Long-time Student Services Executive Emjay Martinez of Alyansang Tapat sa Lasallista (Tapat) and Engineering College Government (ECG) Chief of Staff Kassie Senario of Santugon sa Tawag ng Panahon (Santugon) offer alternative visions of a more compassionate and responsive college government for the Gokongwei College of Engineering (GCOE).
The LaSallian: What defines a GCOE college president? What do you think makes you qualified to be the next one to take the mantle?
Martinez (Tapat): A GCOE president for me is someone who understands the needs of students, [that] has the vision…to address, and lead the problem solving that will be done to address those concerns… someone who connects with those students who can accurately represent what they stand for and what they need, and…someone who those people can turn to whenever they need them. [And] those exact same qualities [are what make me qualified].
Senario (Santugon): I believe ‘yung pagiging GCOE president is someone na [nag] ri-reach out sa community knowing na engineering [has] very mahirap na [subjects]. So, sa pag simple na reaching out sa students in terms of not only academic services but also in welfare is something na kailangan ng GCOE. I believe na qualified ako to be the college president kasi doon naka in line ‘yung mga specific plans of actions ko. Doon (student welfare) yung isa mga nakikitang kong problem ngayon as chief of staff sa ECG. Doon ‘yung nakukulangan yung projects sa focus.
The LaSallian: Due to rising cheating incidents, some professors in the college have imposed greater restrictions during examinations, such as a “dress code.” This can include not being allowed to wear closed-toe footwear, pants with no pockets, and a white shirt, among others. What’s your take on this situation?
Martinez: I think that the rising cases of cheating issues in GCOE won’t be solved by dress codes. It will be solved by professors taking the right steps in ensuring that the students are as prepared as they can be for the exams, instead of turning to cheating.
Senario: Yung rising cheating accidents, to be honest, hindi natin masisisi yung prof (professors) to raise those kinds of policies, but at the same time, dapat magkaroon ng revision ng policies kasi dapat i-check kung tama rin ba [para] sa students ‘yun kasi may karapatan din naman ‘yung students kung ano ‘yung gusto nilang suot…during exams.
The LaSallian: The batch-level governments have been identified as having little to no activity outside of being a point for consultation for student concerns. Do you have plans to revive them beyond their current situation?
Martinez: Yes, I plan to revive the batch units, [especially] batch units lower than me, [as] the frosh and sophomore year students deserve the most support… By appointing the right people, we can get them…the right projects and the right initiatives to truly help and provide those needed platforms and support to those students.
Senario: Yes, I’m going to revive them. Actually ngayon, mayroong representative for the 79th ENG or the freshman year, but ‘yung case naman ng sophomore year, understandable [na] walang gustong mag step up dahil thesis year na. I also can’t force them…kung [sino] man ‘yung gusto ko i-appoint. I’II do my best as the college president to maximize ‘yung support and yung service na kailangan. After all, [the] college president is for the whole engineering [college].
The LaSallian: Can you expound further on how you plan to revive them?
Martinez: It’s appointing the right people, finding the right people to represent those batch levels and then brainstorming, consulting with the right people and coming up with the right projects that will be able to help them. And I also have platforms of my own that are targeted towards those lower year levels and even upper year levels of engineering students.
Senario: For me, siguro kung wala akong ma-appoint…magbibigay ako ng projects na naka-focus per batch level [so that] at the same time, magkakaroon pa rin ng communication and interaction within the whole batch, and syempre ‘yung connection ng [college] government sa batch units niya.
The LaSallian: On the flip side, students barely engage or are not even aware of both ECG and batch government activities. What are your plans to solve this issue?
Martinez: I think that student awareness of batch level and government college level events is a matter of coming up with the right projects that really connect with the students, marketing it towards them, making sure that they know of them, and catering it exactly to their needs so that they have more of an incentive to attend them and engage with the college government.
Senario: I believe as a college president, kailangan mag-reach out kung ano ba talaga ‘yung kailangan nila, kasi minsan iniisip natin ito ‘yung kailangan but may iba pala silang gusto or greater pa yung gusto nila. Isa pa talagang problem sa GCOE yung pag-cascade ng mga events, [kaya] siguro dun magpo-focus. As much as possible, i-maximize lahat ng group chats—kahit mag-announcements sa Canvas if kaya.
The LaSallian: Do you have any concrete and specific plans?
Martinez: Yes, internal—some concrete internal changes that fully utilize the resources of the ECG to be able to reach and connect with the students…[such as] utilizing the Messenger GCs (group chats) [to] cascade the events and also making the right Facebook and Instagram posts.
Senario: For me, siguro ‘yung pagkakaroon namin ng centralizd GForms (Google Forms) na nandun lahat…nandun yung feedbacks nila…suggestions…kung ano yung hinahanap nila sa ECG para at the same time, meron pa ring touch ng ECG kung paano namin siya ie-execute. Gusto ko din i-maximize ‘yung paggamit ng bulletin boards sa Velasco [Hall]…kahit dinadaanan lang siya, marami pa rin nakakakita ng mga pubs doon.
The LaSallian: The current and proposed USG constitution provides that the functions and duties of the College President can be extended through the Legislative Assembly. With this, the College President, being the highest student representative of the college, holds some weight in pushing or pulling support for possible agendas of the Legislative Assembly. To that end, what legislative matters would you like to see the LA work on?
