3 sg elections primer
beyond bold visionaire This academic year proves to be a year filled with challenges. But willed with a profound sense of solidarity, incumbent Student Government managed to overcome these tides and attained quite a number of immediate responses to an enormous amount of predicaments. Perhaps the most remarkable of all was the layouting of the online enrollment pioneered by a proposal to commence an e-payment portal. This aimed to alleviate the horrendous situation of the infamous enrollment procedures in Bulacan State University. For some, achieving such a milestone is like plainly staring at goals high up in the sky-- rather far-fetched, to say the least. But to John Aldrin A. Umali, this is only a step to a beaten path towards achieving fulfillment. Aldrin’s journey from b eing just an ordinar y individual
among a common crowd to being a public figure was certainly not one which successfully evaded obstacles. And this young man is a testament that perseverance yields returns. Having to convince himself enter student politics was not an effortless feat for him as he had already blocked his doors from the “unnecessary” stages of collegiate living. But it seems the call has had jagillion ways of chasing him that he dared to try doing things differently which eventually lead him to find his place. His molding years were spent in the local chapter of UAPSA-- a student organization which caters to BS Architecture takers. Being granted the opportunity to serve, he then decided to give SG stint a nod and was elected as as senator for the academic year 2015-2016. Both overwhelming triumphs and challenging failures brimmed his term but he only proves to be befitting of his position as he embodied a perfect mingling of diligence and humility-- all that is ever needed to poise before dominance. And so here he is at the moment, risking a chancy battle to claim the next academic year’s presidency. This time, we shall see a stronger sense of self and will from a young man who aspires, dares, and conquers. This year, we get to see Aldrin take on cosmic heights.
HE WHO DARES TO SEE
While Aldrin exudes a calm and tranquil personality, he doesn’t lack the creativity and initiative to actually imbibe public service. Leaving behind the thought that being a public official is made more exalted by power, he takes on it as quite a mass of responsibility to attend to. With a bold vision before him, he a dvo c ate s on creating even more leaders along his ascent to greatness. “My vision for the academic year 2016-2017 is to impose transformational leadership. I do believe in the
john aldrin umali presidentiable, bulsu-one
collective power and will of the student leaders that we have,” Umali stated. “This time, given the fact that a huge budget cut awaits, we will have to focus more on empowering our Local Student Councils as they are most accessible to respond to the immediate needs of our fellow BulSUans.”
HE WHO DARES TO HEAR
With the big name permanently attached to his personality, one would expect Aldrin to be more like an alpha. But he shows to be the total opposite, and could actually claim to be the epitome of humility. He contains in him a heart that is more than willing to lend time to every BulSUan, and he owns a pair of ears minded to listen to their daily torment. “I am planning to create provisions and amenents on the Student Handbook. Actually, nasimulan ko na yung draft nung senador ako and ipagpapatuloy ko sya ngayong tumatakbo akong president,” he said.
HE WHO DARES TO ACT
It does take a lot for most of us to maintain a presence, or even leave a mark, in this topsy-turvy world. In being a strong representation of the whole student body, Aldrin is up to prove that he has what it all takes to conquer the responsibilities of being the head of the Supreme Student Council. “Kapag nanalo ako, yes, I will push [for] the fully operating online enrollment system,” Umali declared. “According to President Carl Michael Adriano, may kontrata na [ito]. Hinihintay na lang natin ang system and yung dry run ng process.” Moreover, the controversial ID sticker fee failed to dodge from the presidentiable aspirant. “That is questionable and unfair. If ever I win, I will raise it to the board of regents and trim it down to 50 centavos,” he asserted.
