Benilde Central Student Government (CSG) presented their annual State of Student Government Address yesterday, Sept. 4, via Facebook Live, which featured their accomplishments for Academic Year 2019-2020 and to inform the Benildean Community of future projects and programs. 

CSG President Jason Anchores commenced the event with his opening remarks reflecting on the state of the country today and the various events that have led to this, including the passing of the Anti-Terror Law, corruption allegations, and the government’s denial to renew the ABS-CBN franchise, to name a few. He explained that these national issues in the context of education “[are] not contained in the four corners of the classroom.” According to him, students now are more critical of the government and their decisions, especially in the age of misinformation.

“We have to hold our government accountable. Our relentless and unceasing call towards more accountability, transparency, and intervention with regards to the pandemic has not ceased,” Anchores asserted.

Moreover, since the College has decided to implement full online modality for the first term of A.Y. 2020-2021, Anchores expressed the need for CSG to support and address student concerns is critical.

“Not everyone has the privilege to continue with online learning. So we will try to unravel it, and we will try to discuss the struggles and the narratives that we have learned in the past and what can we do (on) how can they move forward,” Anchores concluded. 

The following are notable and important projects CSG initiated and carried out for A.Y. 2019-2020:

Major CSG-wide activities:

• Operation: Sagip Mindanao (November 2019): A relief donation drive mobilized and initiated by CSG in partnership with Benilde Red Cross Youth Council (BRCYC), Greenergy CSB, and Center for Social Action (CSA) for the victims of the successive Cotabato earthquakes. Proceeds were given within two weeks of its launch to the partner communities. It is the first student-led donation drive in a few years of the College outside CSA’s initiative.

• Operation: Sagip Taal (January 2020): In response to the calamity caused by the eruption of the Taal Volcano, a relief donation drive was launched by CSG in partnership with BRCYC, Greenergy CSB, and CSA. It was able to gain a total cash donation of P125, 912.15 that was given to partner communities in Mataas na Kahoy, Lipa and Lipa, Batangas, together with the packed relief goods and kits.

• Sana All MagStay: No To Tuition Fee Increase Campaign (February 2020): A proposal raised by the CSG as part of the Multi-Sectoral Tuition Fee Committee to not increase the tuition for the terms in A.Y. 2019-2020. The College still announced the increase but it has been the lowest tuition fee increase rate in the six-year history of CSG.
• #SuspendOnlineClassesCSB (March 2020): A petition and proposal raised by CSG for the administration to fully suspend online classes in response to the pandemic and Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), highlighting mental health and privilege concerns in adjusting to the ECQ. 
• #MassPromotionNowCSB (April to May 2020): A stand affirmed by CSG towards mass promotion as the “most humane and compassionate response” to the academic situation amid the pandemic, affirming that no student should be left behind with the administration’s unchanged conditions to online classes.
• Student Solidarity Network to survive COVID-19 petition to CHED on six student demands (April 2020): A petition with various student governments for Commission on Higher Education’s approval on the six student demands, including mass promotion, suspension of online classes, and compensation of employees of the academe, given that CHED has the highest national jurisdiction in terms of Higher Education Institutions. 

CSG Offices’ Initiatives:

• Executive Committee

• Multilateral meeting with Adamson University Student Government and St. Scholastica’s College, Manila-College Student Council (November 2019): CSG, alongside the student governments of St. Scholastica’s College Manila and Adamson University, convened and signed a joint resolution reaffirming commitments to pursue and lobby for a mental health policy for their respective schools.  

• Mental Health Policy Proposal (November 2019): The College’s Academic Council approved CSG’s Benilde Mental Health Policy Proposal, which seeks to raise awareness and intervention on mental health. The proposal was supposed to take effect as a policy on A.Y. 2020-2021, however, due to the pandemic crisis, the process has slowed down. 

• Office of the President

• Major Statements (Duterte Administration, Reinstatement of ABS-CBN Franchise, Protection of Rights, etc.): CSG has actively taken part in advocacy national and inter-college campaigns that have taken place over the past several months. For many of these campaigns, CSG has partnered with various College organizations that shared the same sentiments and values, as well as some of CSG’s partners in the South Manila Educational Consortium.

• Commission on Safe Spaces (March 2020): This commission is one of the commissions formed by CSG in order to “deliver structural and policy changes within the College,” in accordance to their sector name. In response, the first draft of the Safe Spaces Desk Proposal was submitted to the Office of Student Behavior, which aims to protect and safeguard the wellbeing of survivors of sexual-harassment. CSG also plans to revise the College’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy in line with the Safe Spaces Act of 2018 to provide further protection and social safety nets for the Benildean community. 

• Community Engagement Team

• Benildeans for Benildeans (July 2020): A wide promotion of CSG on their social media accounts to assist and help startups by the Benildean community amid the economic recession brought about by the pandemic. 95 student-ran startups have been promoted as of writing.

• Magtanong kay Attorney on Anti Terrorism Law (July 2020): A webinar hosted by CSG in collaboration with CSA and Center Law PH with aims of discussing the provisions of the Anti Terror Law (ATL). An ATL bust card was released thereafter to aid students in their rights.

• Office of the VP of Academics

• Student’s Rights and Concerns Portal: The SRC Portal is CSG’s official platform to assess, process, and address student concerns, whether of personal or academic nature. 559 student concerns have been processed so far. 

• Research Committee

• CSG Constituency Check: CSG has also improved their data-gathering mechanisms for Constituency Checks, which are used as the basis for all decision-making processes for policies. 

