This academic year proves to be a year filled with challenges. But willed with a profound sense of solidarity, incumbent Student Government managed to over-come these tides and attained quite a num-ber 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 jour-ney from

b e i n g just an

ordi-nar y i n -d i -vid-u a l

among a common crowd to being a public figure was certainly not one which suc-cessfully 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 jagil-lion ways of chasing him that he dared to try doing things differently which eventu-ally lead him to find his place. His molding years were spent in the local chapter of UA-PSA-- 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 chal-lenging failures brimmed his term but he only proves to be befitting of his position as he embodied a perfect mingling of dili-gence 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 as-pires, 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 ac-

tually 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 responsibil-ity to attend

to. With a bold vi-

s i o n before

him, he advocates

on creat-ing even more

leaders along his ascent to greatness.

“My vision for the aca-demic year 2016-2017 is

to impose transformational leadership. I do believe in the

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 em-powering 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 ex-pect 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 eve-ry BulSUan, and he owns a pair of ears minded to listen to their daily torment. “I am planning to create provisions and ame-nents 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 Pres-ident Carl Michael Adriano, may kontrata na [ito]. Hinihintay na lang natin ang sys-tem and yung dry run ng process.” Moreo-ver, 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 pre-cise 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 eas-ily 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.

beyond bold visionaire

john aldrin umalipresidentiable, bulsu-one

sg elections primer3

seismic shift The motivation to advance is often induced by the assertion that one is taking a huge leap to-wards the right path. It is during this instance that one awakens her passion and gets liberated from the frustrations that tangled her and re-frained 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 big-ger 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 op-portunity. 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 fail-ures and disappointments, positi-vuty 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 un-der the political party BulSU-ONE.

Now that she is turning her back on the party list that nurtured her po-litical persona, she proves to us that no one can hover a glass ceiling to contain and limit us from achiev-ing 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 some-thing wrong sa BulSUOne or inaway nila ko. But ‘yong pagiging bukas ko siguro sa mga taong nagtitiwa-la sa’kin na kaya ko silang i-lead, na nagtiwala sa’kin na may maga-gawa ako for them,” Galvez said.

TREPIDATION Boldly stepping up for a much higher responsibility, Krizia expects a different wave of challeng-es to come her way. But neverthe-less, 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 Col-lege 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 po-sisyon kung hindi nasa willing-ness to serve. Ma s a s abi k o n g h a n d a ako pag-s i l b i h a n 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 perplexi-ties. Unpredictability is its likeli-hood. One day you fight for a cer-tain cause, and then the next, you defy what you have already admon-ished. 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, physi-ological, and mental maturity that running for the presidency would require. And even with much trepi-dation in her heart, only BulSU can decide whether or not she is deser v ing to reign. T h e choice i s o u r s .

sg elections primer 4

krizia galvezpresidentiable, stand bulsu

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 every-day. This, unarguably, is what drives the spirit of Laurene Ann R. Caparas-- Bu-lacan 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 p u b l i c 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 G o v e r n -

ment 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 puz-zle resolved in the field of public rela-tions. 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 eve-ryone 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 social-ly-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 generousamounts of experience

which equipped her well for yet another

battle for vice pres-idency. As she

takes on a ven-ture towards

r e - e l e c -tion, it

is just

amaz-ing to

know that L a u r e n e

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.

GOING ALONG CHANGING TIDES If there is one thing Laurene managed to learn within her one-year stint as Vice President of the Su-preme 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 presi-dent aspirant the look of confusion and remarks of querries as to why she decided for re-run while she can actu-ally step up and run as this academic year’s SG president. This, apparently, is what’s expected of her. A lot of sup-porters have expressed their belief in the young lady and have already en-visioned her to take the highest posi-tion in the student body. “Ang isang tunay na student leader mas uunahin ‘yung serbisyo at ‘yung kapakanan ng studyante kaysa ‘yung personal inten-tions,” Caparas explained. “Leader-ship 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?

breaking the mold

sg elections primer5

laurene caparasvice presidentiable, bulsu-one

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 lib-eration from what they deem as "pu-trefied" 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 so-cial 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 com-plaints and grievances against how the administration ushers the univer-sity exposes everyone to how we shall eventually react on relevant social is-sues 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 educa-tion, just like what the cliché would al-ways tell, is a right that everyone shall be entitled to and not a privelege to be worked for. Standing on a firm founda-tion, Ar-jen accepts the challenge of gunning for the vice-president and en-sures 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 re-warded 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 govern-ment 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 nangan-gahulugan 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.

ON THE SPOT Meanwhile, one of the famil-iar statements that we have been hear-ing from Ar-jen is how he would keep himself from staring at unattainable goals. The VP-aspirant pushes for a leadership reform of identifying so-lutions 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 es-tudyante 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 Lau-rene Ann R. C a p a r a s . "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 Presi-dent Laurene pero kaya ko po ‘yong higitan," Manlapig declared.

