As the 15th USG wraps up, former USG President Ashley Francisco reflects on a term shaped by institutional groundwork and shifting expectations. While questions on her visibility were raised, she points to behind-the-scenes work and policy coordination as practices central to her leadership.
As the elected Student Council President of the South Manila Educational Consortium, how did you use this position to advocate for Lasallian students beyond the DLSU campus? What interschool initiatives or collaborations were you able to pursue during your term?
So, I recently got elected for the SMEC (South Manila Educational Consortium) student council last March during our 8th Young Leaders Camp. The basis of how I got elected came from us campaigning. We shared our plans for the South Manila Educational Consortium, our background, and credentials. I [also] had the opportunity to share my background in legislation, like revisions in our election code and other policies. We are still in the process of crafting our operational guidelines as a council, and one of our main priorities is our interconnectedness with our local government, [the] Manila police and the Manila city government. I have been in touch with Councilor Yanyan Ibay regarding initiatives [centered on] youth advocacies. A specific concern we [wanted] to focus on is disaster risk reduction and management, especially here in Manila. It’s a perfect opportunity for us to go beyond our schools and universities by collaborating with [the] local government.
There have been concerns regarding your visibility and attendance at certain USG events and engagements. How do you respond to these perceptions, and how do you reconcile them with the CPR values of Consultative, Proactive, and Responsive that you strongly emphasized during your Head On interview while campaigning for the presidency?
These concerns are something that I acknowledge—I understand where the [Lasallian] community is coming from. Unfortunately, I couldn’t [disclose more information as] it’s something related to personal matters, specifically my family. I think that I was able to share [something about] my father [during the Miting de Avance]. I’ve been focusing on spending time with him as he is diagnosed with [brain stroke and heart disease]. [Hence], I had to take some time away from being present physically on campus. But something that I can assure [the] students is that I [was] always in touch with the Office of Student Affairs [and] Office of Student Life. I have been working behind the scenes [and] made sure that I’m still active online as much as I can while my office still operates. That’s why we were able to [launch] the Latin Honors Campaign and the Animo Pride initiatives, to which I also made sure [to be present and be one with the Lasallian community in their advocacies]. In terms of my CPR values, that’s something that I can assure. My line of communication has always been open, especially to the Legislative Assembly. [As for] their bills [and] initiatives, [I’ve set consultations and meetings to] show my support and [give] my suggestions for improvement.
The Legislative Assembly recently passed a bill amending the USG Constitution to restructure the roles of campus governments. As USG President, what are your thoughts on this development, and how do you foresee it affecting student representation across DLSU’s different campuses moving forward?
The [Law Commission and Legislative Assembly] have been very consultative all throughout the process in order for us to gauge the specific problems and issues that affect not only the University Student Government, but the whole Lasallian community. One of the primary concerns discussed is the lack of representation for the Laguna Campus, which I think is something the previous USG Constitution lacks. Through the amendments that we have right now, we also acknowledge that there have been concerns raised by [both alumni and undergraduate students]. We want to ensure there would be no overlap and [that] the processes would be more efficient, especially for the Laguna Campus Student Government, given [the recent developments] and the University’s aim to attract more students. We want to ensure there is representation in the Laguna Campus. I am very supportive of the changes in the USG Constitution, and I believe this would provide more representation to the Lasallian community and help the USG [move] forward, no matter what the situation may be in the next few years.
With your term coming to a close, what is one lesson you learned from being in the highest student leadership position, and what would you advise the next president stepping into this role?
I’d say that the biggest lesson that I learned [is that] being in the topmost position in the University Student Government is very pressuring. It’s not just because you are the spokesperson, but [because] you’re also expected to be aware [of the Lasallian community’s issues and concerns]. [While] our main stakeholders [are] our fellow students, we also have to acknowledge that the plans we make can also affect our beloved staff, parents, alumni, and more. So it’s very important to always [consult the stakeholders in every initiative you create].
My advice to the next president would be [to treat this] administration [as] a stepping stone for promising bills. Hopefully, the next president [will] properly enact and implement activities and policies that not only cater to the student body but also to other stakeholders.
You entered your presidency with the vision of a “Realized Lasallian Purpose.” Do you believe that purpose was fulfilled? How did you see it take shape during your term?
Actually, the “Realized Lasallian Purpose” vision stemmed [from acknowledging that] every student entered the University with dreams and passions that they carry with themselves. We wanted to ensure that the University Student Government would somewhat be an avenue for them to realize that even if we go through difficulties and challenges, the USG is there to support them. [In regard to the purpose being “fulfilled,” I think that] this is something subjective to each and every student. But I believe that the 15th USG administration, not just the Executive Board, really did their best to [provide] support to the Lasallian community. [Fulfilling the purpose is] still a work in progress.