HE WHO DESERVES TO DOMINATE
John Aldrin A. Umali has a precise sense of self-- one who establishes a clear understanding of who he is and who he can ever become. Rooted to his principles and aware, he maintains an ideal end in the mind and could easily resurface from uncertainty. This time, we take hold of his promise that he will serve good. Also this time, we hold on to his assurance that he stays grounded and doesn’t go anywhere far from responsible.
sg elections primer 4
seismic shift The motivation to advance is often induced by the assertion that one is taking a huge leap towards the right path. It is during this instance that one awakens her passion and gets liberated from the frustrations that tangled her and refrained her from doing the things which she thinks must’ve already been done. This was what precisely pushed Krizia Galvez to answer the call of this year’s presidency and test the waters of the Supreme Student Council. Seeing herself from a bigger peespective, Krizia then came out of her husk and dared to sail on a voyage bannering the emblems of the College of Education, one of the university’s largest colleges in terms of population. Functioning in the distant past as a board member, this year’s standard bearer for the Stand BulSU party list believes that it is possible to switch ideologies when fate itself presents you with the opportunity. Almost without a fail, she was placed under glaring eyes when she decided to go from BulSU-ONE to Stand BulSU. But who can’t be blamed? One could almost inhale the predominant clash between the two parties that instill prevalent political principles. But then, more than the many pairs of eyes that droop out for the inevitable failures and disappointments, positivuty is something that Krizia tries to have in hersef on a daily basis. She achieves this by keeping in mind that her sole purpose is to serve the scholars of Bulacan. Mind those who would dare bring her down, this gal will surely stand up for what she truly believes is right and equitable.
INNER STANDPOINT
It is not the first time that Krizia will be exposed to a lot of causes and social issues because she already acted as a board member as foregone earlier. But that was under the political party BulSU-ONE.
Now that she is turning her back on the party list that nurtured her political persona, she proves to us that no one can hover a glass ceiling to contain and limit us from achieving what we believe is just. Daring to be different, she joins brigades and campaigns commissioned by her past party’s archnemesis-- Stand BulSU. “Hindi ako nakakita ng something wrong sa BulSUOne or inaway nila ko. But ‘yong pagiging bukas ko siguro sa mga taong nagtitiwala sa’kin na kaya ko silang i-lead, na nagtiwala sa’kin na may magagawa ako for them,” Galvez said.
TREPIDATION
Boldly stepping up for a much higher responsibility, Krizia expects a different wave of challenges to come her way. But nevertheless, the ambers of her willingness to embark on something as grand as the Student Government Supreme Student Council could never be put out. This will definitely prove us all that we can seize every moment and learn to explore what we can actually do. “Kung nagawa man natin sa College of Education, kaya rin nating gawin sa buong University. Kahit na hindi pa naman dapat ako ‘yong gumagawa ng isang bagay, pinupursige nating gawin ito dahil wala ito talaga sa posisyon kung hindi nasa willingness to serve. Ma s a s ab i k o n g handa ako pagsilbihan ang buong Bulacan State University dahil ganoon na lang siguo ‘yong urge ko to serve the student body,” Galvez said.
BOTTOM LINE
Student politics within the premises of Bulacan State University reveals quite a culture of perplexities. Unpredictability is its likelihood. One day you fight for a certain cause, and then the next, you defy what you have already admonished. This just goes to show how life cracks open huge opportunities for us to go against the norms. Krizia is one good student leader just like her opponents. She is one of those who possess a purposeful mind of serving her fellow BulSUans. We can only imagine the emotional, physiological, and mental maturity that running for the presidency would require. And even with much trepidation in her heart, only BulSU can decide whether or not she is d e s e r v i ng to reign. T h e choice i s ours.
