By Marielle Orbong

On Saturday, September 13, the Council of Student Organizations (CSO) of the Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) conducted “Likha-Linaw,” the CSO semestral General Assembly and Leadership Activity, at the second-floor Formation and Learning Center (FLC) to guide its officers on the systems of the council.

In her opening speech, CSO Moderator Ms. Eunice Miña  discussed the Office of the School Activities’ (OSA) “ABC Priorities,” which consisted of Alignment, Back to Basics, and Collaboration. 

“Ang target natin would be the overall holistic formation of the students,” Miña emphasized.

She also explained how each of the priorities helps the different organizations, sports clubs, and committees (OSCC) to reflect on their current programs and future plans for this Academic Year (AY) 2025–2026.

“Just know that you are always welcome in the office so that we can work towards achieving these ABC priorities,” she concluded.

Following this, the council had its council-wide assembly, proceeded with district breakout sessions, a Human Resources (HR) talk, group reflection, and a team-building activity to culminate the program. 

According to the CSO Internal Secretary Eliza Margaux Lorenzo, the council’s main goal is to focus more on member development, with their projects aligning with the OSA goals.

“For the first half of Likha, we went through the council processes over and over again, as well as introducing some of the cemented projects that they should expect this year,” she said. 

She added that through this program, they hope to give the officers an overview of what to look forward to as they lead their new members during the weekly organization sessions. 

Council-wide Assembly

Following the introduction of the “ABC Priorities,” CSO Vice President Chelsey Burgos led the council assembly for the discussion of their internal processes and systems. 

She discussed the council-wide project calendar, general council updates, and initial observations and review of processes. 

Burgos also reminded the CSO officers of the submission procedure for project proposals, along with organization requirements and OSCC days. 

To close her discussion, she highlighted the priorities of a student-leader in an organization, saying, “In terms of [organization] officers’ duties, the well-being and development of your members are always on the first list.” 

ASHS Scouting Organization Head Ethan Rivadelo expressed how this event has guided him, as this will be the first year that their organization is introduced to the ASHS. 

“I was very nervous at first about leading, because as a junior, I didn’t really know much about the rules or how it works in ASHS,” he stated. 

He added, “I was able to understand the rules, AO1 forms, BO1 forms, and [many more] that will help me ensure that we will do our best to at least have an amazing school year together with my org.”

District Assemblies 

Afterward, the officers attended their respective district breakout sessions to understand their district’s mission, vision, structure, timeline, and updates. 

Media and Creatives District (MCAD) Head Rachel May Tatel shared how important the event is for her, as she handles the most organizations within CSO. 

“It really helps shape how we plan on moving forward with our events, with our intentions with our organization, as well as the sense of morale or engagement within the officers and the members,” she said.

She also mentioned that there is no one way to differentiate or to make a name for their district; thus, realigning their organizations with CSO’s progress and values guides them.

HR Talk 

When the breakout session ended, each district went back to the main assembly area to have an HR talk with the invited guest speaker, Solenn Isabella Ramos, CSO Internal Secretary of AY 2024–2025. 

In her speech, she focused on the importance of fostering genuine connections within the organization through conflict resolution efforts, one-on-one check-in sessions, and team-building and wellness initiatives.

“Human resources is really the heart of your organization. It is the way that you connect with your members in order to motivate them to actually participate,” Ramos said. 

After her talk, a group reflection and lunch were then held before the event culminated with a team-building activity that was anchored to strengthening leadership and communication skills. 

The first part of the program, “Likha,” will run throughout the first semester, while its latter part, “Linaw,” will begin in the second semester and will include the junior officers.