in the said area. For instance, publicity materials now give emphasis on the project itself rather than on the units responsible for the project. Due credit is then given to the USG as a cohesive unit, instead of the specific office heading the said project.
The ultimate goal of the one USG endeavor is to streamline all activities initiated by the USG. This focus on streamlining seems to be lacking in implementation, according to some of the respondents of the survey. A COS respondent believes that the previous officers’ effort to rationalize activities have “been reset”, indicating that some activities are not need-based.
Last year, the USG created the advocacy calendar to make the different offices’ projects more synchronized and in line with each other, with all proposed activities synchronized in terms of goals. It was implemented to serve as basis for the activities of all the offices in the USG. Activities such as seminars, forums, and exhibits are required to conform to the set advocacy for a particular month such as environmental awareness and nation building. The implementation of the calendar effectively streamlined activities, although there have been qualms on its success in engaging students.
Its use, however, was discontinued this year. VP for Internal Affairs Robert Hechanova shares that the Executive Board now follows a new Lasallian Reflection framework. Through the said framework, the USG is able to create activities not just on the basis of advocacies, but rather on student issues and concerns.
Moreover, like last year, there is a problem of lack of attendance of students in such projects. “It’s not about catching the attention of the students anymore but it’s actually reeling them in and making them stay attentive to whatever you’re putting out there,” explains Cabuhat. Events, despite their relevance, are also participated in by the same set of people, so Cabuhat adds that she would like to widen the reach of USG’s activities given such limited scope.
The USG have also shifted from the use of posters around campus to the utilization of online means for information dissemination. Officers now send announcements via mobile phone, social networking sites, and the USG website, which is currently being refurbished and redeveloped. Several respondents have also agreed that improvement can be seen in the USG’s effort to announce important matters like class suspensions and enrollment schedules.
Moreover, this year had Cabuhat the sole officer in the Executive Board that ran under political party Alyansang Tapat sa Lasallista (Tapat). The four others were from Iisang Tugon sa Tawag ng Panahon (Santugon) All of the officers agree that there have no express conflicts have been brought about by political differences. Conflicts, rather, are brought about by differences in views on how to best carry out projects.
“You were given a position [by the students] not to focus more on whatever party you came from,” USG Executive Treasurer Carlo Inocencio justifies. “What matters more is the work we do for the students, and nothing else.”
The verdict
When asked to rate the USG using the DLSU grading system, over half of the respondents of the survey gave a grade ranging from 2.5-3.5. 21 percent of the respondents gave ratings of below 2.5.
While student services have been stressed by the USG, what seems lacking now is student representation to the administration. If only we can be involved more in the undertakings made by the administration, then we can have a student government truly for the students.
Students may have given the USG above average to satisfactory rating, but the Executive Board is in agreement that there is still room for improvement in terms of their current performance and that their programs and activities do not stop once they fulfill their campaign promises back during March.