krizia galvez
presidentiable, stand bulsu
5 sg elections primer
breaking the mold The future, indeed, is what we make it. We all have been granted the privilege to steer the wheels of our own lives and make the most of everyday. This, unarguably, is what drives the spirit of Laurene Ann R. Caparas-- Bulacan State University’s youngest elected Student Government Vice President. This young lady is inspired by the shape of the future and nothing or no one could ever extinguish the fire that keeps her from burning bright in the field of public service. In fact, she seems t o rekindle more with each day that passes. She doesn’t sweat the little things and takes running the Student Government as both a
“privilege and responsibility” to get to know her colleagues in BulSU more and serve them well. She clearly moves to the beat of her own percussion and her victory from being a board member in her college to becoming the second-highest ranking official of the student council is already a puzzle resolved in the field of public relations. Laueren is a perfect marriage of substance and humility. She takes on every undertaking with a clear end in the mind while keeping a note that she is owned by the public and that everyone ought to hear directly from her. She embodies a queen who sits poised by the enclave of power yet is more than willing to stoop down and walk the land with everyone else. Laurene is a clear manifestation of the new breed of young leaders we all want to have-- smart, purposeful, and socially-aware. We were all impressed with how persistent she pushed herself and performed the duties as head of the Legislative Department as well as she did-- even asking alumni officers for pointers to make sure everything is carried out correctly. Laurene made herself a vessel and filled herself with generous amounts of experience which equipped her well for yet another battle for vice presidency. As she takes on a venture towards re-election, it is just
laurene caparas
amazing to know that Laurene never changed a bit since she was elected a year ago. She remains modest in spite of her status and proves to us all that she is what aspiring young leaders shall stay adrift to in this ever-changing society.
vice presidentiable, bulsu-one
GOING ALONG CHANGING TIDES
If there is one thing Laurene managed to learn within her oneyear stint as Vice President of the Supreme Student Council, it is flexibility. Through the many challenges that she and her colleagues overcame within their term, she was able to master the art of adaptability and of going along, instead of going against, the flow of ciscumstances. The gal clearly showed an ample amount of resourcefulness, always telling people, “kung anong meron tayo, pag-ubrahin.” Now that she is up for yet another term, Laurene will show us anew how she would deliver SG to every BulSUan. “Bilang isang future teacher, naniniwala ako na as early as this stage, dapat lahat tayo ay aware sa mga nangyayari sa paligid natin.” WOMAN OF CONVICTION Many threw our vice president aspirant the look of confusion and remarks of querries as to why she decided for re-run while she can actually step up and run as this academic year’s SG president. This, apparently, is what’s expected of her. A lot of supporters have expressed their belief in the young lady and have already envisioned her to take the highest position in the student body. “Ang isang tunay na student leader mas uunahin ‘yung serbisyo at ‘yung kapakanan ng studyante kaysa ‘yung personal intentions,” Caparas explained. “Leadership is where solidarity takes place so hindi ako mag-iisa lang kikilos dito. Gusto ko ‘yung perspective as a whole.” DOMINATION It is refreshing to know that while others pursue certain positions just to enrich themselves and only themselves, there still quite a number of people who would choose to grow so that they get to give better service to others. Selflessness and righteousness is what Laurene banners. And with more good apples that we see from her than the bad, the near future is rather telling of what is to unfold-- that with her kind heart and commitment, we will have a vice president that is just exactly like a president. How good could that be?
sg elections primer 6
unflinching tendencies The world of student politics is facing a revolution as a new breed of rational thinkers and activists emerge and howl for their much-coveted liberation from what they deem as "putrefied" system. But shall this quite assertive invasion be treated as a new perspective to promote the general welfare, or is this a mere rattling ploy to advance the ideals of the manipulative few? The party list from which Ar-jen Manlapig came from shed the light of controversy for quite some time now due to their clamoring approach on social issues that ought to be tackled. On the surface, there seems to be nothing wrong with this form of advancement. However, this saturating our academic environment with quite decisive complaints and grievances against how the administration ushers the university exposes everyone to how we shall eventually react on relevant social issues concerning us, students. Clearly, this is how it works. Ideology would soon override empathy. Will things change? Only time could tell. It is not surprising, though, that Ar-jen could manage to face the crowd with such an eloquence-- he is a son of the College of Arts and Letters. And confidence comes in him handy. Meanwhile, he lives in strong convictions that what is right must be fought for and that every student deserves to be treated equally. He is in a profound belief that education, just like what the cliché would always tell, is a right that everyone shall be entitled to and not a privelege to be worked for. Standing on a firm foundation, Ar-jen accepts the challenge of gunning for the vice-president and ensures greater representation of student support that shall oppose those who would supress his fellow BulSUans.
