Running unopposed for the Office of the Executive Secretary (OSEC), FAST2022 Vice President Guin Durusan from Santugon sa Tawag ng Panahon enters the race not merely to fill a post, but to redefine it by seeking to bridge the gap between student leaders and the Lasallian community through people-first platforms and projects that go “above and beyond.”
The LaSallian: You’ve held extensive roles in human resources and organizational leadership under both the Council of Student Organizations (CSO) and the University Student Government (USG). On top of this, you are also the incumbent batch vice president of FAST2022. How have these experiences shaped your vision and motivated you to now take on the role of executive secretary?
Durusan: I’d like to give context on what my vision is for the office… “An inclusive Office of the Executive Secretary that works with and for you.” …I think it’s also rooted in our Executive Board (EB) vision, “Beyond Limits, Together.” We want to start [at] a grassroots level because as batch electeds (elected officers), we are integrated in the batch [at] the grassroots level, so we can hear…and we can see when it comes to the processes, of what the student needs, and, overall, [of] the Lasallian community. First and foremost, we are students, [and] before becoming student leaders, we are integrated in the community… My vision for the office is really rooted in my past experiences as a human resources officer. I was able to listen to different issues and the concerns of student leaders, volunteers, and, of course, [the] students as well.
Being inclusive means that you are including everyone, especially…people outside the organization you are a part of… Basically, its the whole DLSU community running as an executive board. You can’t really just pick anyone. It has to be a cumulative or a collective view of the community.
I want everyone to be heard. I want everyone to be given the avenue where we could be able to [be] consultative, because that’s what I think the office or the position is. It (OSEC) is really the backbone of the USG… It’s something that I can do as an executive secretary…to align the executive board and the admins to the batch levels, so we could give quality projects and initiatives to the Lasallian community… It’s really grounded on working with and for you because…we’re fighting for you.
The LaSallian: How would you assess your performance in each role you took under these organizations?
Durusan: As an associate vice chairperson first in CSO, I really think I was able to maximize everything that was given to me…especially when it comes to giving different sistemas for projects [and] general assemblies, [all] while also taking care of the welfare of people that’s a part of CSO. …It’s really important that as an organization, your system internally…should be 100-percent precise because when you’re not okay internally, you’re not going to be able to function as a whole organization.
I think I was able to do that with everything I did, being the project head for ARW (Annual Recruitment Week) as well…by implementing different activities and by implementing the event as a whole [alongside] my co-project heads. And as the incumbent vice president for FAST2022, I can say that I can do so much more pa because like what we (executive board slate) said, being in a grassroots level, we are so limited. And that’s why we want, as an executive board, to go beyond limits together. Not just us, the USG—not just us, the executive board—but the whole Lasallian community.
The LaSallian: The revised USG Constitution, if approved, shifts the role of the executive secretary to be more of a cabinet position than an elected official, particularly as the coordinating officer of the Cabinet and its chief of staff. What is your opinion on this change?
Durusan: It’s really an honor to be the executive secretary that would be molding the position because this would be the first time in the history of DLSU na after the constitution revisions na ako yung papalit. I think…me being part of the executive board really is groundbreaking for me, and it’s really an opportunity to mold the position or role [into] what it could be for the future executive secretaries. With the changes…it’s not necessarily na chief of staff ako, or I’m a cabinet position, because even so, it’s still an elected position.
The position or office itself looks at each agenda of each office, ensuring that each project aligns—each document or processes are up to date, and of course, efficient, transparent…[and] I think that’s what a chief of staff does. But at the same time, the Office of the Executive Secretary has its function when it comes to information dissemination, streamlining communication, and, of course, skill-building… In line with that, we really want na mahubog namin lahat ng student leaders and incoming student leaders to be more well-rounded, to be aware of what we do as USG, not just in the position itself that they applied for, but as a whole…it’s a way for us to help them be prepared, be aware of everything that’s going to happen beyond our University life.
The LaSallian: You proposed to implement a Centralized USG Calendar, based on your platforms, consisting of important references and dates accessible to different offices and college units. Given that the USG already had a similar system but saw inconsistent usage, how do you plan to ensure that your new proposed calendar is actively maintained and utilized?
Durusan: It’s important that we value transparency within the USG, and I think that as executive secretary, …that’s one of my main roles… I want to have a centralized USG calendar where each executive board office has their own projects plotted beforehand pa, especially since there are a lot of projects eh here and there’s a lot of initiatives that the USG gives to the student body. It’s important that these projects are refined and aligned siya when it comes to the timelines…since we have different organizations that want to implement a lot of stuff that caters to their demographic and batch levels.
