By Ocean

The Sanggunian has demonstrated a commendable dedication and effort in serving the student body. Their commitment is particularly evident in the initiatives such as CSO Month by the Council of Student Organizations (CSO), the Volunteer Fair by the Council of Student Committees, and the Sportsfest by the Athletes’ Council (AthC). The Sanggunian’s work, exemplified by the success of these projects, highlights the potential for effective engagement and valuable service within the student government. However, to further enhance the Sanggunian’s overall effectiveness and ensure consistent positive outcomes across all councils, there is a clear and pressing need for improvements. These improvements must focus on key areas such as transparency in operations, enhanced communication strategies, and more robust inter-council collaboration. In such a way, identifying both strengths and weaknesses, as well as points for improvement, paves the way for a more unified and impactful student government.

I. Positive Aspects and Strengths

One of the avenues for the student body to stay informed of the work and progress of the Sanggunian is through the Executive Council (ExeCoun) Meeting Tracker. The ASHS Sanggunian ensures transparency and keeps the student body informed through these trackers. These trackers provide a comprehensive overview of the ExeCoun’s weekly meeting minutes, offering insights into completed, ongoing, and future activities, initiatives, and discussions. While the publication materials present the meeting agendas, the tracker directs students to the complete minutes for detailed information covered in each meeting, fostering a clear understanding of the Sanggunian’s work and progress.

On the other hand, the Council of Student Organizations (CSO) stands out as one positive example, showcasing strong contributions to the student body and demonstrating the potential for impactful service through well-organized and student-centric initiatives. The success of projects like the “STEMDy Buddy,” this year’s “Sidlak: CSO Month ‘25,” and “TuPAD: Where Wishes Come True,” highlights their effectiveness in addressing diverse student needs and fostering a vibrant community. “STEMDy Buddy,” an initiative where students could attend study halls with teachers providing further discussion in biology, physics, and chemistry, directly supports students’ academic needs by offering supplementary learning opportunities and potentially improving their performance in key STEM subjects, demonstrating CSO’s commitment to academic support and success of its constituents. Moreover, this year’s CSO Month aimed to celebrate and showcase the diverse array of student organizations within the school, increasing student engagement, encouraging participation in extracurricular activities, and enriching the overall student experience, contributing to a more dynamic and inclusive school environment. Lastly, “TuPAD: Where Wishes Come True,” was a five-hour fundraising concert featuring all Performing Arts District (PAD) organizations and performers, designed to showcase the unique talents of the students and raise funds. This initiative demonstrates CSO’s commitment to student welfare and appreciation, as well as their willingness to create projects that directly and positively impact the lives of individuals, not just within the ASHS community, but outside of the campus through their fundraising activities. These examples demonstrate CSO’s ability to identify student needs, organize meaningful projects, and execute them effectively, serving as a valuable model for other councils to emulate and providing a clear framework for creating initiatives that truly resonate with and benefit the ASHS student body.

In addition, the Athletes’ Council (AthC) has also significantly contributed to the student body, most notably through the organization of Athletes’ Night and this year’s Sportsfest, major events that successfully fostered school spirit and engagement. While planning a large-scale event like Sportsfest presents logistical challenges, the trackers demonstrate AthC’s proactive approach to ensure a positive student experience. For instance, the September 2024 tracker reveals their careful consideration of factors like the Formation Learning Center (FLC) venue and potential weather conditions (heat and rain), showcasing their commitment to thoughtful planning and seeking contingency solutions. This attention to detail reflects AthC’s dedication to creating impactful events that not only promote school spirit but also prioritize the comfort and safety of participants. By anticipating potential hurdles and developing backup plans, AthC aims to deliver a seamless and enjoyable experience for the entire school community, further enhancing the positive impact of Sportsfest. Organizing such a large event naturally involves complexities, and the trackers provide valuable insight into AthC’s planning process, highlighting their collaborative spirit and ability to adapt. These discussions demonstrate AthC’s willingness to learn and refine their strategies for future events, working with various stakeholders to find solutions and ensure the best possible outcome for the school community. This reflects AthC’s commitment to delivering memorable events that go beyond just competition, with this year’s Sportsfest providing an opportunity for students to connect, build camaraderie, and celebrate school pride, ultimately contributing to a stronger and more vibrant school community.

