(3rd of four parts)

DUSTIN BALICTAR (III BS MIS)
Ang IBIG-Agila

What do you think of this year’s Sanggu?

I don’t want to be pessimistic about the situation. I want to see it as a challenge to the current Sanggunian. We in the Sanggunian, we took it as a challenge for us to do better. Na parang, ‘I think this is our limit,’ ‘I think this is what we can do,’ ‘I think we can expand our horizons better.’ And next year is a bigger challenge for us kasi the current situation, it’s the status quo. And so far, I think we need to do better and show our relevance really to the students. There are really a lot of methods on how to do that. Pero it depends talaga on our Sanggunian next year.

On why change isn’t always important

We believe that we don’t need to change always eh. We need to follow the straight path lang and add on to what other Sanggunian members in the past did already. To build on that, so that the students can own the project.

[…]

The past Sanggunian, they were pushing for the Magna Carta revision and partly a review of the Constitution. Some provisions within the Magna Carta and the Constitution are faulty and old … Feeling ko this year, kapag pinush pa rin natin yun, gusto natin ma-involve na yung students. Kaya plano rin, under IBIG-Agila, magkakaroon kami ng Umbrella Series na Magna Carta. It’s not like the COSA party umbrella series, but it’s patterned after that. Na magkakaroon tayo ng series of talks, FGDs, and consultations with the student body and also with the administrators para meron tayong deeply ingrained ownership of the Magna Carta. At para makita na relevant pa rin siya.

Leader formation in IBIG-Agila

Natuto ako from those idols na nadaanan ko for the past three years. Under Boyet Dy, natuto ako kung pano magsalita kahit na sobrang chubby ko at tahimik ko. Iba talaga yung experience-it builds your confidence eh. And if you compare me, if you have a video of me nung first year, and you have a video of me now, [the difference is] more than just the physical appearance. Comparing before and now, it’s a big change. Kung baga before I was so quiet, I couldn’t speak about anything. Pero now, I’m so outspoken na, I can talk about anything.

What makes you perfect for your position?

For me, I think my unique selling point is I think I’m an unorthodox leader … I still believe in professionalism and I still value and show that professionalism, pero what sets me apart nga from other people is that I treat the people I work with with utmost respect and with certain value. Pag magkasama tayo sa isang trabaho, para tayong barkada. Na kahit na barkada tayo hindi ibig sabihin na walang nagsusunuran na ganyan. Pero barkada na may spice of professionalism. It’s more on people talaga. It’s been three years working with different people and loving each person na nakasama ko.

On being part of the Sanggu

Pero being part of the Sanggunian talaga, hindi siya obsolete eh. We’re doing our best within the Sanggunian din. There are problems here and there, pero we’re really doing our best within the Sanggunian. People who’ve worked with us have seen that. We have our motives, we want to do good for everybody. And, kailangan nila intindihin estudyante rin kami. ‘Yan ang pinakamahalagang bahagi-estudyante rin kami.

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MONIQUE SALCEDO (III AB Comm)
Partido Ignacio

Plans

‘Yung platform will focus mainly on two things: first, ‘yung pinag-usapan nga namin ni Gab na he’ll build the house and I will make it a home. So Sanggunian will invite the students, na kahit may problema ako, kahit gano kasimple pa ‘to, sa Sanggunian ko makukuha yung kasagutan sa problema na ‘yun.

So, bilang vice president naman, ‘yung project monitoring systems…Ang nangyari this year is lahat ng projects nag-clump up in the second semester. So maganda sana kung naka-spread out… ‘yung mga activites natin. So better calendaring of activities and from the project proposal down to the implementation of the project, kailangan namo-monitor ‘yun nung vice president para una, malaman niya na aligned siya dun sa vision-mision ng Sanggunian and second, kung ‘yung project ba na ‘yun is effective and kung ‘yun ba talaga nag-cacater sa student body.

‘Yun next is… internal systems. Hindi lang naman ‘yung transparency and accountability ‘yung kailangan, pero kailangan rin natin alagaan yung mga tao na nasa loob ng Sanggunian. So leadership trainings will be unified in the sense na magkakaroon tayo ng clear knowledge, skills, and attitudes for the Sanggunian members. Meaning knowledge of what their roles and responsibilities are.

….And then, attitude nila na kailangan natin maalala na hindi tayo School of Social Sciences, hindi tayo School of Science and Engineering, pero isa tayong buong [Loyola Schools].

First thing she’ll do when elected

[Kung] kay Pepi ‘yung sideline joke niya is ‘yung linisin ‘yung Sanggu room, ako siguro every year kasi hinihintay ko ‘to, ‘yung malaman kung sino ba talaga ang miyembro ng Sanggunian. So siguro magpapalagay ako ng isang malaking tarpaulin na ito ‘yung mga Sanggunian members. Ako kasi, in my nature, gusto ko ‘yung mga tao, makita kami as approachable or malapitan kami as, uy Sanggunian ‘yan, dapat daan muna kami sa reps bago ‘yan. Let’s cut the bureaucracy nga sabi ni Gab.

Tapos ‘yung main project naman as vice president, if ever, ‘yung sinasabi ko na let’s get down to business. Let’s calendar the activities properly. Starting summer pa lang or before summer, since mai-induct ‘yung new officers ng March 5, let’s have your projects laid down on the table. Ayusin na natin.

On working with IBIG-Agila members

We work well as a team and we work well individually, kahit siguro ipasok mo pa ‘yung…mga miyembro ng Partido Agila sa top 4. I think naniniwala kaming lahat dito na hindi naman talaga siya about Sanggunian, Partido Ignacio ako or Sanggunian, Partido Agila ako, parang ever since I entered the Sanggunian, parang main concern ko na is we are one Sanggunian. So parang, bakit kailangan ma-affect pa dun sa work natin ‘yung party systems.

Home

…Gusto ko sana na makita ng mga tao na approachable ako or parang hindi ako ‘yung VP na up there or whatever. ‘Yun nga sabi ko, I wanna make it a home, bring people back to the Sanggunian. So, [I’m] passionate for service and I really want to be the person that will listen to whatever they say.

Read the last installment of The Top 4, which will feature your candidates for Sanggu president: Omi Castañar, Jauro Castro, and Gab Perez.

With reports from Sandie B. Gadia