FROM CAL TO THE WORLD
One who engages in something significant, many would agree, could only continue to do great and be rewarded in all forms of fulfillment. This, inarguably, is what keeps Ar-jen on his track that leads to the vice presidency.
Raising the bar for one of the prominent colleges in BulSU-- the College of Arts and Letters-- this aspirant will surely show us how to drive a student government the CAL way. "Ang isa pong vice president ay palagi pong nand’yan kung ano po ang mga bagay na nais ipatupad ng presidente ngunit hindi po nangangahulugan na laging ‘oo’ ang sagot n’ya sa mga bawat tanong po ng presidente. Siya po ‘yong tatayo para sa mga bagay na hindi na po nagagawang maabot at makita ng president," Manlapig stated.
the vice president post. "Pero hindi ako magpapaka-ipokrito," he would always tell in public gatherings. Indeed, there is so much to look forward to in the life of this aspirant. From a political standpoint, he has his goals already set for the council to grow a little bit more and gain a more university-wide presence. Through his endeavors, further, he takes comfort in the fact that Stand BulSU will constantly be by his side. Shall we hand him a chance?
ON THE SPOT
Meanwhile, one of the familiar statements that we have been hearing from Ar-jen is how he would keep himself from staring at unattainable goals. The VP-aspirant pushes for a leadership reform of identifying solutions to every problem "when we get there," instead of spitting out promises that are not bound to happen. "Inaamin ko po na hindi pa po ako ang magbibigay ng solusyon sa lahat po ng hinanaing ng mga estudyante dahil tao lang po ako. May mga hindi rin po ako kayang gawan ng kaparaanan," Manlapig said. Moreover, his confidence is unshakeable that he will be able to surpass the past performance of incumbent Vice President Laurene Ann R. Caparas. "Mahirap po kasing pantayanang isang bagay pero, kaya n’yo po s’yang higitan so sa palagay ko po, hindi ko kayang pantayan ‘yong mga nagawa ni Vice President Laurene pero kaya ko po ‘yong higitan," Manlapig declared.
Ar-jen manlapig
vice presidentiable, stand bulsu
RUNNING THE COURSE
Ar-jen Manlapig clearly acknowledges his stance on the race for
7 sg elections primer As we embark on a journey towards the fulfillment of our dreams, we encounter a lot of obstacles. Truth be told: life is admittedly filled with ups and downs. No matter how much we try to savor the trip, one will always stumble upon a bumpy road. Oftentimes, we do not see it coming. We end up bruising ourselves, or worse, being torn apart into a million pieces. We take the fall, almost disheartened by the whole process, but we emerge back from the ashes and take pride from it. The same goes with Shaira Anjelica S. Dimagiba, who tried running for a position twice and lost on both occasions. But those failures didn’t stop her from achieving her dreams. Currently a third year student, a Dean’s Lister and the former Vice President for External Affairs of the Legal management Society, her experience made her realize that losing is just an opportunity to begin again, and that you ultimately accept defeat when you stop trying. Equipped with such strength and motivation, Shaira is now ready to conquer greater odds. Her past experience as a class mayor and former Vice President for External Affairs of the Legal Management Society raised her awareness towards the issues that need to be acted upon by the student government. As a student, she saw the system and its flaws and as an innate leader, her passion for serving her fellow students ignited. That’s when she decided to run for the Supreme Student Council as a Senator, and boldly manifested her plans for the student body. Being a member of an organization herself, her concern lies mainly with the relationship of student organizations to their members and how she can impose greater ties between them. “If I will be elected as a senator, I will try to make the student government and student organizations collaborate with each other for the benefit of the students as they are two institutions with ONE mission - to empower and help the students’ rights and potentials,” she declared. Shaira Anjelica S. Dimagiba is a woman with a vision for a change. Promoting cohesive and collaborative actions towards progress is one of her personal advocacies, and as an institution who looks forward to a more evident development, we hold on to the words of a leader who has the heart and the mind of a game-changer.