• Office of VP for Internals

• CSG Rebranding: The rebranding signified changes in the level of engagement and student governance for CSG A.Y. 2020-2021, including focusing on other advocacies like mental health, gender and equality, democracy and human rights, and safe spaces. The expansion of the Office of the Vice President for Academics also caters to addressing more student concerns. 

• CSG Media Team

• Multi-sectoral Tuition Fee Committee Press Conference: The conference was held to address the College’s decision to increase the tuition fee by 3%. However, this decision was dismissed due to the circumstances led by the pandemic.

• #MagtanongSaAdmin: A Townhall Meeting (April 2020): This was CSG’s first townhall meeting in years. It was held with Vice Chancellor of Academics Mr. Geronio Ulayao to address the College’s decision to end the term last May via numerical grades. This also served as a platform for students to voice their opinions and concerns regarding this decision.
• Office of the VP for Finance

• Benilde Online Learning Assistance Program (BOLAP): In partnership with the Digital Technology Office and the Department of Student Life, CSG has established BOLAP to provide technical assistance, such as gadgets and internet connection, to help students cope with the demands of online learning.

• Office of the VP for Externals
• National Youth Response Team (NYRT): NYRT was formed through the initiative of various student governments around the country to provide assistance and support for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This program hosted initiatives such as donation drives and information campaigns, among others. 
• Benilde IDeas: CSG, in partnership with Benilde Industrial Designers (BIND), developed this program to create and send out designs for medical and hygiene products and low-cost equipment that could help combat or prevent the effects of COVID-19. 
• UP Manila Bayanihan Na! Operations Center: This program, initiated by the Operations Center in the University of the Philippines Manila, caters to medical questions, transfer of patients, and donation hubs conveniently through a call-center operation. 
• School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS) School Student Government (SSG)

• SDEAS Ball: This event was created in partnership with Benildean Deaf Association (BDA) to celebrate and appreciate the 115 graduating students from the Deaf community. 

• School of Management and Information Technology (SMIT) SSG
• SMITensity: This is an annual week-event established by the School of Management and Information Technology Department and CSG. This year’s theme focused on  Health, Well-Being, and Equality. 

Investments for the Future of Benilde

Since the supposed student government elections were not held last July due to the pandemic, CSG will execute a holdover capacity of the interim term's current officers, which will end on October 30. According to Anchores, Benilde Commision on Elections (COMELEC) has released the calendar for the CSG A.Y. 2020-2021 online elections.

Furthermore, upcoming major initiatives are presented in the address to serve as additional foundation for the future not only for the incoming officers but also to the Benildean community.

“Given the fact that we have increased and invested our resources (and) efforts in our initiatives towards protecting our democratic spaces, we’re also investing for the future,” Anchores stated. 

Given this, CSG proposed and plan to uphold the following projects:

• Botong Benildyano 2022: A three year long program that ensures the Taft network, the Safe Schools partners, and the College’s partner barangays are ready for 2022 National Elections. The program has two fundamental objectives: voters’ education and voter engagement. 

• First Draft of the Benilde SOGIESC Equality Policy: CSG has been firm on advocating for structural protection and social safety nets, hence the formation of this anti-discrimination policy. The first draft of the policy, in coordination with Benilde Hive, is expected to be released before October 30. 

• Safe Spaces First Response Service Launch: The program, set to be launched in September, aims to provide basic psychosocial response, basic paralegal response, and other services for victims of sexual harassment, alongside the proposal for a Safe Spaces Desk.
• SDG Week: SDG Week, which was initially set for last March, was an event hosted by the School of Diplomacy and Governance which aimed to raise awareness and promote action to fight climate change. Unfortunately, due to the unforeseen circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, SDG Week was postponed. SDG students are advised to wait for announcements from the SDG Student Government regarding the program. 

Power of the student body towards accountability and transparency

In his closing remarks, Anchores mentioned that a constituency check will be released a few days from now to assess the CSG’s performance, initiatives, and agendas for the term.

“Power in itself is in the electorate, it’s not in the sitting office. We can never forget that,” Anchores highlighted.

Furthermore, Anchores encouraged the students to “speak truth to power” to challenge the government given the concerns, struggles, or narratives they have yet to be explored.

“The institutions that we challenge are not just the ones that we think are not serving our interest but at the same time the institutions that serve our interests—what can they do better? What can we do better? [...] That is the cornerstone of our transparency and accountability,” Anchores emphasized, taking pride in the CSG’s current accomplishment in transparency. 

According to him, how they conduct processes and do negotiations are more detailed and open to the community, apart from being data-driven on coordinating with different sectors of the College. He assured that the commitment for transparency and accountability will be continued.

He concluded and thanked the student body for it would not be possible without them, and promised for the welfare and rights of students will be continued to be upholded.

“I cannot further emphasize how (important it is) that we have you with us, the student body, not just to legitimize our existence as your student government but at the same time (to) continuously engage with us [...] not just in our policies, but on what should be done. [...] With that, we thank everyone. Maraming pong salamat,” Anchores concluded in his closing remarks. 

“In the last 54 days that we’re together, we will continuously engage with the student body and continuously fight for your rights, continuously explore what safety nets we can deliver, ‘cause that’s what should be expected from a government; a government that’s accountable and responsible for its electorate,” Anchores added.

Benilde CSG is the official and highest governing student representatives of the College. 

Visit Benilde’s Central Student Government’s social media accounts at Facebook and Twitter, or email them at csg@benilde.edu.ph for more details.