Being in the University’s smallest college, students from the Br. Andrew Gonzalez College of Education (BAGCED) have to compete with bigger colleges for course slots and scramble against their own college mates for career opportunities outside DLSU. BAGCED’s sole college president candidate EDGE2021 Batch Vice President Miggy Agcolicol, running under Alyansang Tapat sa Lasallista, aims to open more doors for all his constituents.
The LaSallian: How do your past leadership experiences prepare you for the role of college president?
Miggy Agcolicol: I was [the] editor in chief of the media organization of our high school, and I wanted to bring those skills into DLSU when I entered college. I opened myself up to opportunities such as joining organizations and eventually the batch government of CED (College of Education) 121. I really wanted to get to know more of the batchmates I’m working with and use my skills with my passion in leadership roles from high school. CED is a very small college, so [it] made me well-connected with [the] people in CED and more aware of the courses offered in our college. These various skills [and] information that I got from the batch government as an executive allowed me to know my college [better]. I got to know people and what their problems are with their courses, and through that, I was able to form platforms [based on] their inquiries, [their] consultations, and my experience. [Joining] the home organization of BAGCED, DLSU United, where [I was] vice president for internals, further honed my skills in interacting with people, managing my time, and balancing academics and organization work. With all of those combined, I’m very confident to run as college president.
The LaSallian: As the smallest college, BAGCED students experience insufficient slots for courses they share with other colleges. How do you plan to address these administrative concerns?
Agcolicol: This is actually an ongoing problem in CED. Various courses are connected with bigger colleges. [For instance,] BSE-Bio (Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Biology) students in CED [who] have courses in COS (College of Science) are given the least priority in enlistment. With that in mind, I aim to work with the administration and make sure that my student services and the internals of the college government will be in touch with the student services of OVPIA. I want to make sure that the flowcharts of these students [with intercollege courses] are submitted to the proper people, so they are informed of the number of people who need these courses because we really want to avoid delaying these students. [They] are still primarily connected to these courses, so we want to give them priority pa rin.
The LaSallian: Are there existing programs from the incumbent CGE (College Government of Education) you will retain for the upcoming year? What new programs and/or reforms will you introduce to BAGCED if elected college president?
Agcolicol: One program I want to maintain from the incumbent CGE college president is the quality of student services they provide. The current CGE has centralized [their] student services, [which] connected all of the batches in CED, [making] it easier as an incumbent USG officer to know more of the problems found within our college and [to] provide college-wide announcements. I want to improve more on the student services [and] provide more opportunities [for the] different programs in CED because one of the problems found in our college is the lack of opportunities for the different courses. Masyado kasi siyang naka-focus [toward] education-geared courses [such as] early childhood education [and] science and math courses, so natatabunan ‘yung courses ng English Studies or Human Services. I want to provide opportunities for all CED students by giving them internships [and] more information on what their courses offer.
The LaSallian: With the majority of classes back on-site, how will you encourage both new and old CED students to participate in face-to-face projects by the CGE?
Agcolicol: When I was consulting with my constituents, I found that they’re actually clamoring for more face-to-face activities in CED, especially with what the previous government was able to push. ’Yung webinars [and] seminars, they want to see that in person. I will not only encourage them to join but tell them na, “Oh, these classes are now available face-to-face, so grab the chance to be more involved with the projects that we are going to make,” [but also] connect [them] with the people working with us.
The LaSallian: In light of the several issues surrounding the Department of Education, how will CGE encourage future educators to be critical of national education issues?
Agcolicol: One thing I want to associate with my answer is to become aware. Not only as future educators…I want to enlighten the people and make them aware of these issues…because even though we are equipped with the intelligence to be aware of these issues, mas importante na ipakita rin natin sa iba na…kailangan nating magbigay ng solusyon and it starts with the people. It starts with being informed.
The LaSallian: What do you envision for BAGCED during your term as college president?
Agcolicol: With my vision of an opportunity-driven CGE, I aim to provide more students with opportunities in our college. From my perspective, CED does not have any definite identity yet, and I want to…showcase [our] CED pride through my platforms, the college government, [and] the batches I am going to work with. I want to work with a proactive college government of education and make it more accessible not only to the students found in CED but also to other colleges. Just because CED is a small college, [it] doesn’t mean that we should also be treated as so. I want to show the Lasallian community that CED is more than that; we might be a small college, but what we offer is great.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
With reports from Nash Laroya
