Deviating from the usual schedule, a Legislative Assembly (LA) Session was held last November 9 to discuss resolutions for the amendment of the Special Elections (SE) Code, the approval of the University Student Government (USG) budget allocation for the academic year, amendments to the USG Executive Treasurer’s Manual, the establishment of the Student Consultative Body for the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business (RVRCOB) government, and other matters.
The legislating body motioned for the first agenda to be removed among those to be discussed, with the SE timeline being subject to change due to the University’s scheduled accreditation period with the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities. According to Chief Legislator Norbs Sarigumba, there was no need to amend the resolution as the SE schedule, once adjusted, would still fall under the original timeline.
Establishment of RVRCOB Student Consultative Body
Originally a suggestion by RVRCOB Associate Dean Atty. Hilario Caraan, the Student Consultative Body is set to be established and implemented on the second term of Academic Year 2018-2019. Aimed to help students voice out their concerns, the project has been in the works since August, in association with college and Alliance of Professional Organizations of Business and Economics (PROBE) presidents from RVRCOB.
To assure students that all their concerns are being voiced out to the different departments of RVRCOB, the said program will be spearheaded by different BLAZE units and PROBE officers through consultation sessions. This further involves students in the process of making important decisions related to the improvement of the different departments of the RVRCOB.
Approval of USG budget allocation
The assembly approved the budget allocations for the whole of the USG amounting to P507,355. Of that, P75,000 is allocated to the batch governments. The 118 batch governments saw a budget increase due to the increased amount of students, while the graduating batch governments received a smaller budget. The College of Liberal Arts, Gokongwei College of Engineering, and RVRCOB batch governments also received a P1,000 increase. However, the Science and Technology Campus Government’s budget of P3,000 remained the same as it was judged to be sufficient for their needs.
Other allocations include P5,000 for each department of the LA, Php 8,000 for the Department of Activity Approval and Monitoring, P5,000 for Commission on Audit, and P21,000 for the Commision on Elections (Comelec). An estimated P40,000 may be needed by Comelec for the automation of their election systems.
Amendments to the Treasurer’s Manual
There were also revisions made to the Treasurer’s Manual, which included the dissolvement of the reimbursement process, the procurement process, and the removal of college folders, which is the requirement that students submit a copy of the payment requisition slips at the end of the year.
To disseminate the information on the process of getting the Request for Procurement of Services and Materials slips, the Finance Processes Orientation for the batch governments will be held together with the Council of Student Organizations and USG.
The said revisions, however, were not approved during the said LA session for the quorum was not met.
On other matters
Apart from the set agenda for the session, the LA discussed as well the proposed plans of each committee for the academic year.
FAST2016 Representative and Student Rights and Welfare Committee Chair Frances Hernandez disclosed the planned and ongoing resolutions handled by their committee. These included concerns regarding online reservation of equipment, enlistment matters, provision of gender neutral bathrooms, proposal to establish a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree program in the University, and turning over sessions for USG units, among others.
Focus for the Rules and Policies Committee, on the other hand, was on providing a database for the planned 2019 plebiscite, whereas the National Affairs Committee emphasized on their monitoring of the United Nation’s fast tracking the deadline for taking action against climate change.
The LA resumes their usual session schedule on Monday, November 12.
