by Kevin Alaban | May 5, 2021
Concerted Action for the Upliftment of Students’ Endeavors (CAUSE) party’s standard bearers for Silliman University Student Government (SUSG) president, Myka Reambonanza and Vice-President Shem Japheth Barinaga won in the recently concluded SUSG election last April 28.
Reambonanza garnered 3005 votes and won against Rhynard Patron, Students Union for Reforms (SURE) party’s presidential candidate while Barinaga earned 3223 votes against Seth Bariga, SURE party’s vice-presidential candidate.
Reambonanza would succeed Jose Paolo Echavez and Barinaga the seat of Stefano Rafael Ledesma.
When asked on their top priority platform that they would first implement as the new president and vice-president, Reambonanza and Barinaga said that it would be the Health Emergency Response Team.
“I think that would be the top priority because there are really students that will be coming back to Dumaguete. As early as April, there were already discussions and announcements that the allied health students were supposed to come back by April but there were some delays, so they were not able to come back pa,” Reambonanza said.
“But even as early as like the last week of March or first week of April, the questions were already there on how to come back, what are the requirements, kailangan ba ma swab, kailangan ba quarantine, where can we stay? All those different questions that needs to be answered so I feel like as early as now, we need to establish the team because should the university be ready accept na jud and approved na ang CHED [Commission on Higher Education] na application, the team would be there to really help those students,” she added.
Barinaga stressed the importance of building the team as rumors regarding vaccination programs have been spreading to students.
“It’s essential so that wala nay rumors madunggan and they refer to the team so that we can make certain the information they get is true and not fake news.”
One rumor the newly-elected Vice-President mentioned was that allied health students would be included in the vaccination program.
Barinaga added that the response team would have to coordinate with the administration “should there be a vaccination program rollout.”
Reambonanza shared that they aim to complete the HERT (Health Emergency Response Team) by the first week of June and “fully operate na jud.”
Reambonanza, a third year Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy student currently serves as the speaker of the house of the SUSG Assembly while Barinaga is a third year Bachelor of Science in Foreign Affairs student.
