INQUIRY
The GUIDON
“Jampacked”
COVER PHOTO BY ean l. dacaY
WHEN RUBBER MEETS ROAD
Katipunan – a home away from home for many Ateneans – has become a breeding ground for theft and the occasional auto accident.
K
atipunan Avenue,
which is a part of
Circumferential Road
5 (C-5), is more than just a
road leading to schools and
review centers. Virtually
inseparable from the Ka-
tipunan college experience,
it’s also where students hang
out, shop around, and even
live in.
Significant as the road
may be for the typical pass-
erby, it may also pose a risk
to his life. These risks include
cases of theft, hit-and-run,
and car accidents, the lat-
est of which involved a six-
wheeler truck that hit Bo’s
Coffee Katipunan.
How safe then is Katipu-
nan Avenue to the typical
Atenean?
The battle outside
For students like Robert
Beltejar (II BS LM), Katipu-
nan traffic can be the worst
nightmare. Says Beltejar, “I
missed my Math finals in first
year because a truck bumped
into my car [as a result of the
chaotic traffic].”
To address traffic prob-
lems, the Metropolitan Ma-
nila Development Authority
(MMDA) has implemented
new schemes. One such
scheme is the removal of
two U-turn slots, one near
the front of Ateneo’s Gate
Two and the other under
the footbridge near Miriam
College.
Although this new system
was implemented to help
reduce traffic, it caused quite
a stir as the MMDA failed
to inform beforehand the
schools, the barangay, and
the city officials. According
to Loyola Heights Barangay
Chairman Caesar Marquez,
his office received a memo
from the MMDA indicat-
ing the change of U-turn
schemes. They didn’t know,
however, when these changes
would be implemented. Says
Marquez, everyone was
shocked that there were new
U-turn slots.
Because of this, traffic
was chaotic during the first
few days of the scheme’s
implementation.
Ateneans have mixed
reactions regarding the new
scheme. Leiron Martija (II
AB-MA PoS), thinks the
traffic scheme’s okay because
“more U-turns mean more
traffic”.
And although it has taken
Mira* some time to adjust
to the new scheme, she also
believes that there’s nothing
wrong with it. “When [the
scheme] was new, it caused
so much traffic,” she says in
by Myron T. Dela Paz and Bea C. Cupin
Filipino. “But now, it seems
that everything’s okay.”
Others, however, have a
different view. Beltejar, for
instance, describes the reduc-
tion of the number of U-turns
as “idiotic”. “[The U-turn is]
totally inconvenient. [It’s a]
waste of gas since you have to
go all the way to the U-turn
across La Vista,” he says.
Priscilla* agrees with
Beltejar and adds, “Maybe
[MMDA] can adjust it by
opening up the U-turns dur-
ing non-peak hours so that
students [who leave in the
middle of the day]…don’t
have to go through the in-
convenience of driving all the
way to the end of the road.”
Besides the removal of
U-turn slots, concrete barri-
ers were also put in front of
the campus’ Gate Two. This
is to prevent Ateneo-bound
vehicles coming from the
flyover from cutting across
other traffic lanes in order
to reach the gate.
Changes like these have
improved traffic a lot, says
Reynaldo Saligumba, an
MMDA traffic enforcer. Be-
fore the scheme was imple-
mented, traffic from where
the barriers are now would
often spill over to traffic
across the flyover, he says.
Stubborn motorists
Meanwhile, other factors
have led to numerous acci-
dents to occur in Katipunan.
According to Saligumba,
these safety hazards are
especially caused by tricycle
drivers who still don’t follow
the new system.
According to him, some
tricycles that exit from Gate
3 cut across the four lanes be-
tween the exit and the U-turn
slot in front of the Miriam
College gate. This results in
the blocking of the vehicles
behind the tricycle as well as
a potential risk of colliding
with other vehicles.
Even students are guilty
of this practice. Jemima*
confesses that she sometimes
does the same thing because
the U-turn slot is far from
her. She says, however, that
she only does this when there
aren’t any cars approach-
ing.
Leoncio Miralao Jr ,Uni-
versity Physical Plant ad-
ministrator, adds that, when
there aren’t any MMDA
traffic enforcers on duty in
the morning, some drivers
coming from the Katipunan
flyover pass through the
newly installed concrete bar-
rier in order to avoid having
to take the longer detour at
Gate 3. “It is risky [since] it
Issues with an impact
EDITOR: SARA D. MAWIS
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: MAAN C.
BERNARDINO AND BEA C. CUPIN
GRAPHIC DESIGN BY: CLAIRE R. CUA,
LALAINE P. LIM, AND Ellix L. Salva-
dora
Inside
Katipunan’s young
breadwinners
What is Katipunan
doing to help its street
children?
A day in the life of a
young scavenger
Know what goes on
into the life Kiko, an
eight-year-old scaven-
ger
In Focus: Sharleen
Chua
Get to know the face
behind this year’s Blue
Christmas
Split responsibilities
Are we asking too
much from our student-
leaders?
DECEMBER 2008 n VOLUME LXXVI
n NUMBER 7
http://www.theguidon.com
inquiry@theguidon.com
obstructs the flow of traffic there are limits to that being
and sets a bad example to a solution.”
the grade school students,” He says that the real
he says. problem lies with the motor-
Angelo Arayata (II AB- ists themselves. “We have to
MA PoS) agrees. “We could find a way to make the driv-
always make the roads safer ers more efficient and more
by building better and more
efficient infrastructure but CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Accident hours. According to the MMDA, the more serious accidents
occur along Katipunan from midnight to early morning.
Photo by Kevin C. Tatco
 The GU
22 December 2008 inq