Similarly, the Council of Student Committees (CSC) enriches the student experience through diverse initiatives that foster community engagement and personal development. For example, the CSC Week (October 2024) promoted school spirit and provided a platform for students to connect through various activities and booths, featuring events like Alunsina’s Open Mic, Kanlaon’s Fundraiser for Crocheted Keychains, and Mapulon’s Mental Health Jewelry. CSC Week not only promoted school spirit but also provided opportunities for students to develop organizational and leadership skills by participating in its execution. Additionally, projects like the “Hair Drive,” in partnership with Hair 4 Hope, allowed students to contribute to a charitable cause by donating hair for wigs. This instilled values of social responsibility and made a tangible difference in the lives of others. Furthermore, Mapulon’s Doctor Doggo initiative provided stress relief and emotional support, especially during demanding periods like the finals week, directly addressing student well-being and contributing to community building by creating a positive and relaxing atmosphere on campus. These initiatives demonstrate CSC’s potential and willingness to contribute to a vibrant campus life, promote positive values, instill valuable skills, and create a supportive environment for all students, strengthening the bonds within the school community.

Lastly, to facilitate effective communication and representation within the student body, the Assembly of Class Officers (ACO) plays a crucial role within the Sanggunian. The trackers indicate that the ACO serves as a vital link between the Sanggunian and the students, facilitating effective two-way communication. ACO representatives played a key role in disseminating information about Sanggunian initiatives and gathering valuable feedback from their respective classes, ensuring that diverse student voices are heard. This feedback loop allowed the Sanggunian to stay informed about student needs and concerns, leading to more responsive and relevant programs. Beyond communication, the ACO also supports the logistical aspects of certain events. In fact, there was an instance wherein help from ACO for promotions was needed, indicating their vital role and involvement in ensuring student participation and awareness. Furthermore, the ACO also spearheaded this year’s celebration of strand days, namely ABM’s ABM Mixer, GA’s GA, Go!, HUMSS’ Pistang Humanista, and STEM’s STEMasigasig, all of which allowed students from each of the strands to build stronger bonds with one another, celebrating the nature and character of their home strands. This then helped improve, not just the students’ relationship with the Sanggunian, but with individuals from their own strands as well. 

II. Areas for Improvement 

Yet, despite all of Sanggunian 2025’s distinct positive aspects and strengths, their term is also marked with certain areas for improvement.

As an initiative, the Sanggunian provides a calendar of events monthly in order to keep the ASHS community informed of any upcoming events and activities. However, to further compound the issue, the Sanggunian’s released calendars suffered from a lack of consistent updates. Events that occur within the month, especially those not initially approved, are often not reflected in these calendars. This creates confusion among the student body and undermines the calendar’s reliability as a source of information. This lack of updated information further hindered transparency and effective communication, which are crucial for fostering trust and engagement. Clearer communication and consistent updates are needed for the calendars, ensuring they serve as reliable resources for students.

Moreover, the intent behind the monthly executive council meeting tracker was to provide transparency into the decision-making processes of the Sanggunian. However, inconsistencies in publication and delayed uploads in the provided Google Drive containing the trackers have significantly hindered its effectiveness. The trackers were intended to be monthly reports, yet the timing of their release was irregular. For instance, the trackers for the first and second half of October 2024 and the first and second half of November 2024 were separate documents, implying a bi-monthly release schedule rather than a consolidated monthly report. There were also significant delays, as seen with the upload of the October 2nd Tracker and the November 2nd Tracker, both posted on January 13, 2025, well over a month after the meeting dates. These delays and the lack of consistent updates make it difficult for students to stay informed about the council’s activities, creating a gap in communication and hindering student engagement with the Sanggunian’s work. Ultimately, this undermines the goal of transparency, as students cannot rely on the trackers for regular and timely updates on the council’s discussions and decisions.

In addition, the use of abbreviations (e.g., “A01”) poses accessibility challenges for those unfamiliar with the Sanggunian terms, as noted in several of the monthly trackers. These abbreviations, such as “A01,” “A02,” and “A13,” create a barrier for understanding, particularly for new students or those less involved in student government. For instance, the December 2024 (I) tracker mentions “6/7 A01s,” and the August 2024 tracker refers to “A13 Evaluation,” without providing immediate definitions. The concern about this lack of clarity was also reflected within the trackers themselves, such as the December 2024 (I) tracker, noting the need to formalize the attendance format. Furthermore, the trackers generally lack documentation of post-project discussions or evaluations. While project updates were present, a structured follow-up assessing the effectiveness and impact of completed projects was not consistently evident, hindering the ability to learn from past experiences and improve future initiatives. 

Additionally, this year’s Involvement Month proved to also suffer from a certain struggle, especially on the side of the juniors who are required to have at least (1) involvement. While its intent was positive, aiming to boost student engagement, the execution was flawed, marked by confusion over guidelines. The lack of clear communication and inconsistent instructions created frustration and may have discouraged participation. For instance, there was confusion regarding the enlistment process, with students reportedly having to accomplish multiple Google Forms. This complexity likely added an unnecessary burden to the enlistment, potentially deterring students from participating due to complications in the registration for a particular involvement. Clearer communication and more detailed instructions are needed for future events to ensure that they achieve their intended purpose and are accessible to all students.