Some of us are born with the subtle hands of an artist, others with the delicate grace of a dancer, many with the convincing voice of a speaker but only few are destined to be great leaders. Only the brave and the bold dare to choose this fate for selflessly offering yourself to others entails a lot of challenges that might test the honor of an individual. Conflicts may arise, dragging you down along with your principles. But for a determined man like Joshua P. Garcia, his experience as a class mayor, a former board member and the Governor of the College of Industrial Technology brought him to his fate as he runs for the Supreme Student Council as a Senator. Motivated by his faith and purpose, Joshua arms himself with strength and willpower as he ventures the world of politics and government in a much wider scale. As an incoming fourth year BIT Mechanical Technology student, his becoming of a leader was predetermined in his freshman year when he was elected as the Class Mayor. From then on, his senses were heightened by the issues in the campus and how the students were affected by it. Equipped with his passion to serve others, he then decided to run for the position of the Board Member and eventually for the position of Governor of his college. Because of his willingness and sincerity, all of his efforts did not go unnoticed as he was recognized as a Student Service Awardee. As he embarks another chapter as a Senatorial candidate, his vision of a progressive institution starts with the change. Being a man of action, his plans of changing the system begins with the improvement of the enrollment process. “Bilang head ng enrollment noong second semester, ito ay naisagawa nang matagumpay sa tulong na rin ng volunteer organizations at aking ipagpapatuloy ang isang maayos at sistematikong enrollment,” he stated. This whole experience isn’t new for Joshua P. Garcia, but he is more than willing to change for the better for he believes that a great leader is open for transformations especially if it’s for the greater good. Experience beats talent, as they say, but with Joshua having both, we can expect a lot more from a man who puts his heart and lends his hands in service for other people.
In a world where beauty is defined by the number of likes in Instagram and intelligence labelled by numbers, it has become a real pursuit of what genuine perfection really means. Standards have changed and the real ideals vanished into chasms as vanity resurfaces. Rarely do we find someone who has the beauty, the brains and the experience. With Patricia De Guzman sweeping off every admirer with her campaign stunts and wit, who says you really can’t have it all? More than just the adorable physique, she is known to be a veteran in the field of public service for she has been an active volunteer since she was Grade 1. At a young age, she was molded and shaped into being a true leader by the happenings she encountered from day to day. Her recent occupation of the position of being the Vice Governor of College of Home Economics brought into light the issues the student body is currently experiencing. Because of this, she was driven by her innate desire to serve for a higher purpose and run for the Supreme Student Council as a Senator. Her plans of transforming the system start with transparency—a more detailed and extensive documentation of financial statements that will be catered to the needs of the students. “Ngayong taon ang plano ko ay mas malinaw, mas detalyado at mas walang dudang financial statement kung saan ito ay proposed online dahil ang mga estudyante ngayon ay mas active sa social media plus lahat ng resibo ay makikita nila as proof na iyon talaga ang ginastusan,” Patricia said. Moreover, a part of her advocacy is the strengthening of rules and regulation when it comes to liquidation that will be strictly enforced by the Student Government. Many might recognize her as the woman behind the pretty smiles, but her conviction and determination only conveys one truth: There is more than meets the eye, and that is the heart willing to share and serve.