Every project should be given a fair chance of exposure… I want na lahat aligned from the executive board, to DLSU organizations to DLSU admins, and of course, the batch levels as well… When it comes to being consistent…with updates, it’s about having people na mapagkakatiwalaan ko… and of course being proactive when it comes to releasing these calendars itself.
The LaSallian: Can you give us more information about your proposed televised campus updates? How will you work alongside OVPEA and ITS to ensure its feasibility and sustainability?
Durusan: The USG Office of the Secretary already has sistema or parang an agreement with STRATCOM (Office for Strategic Communications) already with using different televisions around campus. I think it’s really important na that we maximize each infrastructure and services that we have in DLSU. And I think that’s also a good way on how we could relay information and maximize everything because I think it’s important… that we have access to each information, each update, and, of course, news outside and within DLSU—in regards to SS (student services) concerns, enlistment clearances, as well as national affairs and of course, different projects and initiatives of each executive board or even the batch levels.
There’s already a sistema that would be utilized and implemented or parang used more by allowing different USG offices and of course, batch levels as well to use this initiative para lahat [ay]aware. All of the projects of the USG naman [are] for the Lasallian community… I think it’s important that everyone knows about it, specifically on national affairs, as one of our thrusts is responsible civic responsibility.
The LaSallian: Can you talk more about your “Above and Beyond” initiative?
Durusan: It’s one of my PUSO projects that I really love. It’s grounded on empathy, compassion, and of course, being aware. When it comes to above and beyond, it’s a communications convention… Everything is in line with [my] vision (for the office), [and] I really want [na lahat ay] kasama. I was really inspired by the organization that we have in…our sister school College of St. Benilde. They have a deaf and mute organization, and I want sana na, we, as a Lasallian community, could be able to communicate and connect with everyone despite [our] different qualities that we may have…Whether it be through reading Braille, Filipino Sign Language, and of course, inclusivity in the workplace because we really want everyone to feel safe—not just in the USG or in different organizations, but in the whole community…. I really want to push for this project because… I think [it’s] a perfect way for us to be more progressive and to be more accepting, and of course, to make sure that what we have in our hearts as Lasallians transcends even through different communication platforms or channels that we have.
The LaSallian: You’re introducing a USG Student Consultations Channel and will be conducting monthly town halls at the same time. How exactly will you differentiate these two initiatives to avoid redundancy?
Durusan: When it comes to consultations…of course, the USG has a lot of platforms already. As elected candidates, we have a lot of projects and initiatives that we want to give to the community. But alongside that, it doesn’t end there eh. Of course, during our term, we are supposed to give the Lasallian community different initiatives that caters to their needs, and that’s something that I think that should be done with the students, the Lasallian community… and through these consultation channels, …as we are in the process of making these projects into fruition, I want sana na kasama ang lahat ng iba’t-ibang sector ng DLSU community to be a part when it comes to how we can implement it, that is our goal for this project, ano yung gusto nilang makita… [at] makuha from the USG.
For example for me…I want a project that could possibly give them a different…avenue where they could be more well-rounded… as a student leader and [even] just as a student… Gusto ko malaman kung ano’ng gusto nilang i-focus namin when it comes to giving these projects—especially [a] main function of my office is officer development—I really want to hone everyone, and I think giving these projects… [not] just because we want to—because it’s what they need and what they want…
To address naman the town halls, I [will] see to it [that] after the consultations, we’re going to present these projects to the Lasallian community through these monthly town halls. If there are…revisions again, of course we would step back, reassess, and of course, …these projects should be able to answer to their needs.
So, with these town halls, it’s [a] presentation…[on] the previous month’s projects. We want to assess…and then we also want transparency reports [at] every town hall so that the USG remains transparent, and each officer or each office is held accountable when it comes to different questions to the USG…[and] the Lasallian community.
The LaSallian: If elected, what do you hope students will remember about your term as executive secretary?
Durusan: I think it’s also grounded in my vision…I’m an executive secretary [who] listens to them… Hindi ako executive board [lang] but…[as] a student also na kasama nila sa komunidad na ito…I think that’s also one of our drives as the executive board… I think that being a student [who’s] integrated in the community is what drove us…to step up, to take on these positions, …and being inclusive. Gusto ko maramdaman nila na this USG—this executive secretary—lobbies for USG na. nakikinig and nakikiramdam…. I will make sure [that] through consultations [and] through different avenues on how we could connect as a Lasallian community, aligned yung USG.
I personally want sana na this USG is really connected with one another. Not just us EB nga, but also the batch levels and different commissions… We hear, and we are united to serve our purpose—and it’s by serving the Lasallian community with integrity in the heart.
