by Gillian Jalosjos and Karylle Panorel | May 26, 2022
Silliman University Student Government (SUSG) president-elect John Christian Entrata and vice-president-elect Kyla Bue will be prioritizing the implementation of their platforms for face-to-face (F2F) classes as soon as the SUSG seats are turned over to them by the incumbent SUSG president and vice-president.
According to Entrata, they will immediately work on Safe and Secured Silliman where they will be collaborating with the Silliman University (SU) administration in pushing for a more systematic contact tracing mechanism, a digital triage system, and a COVID-19 hotline under SUSG Health Emergency Response Team (HERT) in preparing for the upcoming F2F classes next school year.
“Safe and Secured Silliman aims to provide a sense of assurance to the students as we go back to F2F classes amidst this pandemic,” he said.
Entrata plans to put a digital triage system and contact tracing mechanism in place by July so it can be fully implemented by August.
Another platform, he said, that they will work on immediately is the SUSG Assistance Desk where they will be designating SUSG members who will help the students with concerns regarding different offices and ensure that they will have a smooth transition to F2F classes after two years of having online classes.
“With the onset of F2F classes, we are certain that students might have numerous concerns, especially the freshman and sophomores who will be in Silliman for the first time,” he added.
For the SUSG Assistance Desk, the first few appointees for the different Executive Committees, especially the Secretariat Committee, will be capacitated by June and the SUSG Assistance Desk will be launched by July.
Moreover, Bue will be prioritizing the organization of the Grievance Representatives Guild wherein representatives from different colleges will be appointed by July to ensure that everyone will be informed and the flow of concerns and grievances will be properly streamlined and systematized through bi-monthly meetings.
Bue expects that the Grievance Representatives Guild could go hand in hand with the League of Governors which she will handle. According to her, both entities should coincide with the system of collecting the concerns to make certain that the SUSG would be able to find proper ways forward to address them.
When asked what other platforms they wish to implement as soon as the next school year starts, Entrata and Bue mentioned three different plans: Tuition Watch Task Force, Sillimanian Advocacy Program, and Freshie Buddy Network.
According to Entrata, the Tuition Watch Task Force will serve as the primary lobbying body for students’ concerns related to tuition and fees. The task force will be monitoring students’ tuition and making certain that any change will be communicated to the student body.
“The Tuition Watch Task Force is essential before the school year starts so the students will already be aware of the expected tuition and fees for the semester,” he added.
The Freshie Buddy Network will be composed of ‘volunteer upperclassmen’ who will be willing to guide freshman students during their first month at the university. The preparation for the network and the gathering of volunteers will be done before the school year starts.
Bue believes through the Sillimanian Advocacy Program, which will be implemented through the SUSG Advocacy Committee, the Sillimanians will not only be given financial assistance but as well as proper guidance and support to fully implement the initiative they want.
“Before I got involved with the student government, I am also a student who want to fight for something. Through the right support and guidance, I and my college friend were able to build an organization dedicated to promoting safe spaces,” Bue stated.
Meanwhile, Entrata stressed the importance of choosing the ‘right’ people for their executive committees as the start of making certain that his presidency will be successful.
“Kyla and I will just be spearheading, leading, and delegating but the executive committees will be the primary workforce of our administration,” he added.
Bue is wholeheartedly confident in exemplifying service above self that plans to integrate the aforementioned traits of a successful vice-presidency with her love for her esteemed alma mater. “I am certain that my term as said position will parade the colors of Silliman with pride,” she said.
The president and vice-president said they aim to bring back the Silliman spirit the students longed for in the past two years. “I want the Sillimanians to be able to go back to a SU that they can consider a safe space and a place for growth. I also aim to hear out and hopefully address long-standing problems of the student body. These will be achieved by having a receptive SUSG and an SUSG that really reaches the grassroots of the Silliman Community,” he stated.
Bue added that her goal is to make students feel like they are included and also to make certain that she would be hearing concerns down from the “grassroots” of the Silliman Community and that grievances would be properly addressed.
Entrata and Bue are standard bearers of Concerted Action for the Upliftment of Students’ Endeavors (CAUSE) party who won the recently concluded SUSG Virtual Halalan last May 18.
The president-elect accumulated 2061 votes, winning against Sophie Rodrigazo, the presidential candidate of Students Union for Reforms (SURE) party, with a margin of 73 votes. The vice-president-elect also garnered 2488 votes, edging Franz Jullian Sevilla, the vice-presidential candidate of SURE party.
Entrata will be taking over the seat of Myka Reambonanza as SUSG president for SY 2022-2023, and Bue will be succeeding Shem Japheth Barinaga, the incumbent SUSG vice-president.
