By Achs Fausto

By Alexia Bangayan

On Wednesday, October 15, the Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) Commission on Elections (ComElec) held the Strand Vice Chair Elections (SVCE) Town Hall Debate from 2:45 to 4:20 p.m. to allow the candidates to present their platforms, clarify their advocacies, and respond to strand-specific questions.

The program took place across multiple venues in the Formation and Learning Center (FLC) Building and the ASHS Main Building, specifically:

• Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM) Strand: Court 5, third-floor FLC
• General Academics (GA) Strand: Court 1, third-floor, FLC
• Science, Technology and Engineering (STEM) Strand: Second-floor FLC
• Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) Strand: Blackbox Theatre, Main Building

The debate began with opening statements from each candidate, followed by the Strand Chairperson Inquiry, where current strand chairpersons asked questions about the candidates’ platforms and plans.

Next was Agora Logos, a segment led by the ASHS Debate Organization and Varsity, which tested each candidate’s reasoning and ability to defend their advocacies.

This was followed by Vox Populi, a segment where the electorate asked questions to the candidates through a Google Form or a live question-and-answer session.

Last was the Cross Examination segment, where candidates within each strand directly challenged one another’s platforms and responses.

Candidate Platforms and Initiatives

The ABM strand featured candidates Lorenzo Iñigo Y. Lopez (11-Campion) and Lucas Miguel C. Santiano (11-Bellarmino).

Lopez proposed “ABMalinis,” “ABMungkahi,” and “ABMarathon,” aiming to improve cleanliness, communication, and participation within the strand.

Meanwhile, Santiano introduced initiatives like “Strand Surveys,” “Sanitary Kits,” “Disposable Cameras,” “Money Talks,” and “Supporting Student-Owned Businesses,’’ focused on improving engagement, hygiene, and financial literacy.

For the GA strand, lone candidate Kezia Monique V. Gonzales (11-De Brito) highlighted community-building and consistent communication through projects such as “GA newsletters,” “GA College Talk + Academic Support,” “Strand Day,” and “Community Strand Spirit.”

Moreover, lone HUMSS strand candidate Marian Coreen L. Del Rosario (11-Hurtado) presented her “Taas-Kamay, Taas-Tinig,” “Pagkakaisa sa Humanista,’’ “Karangalan ng Humanista,’’ and “Kamay ng Humanista,’’ initiatives, which promote inclusivity, active participation, and respect among strandmates.

Meanwhile, the STEM strand had candidates: Cyan Paolo O. Blanca (11-Wright), John Michael R. Delos Santos (11-Wright), and Adrien Shane S. Zafra (11-Mayer).

Blanca presented his “ST3M” initiative, centered on the aspects of environment, empathy, and enactment, along with projects like “TrASH Talk,” “STEMpathy Walk & Talks,” and “BluePrint ENACT.”

Meanwhile, Delos Santos proposed “Vision,’’ “STEM Class Officers Assembly Meeting and Strand Committees,’’ “Student/Life Balance Seminars,’’ “Merchandise,’’ and “Goals,’’ to strengthen strand engagement through the formation of strand committees and seminars promoting student well-being and balance 

Zafra, on the other hand, introduced “STEMpower,” which includes “STEM Paths,” “STEM Week,” “STEM-Bini/Women of STEM,’’ “STEMentors,” “STEM Drive,’’ “Pi the Penguin’s Shop,’’ and “SuggeSTEM,” all designed to foster collaboration and academic growth.

Reflecting on the program, Adan Repe from 11-Moscoso shared, “I found myself wondering about how their platforms will actually be implemented and whether they’ll bring something new.”

He added, “A lot of these platforms already exist in some form, so I’m curious to see what will set them apart.’’ 

The SVCE Town Hall Debate concluded with the candidates summarizing their core advocacies and reaffirming their commitment to their strand’s development.
The elections are scheduled for Monday, October 20, with the official results to be announced on Wednesday, October 22, followed by a candidate debriefing on Monday, October 27.