14/06/2025
๐ข๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ก | ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ฑ๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐,
A perspective on the current AdNU student leadership and participation
They could describe AdNU student organizations with one single wordโฆOrg Xโฆgnarly. Org Yโฆgnarly. Org Zโฆgnarly. Performative leadershipโฆgnarly.
But, does pointing fingers truly address the issue? Or do we need to shift our focus toward recognizing the root causes? As the semester draws to a close, a new set of officers and student leaders will step into roles within various co-curricular, extracurricular, and volunteer organizations. This transition presents an opportunity to highlight their crucial role in collectivizing and mobilizing students.
While we uphold the core value of โbeing people for and with others,โ it is just as essential to expand beyond university-centered activities. AdNU student leaders must go beyond organizing events and fostering engagement within the university. Their role should extend to raising awareness about pressing sociopolitical realities and responsibilitiesโadvocating for both student welfare and broader societal concerns.
It is easy to label students as apathetic or disengaged, but this assumption overlooks a key point: leaders serve as the frontline representatives of the student body. They must ignite movements and provide direction that empowers not only students but the community beyond it.
Yet, does proactive and progressive leadership alone solve the issue of student participation? Or does it mask a deeper, overlooked problem? What if neither the students nor the leaders are at fault? What if the true challenge lies within the existing system and policies that confine them?
This article aims to explore the underlying reasons behind the decline in student engagement with sociopolitical issues and school democratic processes, such as student elections. Although the pandemic is long behind us, the diminishing collective strength of AdNU student organizations persist. This raises a crucial question: Do the current policies and institutional structures of the administration still carry weight in shaping the reality of the Ateneo community?
๐ฆ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐
Honoring efforts and projects is essential to foster initiative and sustain organizational culture. However, when students are rewarded based on how they perform relative to others, competition inevitably takes center stage. Unfortunately, the Student Organizationsโ Awards Rites (SOAR) have fallen into this same rabbit hole, becoming a mechanism that fosters rivalry rather than genuine recognition. Over time, it has transformed into a numbers gameโone that prioritizes quantity over the true impact of accomplishments.
We must recognize that awards should serve a greater purpose. They should not simply measure success by comparison but instead, celebrate meaningful contributions and inspire others to follow. Reinforcing a reward system should not fuel unhealthy competition or a culture of โpataraasan ihi.โ Instead, it should honor student organizations for their efforts, innovation, and impact.
Some student leaders argue that one reason organizations implement numerous projectsโregardless of their quality or impactโis to secure or retain office space in Xavier Hall. However, evaluating student organizations based on the quantity of activities they conduct on specific categories, does not necessarily reflect their effectiveness or overall performance. Each organization has a distinct nature and purpose, yet the current evaluation system fails to acknowledge this. More significantly, it overlooks a deeper issue: the shortage of office spaces for student organizations.
With AdNUโs recent infrastructure developments, we hope to see the establishment of a dedicated facility for student organizations. This recommendation came from Ateneo Manilaโs Manuel V. Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership (MVPC) building which serves as a hub for various student activities and events. While this may not be an immediate or short-term solution, it directly addresses studentsโ needs. The lack of organizational offices and activity spaces is an issue that students rarely vocalize, but it remains a critical concern. A well-equipped and accessible venue where students can plan, meet, and organize activities would greatly ease their burden, creating more opportunities for student-led initiatives within AdNU.
The SOAR should not perpetuate the idea that one organization is superior to another. True recognition comes from valuing the depth and influence of their efforts, rather than competing them against others. If the goal is to build a strong collective, we must not let certificates and medals divide us. SOAR must revolutionize its purpose and directionโnot just its systemโby ensuring that all student organizationsโ impacts are acknowledged.
Ultimately, SOAR should not be a competitive award show but an avenue for collaboration and solidarity through lobbying and benchmarking. Instead of an evaluation system focused on โparamihan ng nagawa.โ Why not directly ask students about their needs? More importantly, how can the administration help improve student organizations in a way that empowers them to make meaningful, lasting contributions?
๐๐ฑ๐บ๐ถ๐ปโ๐ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐
From 2022 to 2024, only one political party dared to run in the AdNU student electionsโfrom AKLAS-Estudyante in 2022 to Partido Sigwa in 2023 and 2024. Despite the universityโs estimated population of 5,000; voter turnout has remained underwhelming. However, a gradual increase is evident, with records showing a rise from 580 voters in 2022 to 1,709 in 2023 and 2,064 in 2024.
This persistent lack of engagement reflects a disconnect between students and their right to vote, even at the university level. Despite efforts by Lideratos-COMELEC and other stakeholders, such as the student publication, to amplify election visibility and encourage participation, the challenge remains.
But letโs be realโhaving only one or a few organizations pushing for student elections each year is not sustainable. Instead, the administration must be more vocal and actively support initiatives that reinforce democratic participation. For instance, if intramurals are considered a formative program, why canโt Miting de Avance and AdNU student elections be regarded in the same way? The act of voting in student elections is a direct reflection of our democratic right to elect future leaders. While intramurals cultivate sportsmanship, student elections instill a deeper sense of social responsibility, especially for Filipinos. Why is the same level of effort not exerted in this area?
