The University Student Government (USG) stands as a crucial force in maintaining campus governance and student representation. However, it has faced significant hurdles following the sham that is General Elections 2024 and the subsequent failure to elect new officials, making outgoing officers across different governmental branches extend their terms and remedy their losses. Even after Special Elections 2024, a multitude of appointments followed suit as many positions remained vacant.
Cost of delays
Incumbent USG President and former Vice President of Internal Affairs (VPIA) Ashley Francisco says that the special elections did not cause any financial costs for OVPIA, but it did shift their focus to their present projects.
“Instead of concentrating on our usual turnover processes, we redirected our efforts towards enhancing our ongoing projects. This shift meant that some of our regular activities and initiatives experienced delays, as we had to balance immediate needs with long-term goals,” Francisco shares.
Although her VPIA tenure saw no significant budget cuts, Francisco said they reallocated resources to further support their current projects to ensure that OVPIA would be able to continue providing necessary services without any disturbance. The current USG standard bearer also adds that they were able to effectively use their operational funds, resources from the USG Office, and budget from previous initiatives.
Former Executive Treasurer (TREAS) Juliana Meneses mentioned that budget approvals, allocations, and other money-related matters coincidentally take place during special elections, which during every first term of the academic year. As a result of the non-turnover from the term prior, the budget allocation of the succeeding executive treasurer is “less effective.”
“So, ‘yung opportunity cost in that, nasasayang ‘yung opportunity ng susunod sana na OTREAS. [Kung] paano niya gusto i-allocate ‘yung budget…for the operational fund, allocation ng sa Univ Week (University Vision-Mission Week), allocation ng Provost fund…like ako pa rin kasi nag-mamanage noon,” Meneses stressed.
(So, the opportunity cost in that is the wasted opportunity of the next OTREAS. How they want to allocate the budget for its operational fund, for University Vision-Mission Week, the Provost’s fund…like I’m still the one managing it.)
Meneses further explained the two types of funds managed by the USG: the operational fund, which is provided by the administration, and a depository fund, which is the USG’s own savings. The extension of their term led to the decision that only 33 percent can be used while the remaining figure is reserved for the next officers of OTREAS.
Conversely, former Executive Secretary (SEC) Aisha Khan states that the OSEC experienced neither financial nor opportunity costs during special elections as their office mainly focuses on internal operations. While the special elections did lead to a decrease in the budget, she affirms that it had no bearing on their manpower.
Navigating logistical hurdles
In light of special elections and uncontested positions, elected officers were required to serve extended terms. Meneses shares that while some continued with their posts, certain chiefs and officers of the OTREAS eventually departed, requiring them to reorganize and adapt their operations collectively by seeking new directors and executives.
Despite the heavier workload in areas like scholarship initiatives, Meneses ensured that the office doubled their efforts and maintained the quality of their projects. “Hindi hihinto ang USG dahil lang nabawasan tayo… If kailangan natin mag-double ng effort to make sure na mapapatupad natin yung mga dapat ipatupad, then so be it,” Meneses expresses.
(The USG won’t stop just because we were lessened… If there’s a need to double the effort to ensure that what has to happen happens, then so be it.)
On the other hand, Francisco shares that OVPIA’s ability to maintain a consistent number of officers has made way for a smooth extension of her term. Despite unforeseen delays in their initial activities, the office reintroduced initiatives such as the Lasallian Kit: Your Student Life Guide, the iNeedAssist Program, and the Lasallian Study Space Efficiency Program.
Khan, however, notes the challenges posed by the prolonged turnover within OSEC. Not only did it delay some of their projects, it also slowed down documentation processes, increased internal conflicts, and decreased productivity. “This extension was unexpected and the USG was not able to fully prepare for the shift in officer count, so our operations and logistics were affected somewhat negatively,” she adds.
Building leaders moving forward
For Francisco, adopting a proactive approach and prioritizing early planning are the best ways to avoid the need for special elections. “By planning ahead and tackling potential issues before they escalate, we can create smoother transitions and minimize unnecessary delays,” Francisco says.
Meanwhile, Khan emphasizes the need for “electoral reform to provide leniency to some potentially bureaucratic processes involved in filing.” Meneses shared the same sentiment of asking for leniency, “Students lang rin ‘yung mga nagpapatakbo sa mga [political parties] na yan…mga students na may [academics], so you can’t expect a student to prioritize [documents] over their exams… So, make sure na lenient siguro, “ Meneses adds.
(Those who run political parties are also just students…students with academics, so you can’t expect a student to prioritize documents over their exams… So, make sure that it’s lenient, maybe.)
The former executive treasurer also thinks that everyone must “prepare ahead of time, revisit the Omnibus Election Code (of the DLSU Commission on Elections), check unnecessary documents, [and] repetitive processes.”
The LaSallian has reached out to former USG President Raphael Hari-Ong, former Vice President for External Affairs Macie Tarnete, and Alyansang Tapat sa Lasallista, but has not received any response as of press time. Meanwhile, Santugon sa Tawag ng Panahon turned down the follow-up interview due to a tight schedule.
With reports from Toby Castañeda & Dave Russel Ramos
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s January 2025 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSJanuary2025.