photo by ven v. valdez

by Katerina D.
Francisco
For some children, the streets are their only means of getting by

Sharing the
Christmas spirit: by Sara D. Mawis front of Mercury Drug. They frighten them off so they won’t parent who’s even proud that

Sharleen Chua can usually be found on the enter the establishments. his children can already earn

W
hile walking near streets playing with the other money and, thus, buy rice for
the Shakey’s restau- children who hang out there. “Sheer survival” their family.
rant in Katipunan, From 6 am to 6 pm, these boys Some children earn money “A lot of [the children]’s

W
hen asked what the best thing about Blue Adrian Lacsamana (AB Pre- beg from the “artistas”—a so they can get into Katipu- lives are motivated by sheer
Christmas is, Sharleen Chua (IV BS MAC) Div ’08) and his friends were term they use to refer to nan’s internet shops. Says In- survival,” Alampay says.
says it’s happiness imparted. approached by a boy who the students who give them teractive Children’s Literacy According to her, there are
“It’s an event where people from all kinds of social looked about seven years money. By the end of the day, Center (ICLIC) Area Coordi- families who find it urgent
margins come together and smile, play, and have fun,” old. When the boy asked for they’ve already went around nator Alexander Mainit, these to have as many members of
she says. “It’s a moment where the kids can let go money, the students rejected the Shoppersville-McDonald’s children would usually dress the household as possible to
of [their] problems [and] just be the [kids] that they him. With a look of despair stretch and have earned as up in dirty clothes when they earn money. She also says
should be.” on his face, the boy offered to much as P130 each. beg in the streets. They then that, because of the need to
Blue Christmas is a special project of the Council masturbate Lacsamana so he Christina*, on the other change into cleaner ones and survive, they become greatly
of Organizations of the Ateneo. It aims to share the can get paid. hand, started scavenging spend P50 of what they earned exposed to anti-social activi-
Christmas spirit to underprivileged children coming “When I looked at the for trash with her neighbor for an hour or two’s play in ties like child trafficking and
from the apostolate areas of the school’s sector-based kid, he [looked] embarrassed cousins when she was seven these shops. sexual exploitation. “There
organizations. to have asked me that,” years old. A year later, she For most children, how- is no future in the streets,”
On November 29, 700 volunteers and 1000 children Lacsamana says in a mix of now earns as much as P500 ever, working on the streets she says.
gathered in the Ateneo for a day of classes and games. Filipino and English. “But he on regular days. Although is their families’ source of
Selected class hosts gave 44 classes on different subjects said it anyway as if he had no they have never gotten hurt income. According to Mainit, Giving money isn’t an option
such as art, soccer, and storytelling in the morning. They choice.” from their daily operations, parents often deny they know For some Ateneans, giving
then treated the children to a program of shows and While most students con- Christina and her cousins say that their children work money to the children isn’t
games sponsored by the Office of University Develop- sider Katipunan as their that there are some security on the streets. But, in one an option. “[At times], I walk
ment and Alumni Relations in the afternoon. hang-out during breaks, guards along Katipunan who instance, he encountered a away without minding them,
As the head of this year’s project, Chua is in charge street children like this boy
of overseeing the core’s different committees. With consider it as both their
nearly 2,000 people under her care, she says that playground and workplace.
the responsibility is great. But her early exposure to In a presentation prepared by
outreach programs has given her the experience to the Barangay Loyola Heights
manage the event. and Learning Links Center
An only child in a Chinese family, Chua grew up for Alternative Education, 26
to develop close bonds with her older cousins. The age street children along that area
difference, she says, made her mature faster than others were already identified. These