RUNNING THE COURSE Ar-jen Manlapig clearly ac-knowledges his stance on the race for

the vice president post. "Pero hindi ako magpapaka-ipokrito," he would al-ways tell in public gatherings. Indeed, there is so much to look forward to in the life of this aspirant. From a politi-cal 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, fur-ther, he takes comfort in the fact that Stand BulSU will constantly be by his side. Shall we hand him a chance?

unflinching tendencies

sg elections primer 6

Ar-jen manlapigvice presidentiable, stand bulsu

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 lead-ers. Only the brave and the bold dare to choose this fate for selflessly offering yourself to others entails a lot of chal-lenges 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, Josh-ua arms himself with strength and will-power as he ventures the world of politics and government in a much wider scale. As an incoming fourth year BIT Mechanical Technology student, his be-coming 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 cam-pus and how the students were affected by it. Equipped with his passion to serve oth-ers, he then decided to run for the posi-tion 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 Awar-dee. As he embarks another chapter as a Senatorial candidate, his vision of a pro-gressive institution starts with the change. Being a man of action, his plans of chang-ing the system begins with the improve-ment 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 tal-ent, as they say, but with Joshua hav-ing 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 la-belled by numbers, it has become a real pursuit of what genuine perfec-tion 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 Guz-man sweeping off every admirer with her campaign stunts and wit, who says you really can’t have it all? More than just the ador-able 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 finan-cial 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 estud-yante ngayon ay mas active sa social media plus lahat ng resibo ay makikita nila as proof na iyon talaga ang ginas-tusan,” Patricia said. Moreover, a part of her advocacy is the strengthening of rules and regulation when it comes to liquidation that will be strictly en-forced by the Student Government. Many might recognize her as the woman behind the pretty smiles, but her conviction and determina-tion only conveys one truth: There is more than meets the eye, and that is the heart willing to share and serve.

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 sa-vor 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 disheart-ened 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 posi-tion twice and lost on both occasions. But those failures didn’t stop her from achiev-ing her dreams. Currently a third year stu-dent, 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 ac-cept 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 Exter-nal Affairs of the Legal Management Soci-ety raised her awareness towards the issues that need to be acted upon by the student government. As a student, she saw the sys-tem 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 stu-dent body. Being a member of an organiza-tion 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 elect-ed as a senator, I will try to make the stu-dent 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. Pro-moting cohesive and collaborative actions towards progress is one of her personal ad-vocacies, 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.

sg elections primer7

There is always that force within us that pushes us to be goal-driven indi-viduals. 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. Jay-son Baquiano is an exact personification of what they call versatile. Currently an incoming fifth year Engineering student who excels academically, he is also re-cently 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 is-sues. 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 in-crease 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 considera-tion. “19 years na tayong namamayagpag sa SCUAA, pero kulang ang budget. Kaya ang gagawin ko siguro I will give the ath-letes more than what they want,” he con-cluded. The same situation also applies to the representatives of our university in ac-ademic 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 socio-cultural 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 peo-ple. 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.

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 over-look 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 clear-ly 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 regard-ing the things happening around the campus. He has experienced the usual dilemmas not only freshmen students experience, but also majority of the stu-dent body as well. The determination to serve his fellow BulSUans motivated him to run for the Supreme Student Coun-cil as a Senator. According to him, one of the prominent cases most of the stu-dents 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 full-access 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 im-pormasyon pero sa tulong ng mga con-nections to class mayors then LSC ma-sosolusyonan ang problema,” he added. Jhapett Raymundo embodies what the youth is and what the youth can be. Having the voice and the prin-ciples of a true leader, he lives by the words of the famous Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

sg elections primer 8

CONVENTIONAL PLEA Rinette Sebastian has much more determination in her little fin-ger than others possess in their whole bodies. Tagged as this year’s young-est 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 su-perior over the others. This goes with-out much saying: age, really, is not an issue. Having been youngest in the race makes Rinette all the more moti-vated 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 magig-ing stand ng mga estudyante tungkol sa mga isyu ng binabayaran natin tu-lad na lang ng every year, may budget cut ang pagbibigay ng gobyerno sa at-ing university,” Sebastian pointed out. “‘Yong pagtindig laban sa budget cut na hindi naman dapat nangyayari.” Ideal-istic 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.

One can place himself in front of a mirror and see a mediocre version of himself-- the plain, seemingly inu-tile persona who would rather not stand on certain issues than project and con-tribute 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 al-ready 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 to-wards 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 pol-itics 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 es-tablished as a member of the campus jour-nalism community in the person of Row-ell Demdam decided to run as senator. “Ang plataporma ko po ay tu-lungan ang mga publikasyon [at] mga organisasyon. ‘Di lamang po ‘yong sa [bawat] colleges kundi pati buong cam-pus. Ang gusto [ko] ay magkaroon ng pakikipag-abot kamay at paglalaan ng tulong pinansyal,” Demdam said.

sg elections primer9

MINDFUL STANCE In the case of general wel-fare, there is a perception that pow-er is prioritized tp the detriment of the common good. Such notion is what senatoriable John Raven Bal-dovino 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,” Bal-dovino said. “Dahil madalas ang ki-nakausap lang nila ay ang mga kai-bigan 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 pre-dicaments, John Raven intends to establish a strong sense of commu-nication among the common peo-ple and the student government. “Ang stand ko sa mga bagong protocols at mga ini-implement ng at-ing bagong administrasyon ay konsul-tasyon muna bago ang implementa-syon. 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 Bu-lacan State University is regarded as insen-sible-- 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 criti-cism than support when she was elected as this recent year’s senator. Now aiming for a re-run, Kathleen campaigns for a “hin-di-lang-ganda-ang-puhunan” spiel and boasts of a pure and clean track record. “Because I want to serve the stu-dents,” Lapid answered abruptly when asked why she decided for a re-run. “Kasi time management din na-man 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 am-bitious 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 de-serve 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.

sg elections primer 10

CREDITS: Some of the direct quotations from the candidates were obtained from Pacesetter’s transcriptions of interviews conducted.