DLSU SHS elects first batch of Student Council officers

The first batch of student officials for the DLSU Integrated School Student Council (IS SC) in the Senior High School (SHS) campus in Manila was recently inducted last August 8. Some 40 independent candidates ran for the positions of Campus President, Campus Vice President, Campus Secretary, Campus Treasurer, and Strand Representatives.

Integrated Student Councils
According to SHS Associate Principal for Student Affairs Maria Theresa Patricio, the DLSU IS SC is the recognized student government body of the DLSU Integrated School, which includes the Manila campus’ SHS and DLSU-Science and Technology Complex (STC). Thus, this implies that the SHS of Manila is under the council of STC, which has its own set of council officers. “This system was recently promulgated in the Revised Constitution and By-Laws of the IS Student Council in a plebiscite held last June 24,” Patricio adds.

On the other hand, SHS Student Activities Coordinator Loren Loraño says that the Manila SHS Student Council cannot establish an independent system from the IS SC due to the integration of the two campuses. “But of course, we’re giving them their own identity also and the right for their campus to have their own projects and programs. The number one [reason is] because of the distance [between the two campuses],” she adds.

However, Loraño emphasizes that one of the main differences of the Manila campus from STC is the presence of the Student Volunteers Body (SVB), which allows the students to apply for a position, while the Campus Vice President will be in charge of leading them.

Regardless of having separate student councils, the IS SC for both campuses will still be collaborating for some activities and programs. Loraño shares, “We want them to build that feeling that they are still under one integrated school [even though they have separate campuses].”

In terms of the qualifications of running candidates, Loraño says that the positions are open for everyone, but they still had to undergo a screening process. “There are some who were really interested, but were not able to reach the qualifications,” Loraño explains. After the application for candidacy closed on July 15, deliberation ensued and the announcement of candidates was held on July 18.

The duties and responsibilities of the elected officers are detailed in the Constitution and By-Laws of the IS SC. For instance, the Campus President is considered as the chief executive officer of the SC and must be a Grade 12 student during the term of office.

Included among the responsibilities of the President are presiding over every SC meeting, and administering the position the position as a legitimate representative of the SC and the student body to various institutional committees that establish or amend school policies, which upon implementation, may directly or indirectly affect the whole student body.

On the student council elections
The IS SC elections of SHS Manila were held last August 5, and were conducted through a Google Form made available to the students. According to Loraño, the voting process was fast because the students only needed to enter their code, class number, names, and preferred candidates. The voting period for the student council of SHS Manila was held for only one day, and all students were required to vote.

The previous student council of the IS SC of STC handled the voting process for SHS Manila. For the next academic year, Loraño says that there are plans of forming SHS Manila’s own governing body for the elections, similar to the University Student Government (USG) Commission on Elections.

When asked about the likelihood of having political parties in the SHS, Loraño explains, “Right now, we are thinking that [since] STC is the main [student government of IS SC], that means that the political parties will start in STC.”

Meanwhile, the winners of the elections will still be under the guidance and assistance of the SHS administration. “They may have plans that are over and beyond their roles and responsibilities, but of course we’re going to consider what’s beneficial for the students,” Loraño adds. “They will be guided. They will be under the Student Affairs.”

Anton Cano (Grade 11, STEM), who ran for Campus President, shares that he decided to run because he felt that there are many concerns that the SC can help the administration solve. “I want to help address those issues. [SHS is still on its first year], so it is still new and unpolished,” he adds.

Meanwhile, John Vincent Cortez (Grade 11, STEM), who ran for Campus Vice President, says that he has always wanted to be of service to others. Among some issues he wants to address are the mentality of SHS students, and the stigma perpetuating amongst them.

However, Christine Ylen (Grade 11, STEM), a non-candidate and a regular SHS student, laments that some of the candidates running for a position just do it for the fame. “Most of them didn’t answer the questions thrown at them [during the SHS Miting de Avance],” she explains in Filipino.

Collaborations with the college community
In terms of the SHS’ relationship with the DLSU college community, Patricio says that there is a possibility of establishing collaborative projects between the SC and USG. However, the SHS is still in its first year and there are still a lot of adjustments to be made before coming up with a major decision.

“[The Integrated School has its own Student Affairs Office, which] works closely in coordination with the University Student Affairs Office and its counterpart offices to provide seamless programs and services to its stakeholders. The SHS should look forward to more activities in collaboration with college student organizations in the coming months,” Patricio elaborates.