Another example of administrative hesitancy was the last-minute compliance in declaring alternative or online classes on 25 February 2025. This came after national movements and mass organizations advocated for the EDSA People Power Movement to be declared a non-working holiday. While the saying โbetter late than neverโ applies, this delay felt more like reluctant compliance rather than genuine consolidation with the movement.
Now, why does this matter to student leaders and organizations?
The university administrationโs commitment to embodying AdNUโs mission, vision, and core values sets the tone for student leadership. If this institution truly upholds its values, solidarity must not be performativeโit must be authentic. While students are encouraged, and even required, to participate in celebrations such as AdNUโs autonomous status parade, the same enthusiasm is not seen when it comes to involvement in social movements.
To be fair, there is growing recognition of the administrationโs support for student-led movements, as it gradually takes more vocal stances on national issues. After all, this is the same institution that has instilled in us the principle of standing firm in our beliefs and โbeing people for and with others.โ Asking the administration for accountability in aligning with its mission and values is not only justifiedโit is a responsibility student leaders must uphold.
Yet, it must not end here. As a collective of AdNU student organizations, there is much more we can do to strengthen engagement, encourage participation, and drive meaningful change.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ, ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฑ
While the institution provides ample opportunities for students to grow, its programs sometimes suffer from a lack of substance and relevance to the community. This disconnect has led to perceptions that certain initiatives are โout of touchโ or even โelitist,โ though this is likely not the intention behind these formation programs. However, the issue becomes even more apparent when outreach efforts prioritize photo opportunities and documentation over meaningful engagement, in-depth interviews, and needs-based assessments.
Deploying students into communities without equipping them with a deeper understanding of Philippine social realities risks reducing their experiences to a mere acknowledgment of privilege. Additionally, studentsโ lack of ethical and effective interviewing skills can further misrepresent the true intent of these programs. Thus, instructors teaching students how to conduct proper interviews is a necessary investmentโit serves as their primary tool for meaningful interaction. This principle also applies to student leaders and organizations, as outreach programs and community engagements must reflect compassion and genuine service to the people rather than simply being activities that help them earn points for SOAR.
With its extensive resources, strong networks, and people-centered values, AdNU has the capacity to develop formation programs that foster genuine service both within and beyond the university. To achieve this, student consultations must be a fundamental part of the administrationโs decision-making process. While the Lideratos President serves as the primary student representative, it is unrealistic to expect one person to fully encapsulate the diverse concerns and sentiments of the entire student body. A more effective approach would be to establish mechanisms for open conversations with all stakeholders, ensuring that student voices are truly heard.
Strengthening consultations would reinforce a deeper connection between students and the administration. While efforts have been made, such as consultations for the Tuition and Other Fees Increase (TOFI), disparities persist in gathering student perspectives on other major issues. One notable example is the drastic change in the activity period during the 2024-2025 academic year. The lack of adequate consultation led to decreased student participation due to the rushed implementationโultimately restricting students' ability to balance organizational duties and academic affairs.
According to ThePILLARS STATS101 reports for the academic year 2024-2025, 41.6% (42 out of 101 respondents) in the first semester and 56.9% (219 out of 385 respondents) in the second semester dedicated their activity period to organizational responsibilities. Additionally, students reported using the time for personal affairs, leisure, practice, rehearsals, training, and catching up on academic backlogs. These findings highlight the critical role of activity periods in fostering holistic student development and academic-life balance.
With all these factors in mind, enhancing the quality of formation programs, ensuring regular student consultations, and refining the activity period can significantly revitalize student participation and reinforce the spirit of genuine service and leadership. More importantly, these initiatives can help turn studentsโ collective power into tangible action.
Ultimately, the administrationโs choices and willingness to support students are instrumental in shaping individuals who are not only competent but also compassionate and committed to people-centered principles.
๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ฑ๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป (๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ),
It is far easier to scrutinize individuals than to challenge the systemโone designed to pit us against each other in competition. Admittedly, student organizations operate within the rules set by the administration. However, as student leaders, we must recognize that these policies may become obsolete and disproportionately benefit only a select few. Questioning and reshaping such systems is crucial, and remaining silent suggests complacencyโperhaps even a willingness to benefit from existing structures while ignoring the struggles they impose on others.
In reality, our primary responsibility is not to serve Ateneo de Naga University, but the students and the community that its mission, vision, and core values seek to uplift. While we may be grateful to Ateneo for instilling these principles, our focus must remain on serving the peopleโnot on seeking validation from those who determine whether we are โworthy of being called an Ateneanโ or rewarding us with accolades. This is not the kind of magis Ateneo preaches.
๐ง๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฑ๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ-๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ, ๐ฒ๐
๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐โ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ณ๐๐น ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ป, ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ด๐ผ๐ฎ๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐. ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ข๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ; ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐ง๐๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ. ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐, ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฒ, ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐-๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ.
Your leadership position is not just a titleโit is a responsibility entrusted to you to fulfill promises of proactive and progressive student leadership. Serve not for recognition, but for the student body and the community beyond. | via Terrence Azaรฑes
Pubmat by Thad Noble
Sources:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19Cggn8vRE/
https://www.facebook.com/100083404627804/posts/272571325533020/
https://www.facebook.com/114851191341/posts/10159114583226342/
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BJ438diZp/
https://www.facebook.com/100079183074845/posts/622992487016848/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1KVjHKBsgr/