You pushed for the strengthening of DLSU’s Safe Spaces and Mental Health Policy under your project “University Policies for Progress.” What concrete changes or reforms were implemented under your leadership, and how do you think they’ll benefit students long-term?
[As for] the Safe Spaces Policy and Mental Health Policy that we promised in this administration, we’ve been constantly working with the Legislative Assembly and offices such as the Counseling and Psychological Services and Office of the Vice President for Lasallian Mission. One concrete initiative [for establishing safe spaces] would be continuing the Animo Pride initiative that caters to the LGBTQIA+ community and their respective allies. [For the policy], we have decided that the best route would be through the Student Handbook revisions. We also took the time to look into our grievance systems, as this also caters to students reporting to fellow students and even other members of the Lasallian community.
I also took part in a seminar hosted by… I think that was the Mental Health Commission, the student arm under the Counseling and Psychological Services, wherein discussions were made regarding the response of respective offices, especially [clinics, to] students experiencing panic attacks. We wanted to focus more on situational emergency responses catered to depending on the situation that the student is in. We have also decided to integrate these proposals [in the] Student Handbook revisions as we believe that this would make it more sustainable and concrete.
“University Policies for Progress” was one of your plans that aimed to revisit and amend outdated policies. Which policies would you say were successfully improved during your term under this banner, and what was the most impactful change?
We have actually identified that a lot of the plans that I had in mind when I was still campaigning were [already] working plans of the Legislative Assembly. [In turn], I became more of a consultative body with the Legislative Assembly. So, I’d say the most recent [success] would be the changes in terms of the PWD lanyards that [were] recently passed last Wednesday (July 16). If I’m not mistaken, we also wanted to ensure that the USG’s Office of the President would also be more assistive in terms of the commission [on] Disability Inclusion We looked into [expanding their benefits and extending these to different disabilities, not just the physical ones]. Next would be the Council of University Representatives manual, [which] is [currently being worked on by the Legislative Assembly]. [Back] when I was a batch legislator, I passed on resources that I [had] to the Legislative Assembly. So, it’s really been a joint effort throughout my term with the Legislative Assembly.
You mentioned reinvigorating disaster response through “Alerto Lasalyano,” reestablishing the Lasallian Center for Emergencies, and working with Task Force Safe Schools. How far did these initiatives go, and how would you assess DLSU’s current readiness in terms of campus safety and emergency response?
Yes, Alerto Lasalyano is a current initiative of the USG [for] disaster response. This has mainly been handled by the Office of the Vice President for External Affairs, wherein they provide publicity materials or even initiatives such as having a cooling station. [Our involvement in Task Force Safe Schools is] something that we have continued from the last administration. [The initiative] strengthened [police presence] within the vicinity of our campus, to which I believe there’s one stationed in the South Gate area and also outside [Gokongwei Hall]. [Open discussions have already taken place regarding the DRRM proposal.] [Right now], the Office of the Vice President for External Affairs is the one [overseeing matters regarding] DRRM. [While there is still a long way to go for the University in terms of readiness], we still want to [establish having] Razon as our evacuation center and [have] steps and protocols for [a more unified disaster response]. I’m very much proud of the progress that we have made, and I’m looking forward to also [sharing] these plans, these proposals, [to] the next administration.
From policy revisions to external partnerships and crisis management systems, which of your initiatives do you think created the most lasting impact, and why?
I would say that the initiative that created the most lasting impact would be One DLSU; one of the main plans in our administration would be to strengthen our external partnerships. This has been evident in our early initiatives and also with Boto Lasalyano and Pulso ng Lasalyano. [For the events we oversee], we would always invite members of the South Manila Educational Consortium, SCAP [or] Student Council Alliances of the Philippines, and our other external partners. So, in terms of the reach that we have made through this initiative, I’d say that it was not only limited to [the] University, but also outside.
In your “Head On” interview with The LaSallian, you were asked what the ideal state of DLSU and its student body would be at the end of your term. You stated that the student body will engage in initiatives, particularly regarding community development, and this involvement would not only be confined to the university but also aim to create an influence beyond its walls. Reflecting on your term, do you think you were able to achieve that vision?
With the hard work and effort of all of the executive board offices, college governments, and our batch governments, we were able to achieve this. Of course, there’s so much more to be done, [but] hopefully, the next administration [will] also focus more on community development initiatives and youth-centered initiatives. Our administration really focused on community development, not just in terms of community within the walls of [the] University, but outside. We wanted to ensure that students would have the opportunity to bring whatever they have learned through the initiatives that we [produced], even [in] their life outside the University. This is something that we have been very passionate about, and it’s something that we will continuously pursue until the end of our term.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