sg elections primer 8 Our youth nowadays is largely dependent on technology that they spend most of their time pouring their hearts out in social media. They tend to overlook the real things happening around us that might affect them because they have been so engrossed increasing their self-worth. Yes, some take a short pause to notice and grasp things. But only a few step up to actually do something and make things happen. For Jhapettt Raymundo who is admittedly a novice in the field of politics, his awareness heightened in such an early age is clearly an advantage for him for he believes that there is great power in seeing things and having the will to act upon them. As an incoming second year student, he has fresher insights regarding the things happening around the campus. He has experienced the usual dilemmas not only freshmen students experience, but also majority of the student body as well. The determination to serve his fellow BulSUans motivated him to run for the Supreme Student Council as a Senator. According to him, one of the prominent cases most of the students experience is the lack of guidance when it comes to accessing information. His concrete plan regarding this is to create a website that will provide fullaccess information to students seeking for assistance. However, just like any plans, risk factors are to be considered so that control can be properly imposed. “Alam ko din ‘yung risks na pwedeng ma-encounter. Pwedeng ma-hack ‘yung website at makapaglabas ng maling impormasyon pero sa tulong ng mga connections to class mayors then LSC masosolusyonan ang problema,” he added. Jhapett Raymundo embodies what the youth is and what the youth can be. Having the voice and the principles of a true leader, he lives by the words of the famous Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
There is always that force within us that pushes us to be goal-driven individuals. We are inherent achievers, after all. Being in pursuit of something, may it be in academics, co-curricular activities, or both we are moved to do something more than what is expected of us. Jayson Baquiano is an exact personification of what they call versatile. Currently an incoming fifth year Engineering student who excels academically, he is also recently entitled as Mr.PICE. Most people say that there’s nothing more than his pretty face, but with him balancing both his academics and his candidacy for the Supreme Student Council, who daresay that he can’t have the best of both worlds? Given all the publicities he has experienced throughout the years, Jayson turned out to be a little introverted and reserved. He used to focus on his studies more and his trainings as a quizzer. But as the years passed by, he became aware of the issues the students are facing and what actions must be done to resolve these issues. He started to pay attention, and then he decided to stand up and do something. His priorities, if given the chance to be elected as a Senator, would include an increase in the budget of athletes. His reason is that for a couple of years, these athletes have contributed so much in the glory and name of our school in the field of sports but they weren’t given much consideration. “19 years na tayong namamayagpag sa SCUAA, pero kulang ang budget. Kaya ang gagawin ko siguro I will give the athletes more than what they want,” he concluded. The same situation also applies to the representatives of our university in academic competitions and such. Being also a quizzer himself, he also noticed how the quizzers in our university were not given sufficient attention especially on trainings and reviews. All of these and other sociocultural issues will be raised upon by the student government to the administration. Jayson Baquiano may have the desired looks and the limitless mind, but what’s most important is that he has the heart and the voice full of conviction and confidence to help and serve other people. To be led by a man who is capable of adapting to change is only one of the great things that we could ever hope for.
9 sg elections primer One can place himself in front of a mirror and see a mediocre version of himself-- the plain, seemingly inutile persona who would rather not stand on certain issues than project and contribute intellect. But such is not the case to a bunch of chosen few. And to these rare hard-driving individuals, taking on the challenge that lies before them is already a chore they ought to accomplish. Four young leaders from a diverse selection of personalities in the university opted to aim and to become great names our university shall ever have. Four young leaders dare to achieve and to be different. Four young leaders choose to commit towards a common goal of giving service to every BulSUan. Four young leaders share a common value instilled early onto them by their political cluster-- Stand BulSU.
CONJOINED PURPOSE
History is a witness as to how politics regarded publications and the media with the same disinterest and skepticism as it performed many other activities. But now, the irony is on the verge of being established as a member of the campus journalism community in the person of Rowell Demdam decided to run as senator. “Ang plataporma ko po ay tulungan ang mga publikasyon [at] mga organisasyon. ‘Di lamang po ‘yong sa [bawat] colleges kundi pati buong campus. Ang gusto [ko] ay magkaroon ng pakikipag-abot kamay at paglalaan ng tulong pinansyal,” Demdam said.