On the other hand, the trackers also indicate that the primary focus of the Office of the President has been on constitutional reform. For instance, the July 2024 tracker mentions the Constitutional Reform as a key agenda item, and the October 2024 trackers include updates about this initiative. This emphasis suggests that other potential initiatives from the President’s Office may be limited or overshadowed by this major undertaking. However, while the trackers consistently highlight Constitutional Reform as a priority, they lack a clear articulation of the reasons driving this initiative. On January 15, the Sanggunian held the first plebiscite for Consti Natin: Constitutional Reform of 2025, despite not adequately explaining what specific issues the current constitution presents or what improvements the reform aims to achieve first. Simply soliciting suggestions for reform, as mentioned in some trackers, without first establishing the need for it, may not be the most effective approach. A clearer explanation of the rationale behind the Constitutional Reform is needed to provide context for student input and ensure that this significant undertaking is well-understood by the student body.

Yet, in response to this issue, on January 30, the Office of the President called on its constituents to visit and leave clarifications about the Consti Natin at the ASHS Sanggunian front desk: DEAR SANGGU: Sanggunian Correspondence Form. In addition, it was also revealed that certain representatives throughout the councils were chosen to suggest particular revisions to the 2017 Sanggunian Constitution, and, as of March 19, these revisions, given by the representatives, were already taken into account. However, the Sanggunian failed to reveal these so-called “representatives,” which then raises questions about whether or not these chosen ones truly represent the different sectors in the ASHS. The failure to do so ultimately raises the Sanggunian’s principle of checks and balances, further demanding for a clearer understanding and transparency of how they work with Constitutional Reform 2025.

On the flip side, the Department of Data Analytics recently conducted the Midyear Sanggunian Evaluations through focus group discussions (FGD) in order to facilitate “sharing of perceptions, experiences, and insights,” in an “in-depth and personalized manner.” Furthermore, the March 2025 tracker includes a note about “Content of the Year-end Evaluations,” and “Evals from DDA.” Yet, given the timelines, this ultimately raises concerns about the utility and release of results, especially for graduating seniors who participated in the FGDs with only two weeks remaining. With DDA’s lack of visible contributions and the questions surrounding the timeliness and utility of their evaluations raising concerns about its overall effectiveness and its role within the Sanggunian makes it difficult to assess their impact on the student body. 

Lastly, the released trackers include budget-related discussions, such as the “B01 Budget Proposal for OSCCs,” but do not provide specific details about selective approvals, raising concerns of fairness coming from the side of the Finance and Audit Department (FAD) among student organizations. The lack of transparency in budget allocation can lead to perceptions of inequity and undermine trust in the Sanggunian’s financial management, issues that are particularly relevant to the ASHS community as the Sanggunian manages funds derived from student activities fees, intended to directly benefit the student body through various organizations and events. For instance, if the process by which student organizations receive funding for their initiatives is not clear, it could lead to some organizations feeling unfairly treated compared to others. This perceived lack of fairness can erode student trust in the Sanggunian’s ability to manage these funds responsibly. However, the recurring presence of budget discussions within the monthly executive council meeting trackers, as seen in mentions of “SCF” (Sanggunian Cash Flow) and financial approvals for events, indicates that budget is a significant area of Sanggunian activity. This highlights a critical need for the Sanggunian to implement clearer and more consistent communication regarding their budget allocation processes to the ASHS student body, fostering greater understanding and trust in their financial management. 

Overall, a more unified approach, with councils working together, could maximize their collective impact and better serve the needs of the student body. The lack of inter-council collaboration is evident in several ways: a general lack of jointly planned and executed projects between different councils suggests they are working independently, as gleaned from the trackers. The absence of different councils in the meeting minutes could also indicate a lack of communication across the councils, as gleaned from the trackers. Councils provide updates on their activities separately, with no indication of collaborative efforts or joint initiatives in the trackers. In summary, the trackers indicate that councils operate largely independently, with limited evidence of joint planning, execution, or even regular communication, not just within the Sanggunian, but to the rest of the student body as well. 

A Call for Collaborative Improvement and Engagement

In conclusion, while the Sanggunian has demonstrated dedication and achieved positive outcomes in certain areas, there is a clear need for improvement across other councils and departments. Enhancing transparency, accountability, and inter-council collaboration will be crucial for fostering a more effective and student-focused Sanggunian. 

We call upon the Sanggunian to address the concerns raised and work towards implementing constructive changes. The student body must also play an active role by providing feedback, engaging in dialogue, and holding the Sanggunian accountable. Furthermore, it would greatly benefit future Sanggunian members to carefully consider these concerns, learning from the current challenges to build upon existing strengths and avoid repeating past shortcomings. A proactive approach, incorporating the lessons learned, will be essential for ensuring a more responsive and impactful student government. By working together, we can ensure a more positive and productive Sanggunian for all.