Senario: Siguro for me ‘yung policies sa dress code sa exam, kasi nilalaban naman nila na nasa Handbook naman daw ‘yung policy na ‘yun, but hindi lahat ng students alam yun. At the same time, medyo harsh nga siya sa students, so kung makakapag-ambag ako sa legislative [agenda] as the college president, siguro some way na makakapag-benefit, both [the] admin, and students. But syempre, yung students pa rin mangingibabaw dun. Kung kaya ko or kung kailangan kong makapaglaban sa admin about those policies, ipu-push ko kasi [I’ve] heard kung anong kailangan at kung anong gusto ng students.
Martinez: Something that I, along with my executive board, want to lobby for is the revision of the Latin honor system. We think it’s unfair that you get excluded from Latin Honors just by getting a failing grade, even though [your] CGPA reaches the requirement. We want to lobby for extending the provision of reclaiming failed units, to not just giving you back those failed units, but also to put you back in the running for Latin honors. We understand that that may take away from the distinction of being a Latin Honor, but to that we also propose that they add another distinction for those who attained the GPA that didn’t fail.
The LaSallian: The college is infamous for housing some of the difficult programs that DLSU has to offer, to the point that getting delayed is normalized. The University and various engineering organizations offer various academic services, but these are often seen to be inaccessible or inadequate. Past college governments also focused on services catering to graduating students or non-academic matters. What plans do you have to alleviate this burden of delay for the students?
Martinez: My plans for alleviating the problems for delayed students include internal changes to the student services. I’ve been in student services for three years, and kami yung nagha-handle ng petitions, and petitions [are] chances for the students to not be delayed again. [Passing] petitions sooner, the sooner the student can be back [on] their regular flowchart.
Another internal change is…kami (ECG) mismo ‘yung magi-email ng professor if they’re willing to take a class at this time in this room for this subject. That’s not something that’s implemented throughout the entire college department, and what this does is, as soon as 15 na yung petitioners, mapapaandar na agad siya instead of having to wait for the admin. Kasi, in other departments, that’s what they do na. Ihahanda lang ‘yung letter, and then ‘yung admin na yung bahala, and that’s what causes the delays…that’s what causes some departments to not have their petitions granted and some students being delayed further.
Senario: As [a] delayed student din, isa rin sa problem talaga is yung flowchart mismo. Ang dami rig students sa iba’t ibang department na gusto nila mabago yung flowchart or magkaroon ng revision…para lang maiwasan na magka-domino effect sa pagka-delay kasi may mga hard requisite, soft requisite or co-requisite. Yun yung nagpapa-cause ng delay in the first place kasi di ka makaka-take ng subjects dahil sa mga instances na yun. So [I want to lobby to] check through the flowchart.
If kaya din, [magkaroon] ng centralized petition channel. Kasi each department iba-iba talaga siya ng sistema.
The LaSallian: The measures you both mentioned tackle problems when they have already happened—when students are already delayed. What about planned measures in preventing the delay in the first place?
Senario: Siguro i-revisit din yung passing grade … [and] yung grading system mismo, kasi minsan nakakain nung malalaking percentage, so kahit mag-redeem yung students sa mga latter parts of the term, hindi niya na mari-redeem yung sarili niya kasi sobrang laki ng damage nagawa ng percentage ng grading system.
Martinez: There are a lot of initiatives already by the CSO home orgs to help students in their academics, so something the ECG can do to further help provide students with study spaces by using the open na spaces and other rooms to be reserved in Velasco. So something we can do to help is to expand the available study spaces and provide support doon sa study spaces…so [putting] people to help review or seniors na makakapagbigay ng tips and knowledge doon sa mga lower batch na nangangailangan.
The LaSallian: Aside from what has been discussed, what do you believe are the other core problems that the college has? As College President, what are your plans to solve them?
Martinez: One of the most pressing concerns is [the]…inconsistency ng pag-send out ng reminders and important due dates. …There was like a one-month period, just last month na walang announcements at all na sine-send samin. ‘Di namin alam kung kailan yung LEAP, ‘di namin alam kung kailan yung PHEx (physical examination) namin. Wala kaming nakukuhang announcements, which heads back to [my] initiative na i-strengthen talaga yung information dissemination ko sa college. Hindi lang isa—multiple reminders for important dates like LEAP, PHEx, tuition, and utilize talaga fully yung GCs and other representatives ng college.
Senario: Other than student services…I want na makapagbigay ng fun side naman…and student welfare. Kasi [mas] focus ng ECG [right now is] student services, gusto ko naman maging platform din siya ng welfare. Isa sa [mga] project ko, [isang] umbrella project kung saan magkakaroon ng mga counselling services, simple pubmats [with] song, movie recommendations for the day. Kasi, I believe maliban sa purely academic [support] and announcements ng school, kaya pa magbigay ng ECG ng more … yun yung gusto kong ma-develop…[yung] mabigyan din ng space and platforms yung students [ng] GCOE. Kasi kahit second year pa lang, first year pa lang nabu-burnout [na] yung students, mga di alam kung gusto ba nila mag-shift… Gusto ko mabigyan rin sila ng care and gusto kong manggaling sa ECG yun. Kung kaya naman namin mag bigay bakit hindi.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