CONVENTIONAL PLEA
Rinette Sebastian has much more determination in her little finger than others possess in their whole bodies. Tagged as this year’s youngest candidate, this aspirant from the laboratory high school soars to much greater heights to show us all that she has every ounce of will in her to be superior over the others. This goes without much saying: age, really, is not an issue. Having been youngest in the race makes Rinette all the more motivated to prove her colleagues that she is not a burden tp carry. In fact, she has a concrete objective of advancing the ideals of Stand BulSU by gradually stripping out what she referred to as “dubious” fees. “If ever man na ako ay maupo bilang senator, ako ang magiging stand ng mga estudyante tungkol sa mga isyu ng binabayaran natin tulad na lang ng every year, may budget cut ang pagbibigay ng gobyerno sa ating university,” Sebastian pointed out. “‘Yong pagtindig laban sa budget cut na hindi naman dapat nangyayari.” Idealistic as she may sound, it is good to know that amongst the slate, Rinette has a core ready to gear from being young and innocent to becoming a vigorous fighter. Only, she will have to learn how to embrace realism rather than wallowing much on idealism.
sg elections primer 10
MINDFUL STANCE
In the case of general welfare, there is a perception that power is prioritized tp the detriment of the common good. Such notion is what senatoriable John Raven Baldovino aspires to break free from. “Bilang ako po ay dating LSC governor, gusto kong magkaroon ng grievance desk sa bawat kolehiyo upang makalapit nang madali ang mga mag-aaral upang sabihin ang mga hinaing nila at suliranin,” Baldovino said. “Dahil madalas ang kinakausap lang nila ay ang mga kaibigan nila, kailangan nila ng officer na magiging sandigan nila at boses.” As someone who comes from a college who is deemed to grasp a broader understanding of social predicaments, John Raven intends to establish a strong sense of communication among the common people and the student government. “Ang stand ko sa mga bagong protocols at mga ini-implement ng ating bagong administrasyon ay konsultasyon muna bago ang implementasyon. Hindi lang basta konsultasyon, pero syempre dapat tayo, bilang tayo na nandito sa taas ng mga estudyante, try nating ibaba sa kanila, try natin silang kausapin,” Baldovino asserted.
FACE VALUE FACE-OFF
The culture of the politics in Bulacan State University is regarded as insensible-- one which favors those who have been blessed with charming faces. And if one doesn’t exert much perseverance to compliment such an asset, people would just grow tired and retrieve the trust they once gave off. Such was the case with Kathleen Lapid who earned much criticism than support when she was elected as this recent year’s senator. Now aiming for a re-run, Kathleen campaigns for a “hindi-lang-ganda-ang-puhunan” spiel and boasts of a pure and clean track record. “Because I want to serve the students,” Lapid answered abruptly when asked why she decided for a re-run. “Kasi time management din naman po, kailangan ko din naman pong [ayusin] yung sarili ko dahil ang pagiging SG naman po ay minsan nakakaapekto sa pag-aaral. Pero kailangan po ng time management para naman po mapagsabay ko yung SG at syempre yung pag-aaral ko po,” Lapid added. “Kung ano lang po yung free time ko ay yun po yung binibigay ko.”
SUBSTANCE OVER FORM
Four young individuals from one valiant party list dares to represent a huge sum of almost 50,000 students of Bulacan State University. One could be very ambitious but is ultimately promising. One has the guts to stand on certain issues. One could surprise us with his intellectual prowess. And one is pretty distracting. As we face the mirror once more, we shall still see the mediocre in us-- the ordinary versions of ourselves-- who deserve to be treated and served well by those whose promises we’ll hold on to. The annual elections make it possible for us, ordinary people, to be heard clearly and openly; and these aspirants have no other recourse but to start listening.
CREDITS: Some of the direct quotations from the candidates were obtained from Pacesetter’s transcriptions of interviews conducted.