her age. She also believes that her having no siblings children can usually be found
was the reason why she loves being with children. “I playing with their neighbors,
missed that part of my life where I get to be a kid and rummaging through garbage,
be childish and carefree.” selling bananaque, begging,
Her cousins and her family made deep impressions using rugby, and selling
on her while growing up, but she considers her father their bodies to appease their
the strongest influence in her life. “He [taught me] that hunger.
[everything I do will be worth it] if I have the heart
and the belief to give what I can give and do what I Begging from the “artistas”
can do,” she says. According to Childhope
It was her father who inspired her to join Blue Asia Foundation, street chil-
Christmas. She recalls how he would bring her along to dren are defined as “young
outreach programs when she was younger. They would people who spend a consider-
also reserve lunchtime of Christmas Eve to visit an able time living and/or work-
orphanage in Paco, Manila. “[Because of these trips], ing on the streets of the world’s
I grew up with the principle that we should help oth- cities.” They usually spend
ers, especially when we are in a comfortable situation from six to 16 hours a day on
wherein we are certainly able to help them, no matter the streets and typically come
what way.” from families with six to 10
She started working for Blue Christmas during her children.
sophomore year. In her first year in the project, she There are different kinds
joined the Programs Committee in screening hosts and of street children, says Psy-
inviting people to join. The following year, she became chology Department Assis-
head of that committee. tant Professor Liane Alam-
Before she became this year’s project head, however, pay, Ph.D. Some of them play artwork by Ellix L. Salvadora
she hesitated to apply. She thought that she might on the streets because their

A day in the life of a

not be able to handle the event well. “[It] involves so houses don’t have much space.
many kids, so many volunteers, and so much money,” Some of them work and play
she says. But she eventually got the post after a friend there, despite having their
urged her to try.
Her stay in the project has been rewarding. Though
she acknowledges the difficulties in managing such a
own homes. But, there are
others who are more at risk
because they either live and
young scavenger
big event, the happiness and sense of accomplishment work with their families or are
after a successful day was worth it. “Through the kids, abandoned on the streets.
you learn to love unconditionally because they love you As far as Katipunan is l Nine-year-old Kiko wakes up at 4 am in his house at Daang Tubo near UP.
back unconditionally,” she says. concerned, 76% of the identi- He then walks to his school at Krus na Ligas for his 7 am class.
She also considers the friendships she formed part fied street children are aged
of that fulfillment. “A successful project is really one between 10 to 15 years. 17% l Along with neighbors his age, he starts picking up empty bottles and plastic
wherein the event is a success and the bonds that you are aged between seven to bags after classes have ended. This usually starts at 10 am.
had…will transcend that of the project’s timeframe.” nine years, while 7% are below
The friends she gained were part of the 700 volun- seven years old. l For kids like Kiko, there's the risk of being detained bythe Department of
teers, a number she and her team didn’t expect. With A ccording to Loyola Social Welfare and Development. To avoid getting caught by the barangay
the number of children increasing from 700 to 1,000 this Heights Barangay Captain officials, Kiko and his friends hide under the parked cars in Katipunan.
year, they needed the help. But the response had been Caesar Marquez, these chil-
overwhelming; they even had to close the sign-up booth dren usually come from l By 5 pm , Kiko's done with his work. By that time, he and his friends have
early because they had already reached their quota. nearby communities like picked up the trash from the Daang Tubo area until 7-11’s Katipunan branch.
When asked what makes a good volunteer, she re- Daang Tubo, Marytown, and They usually earn between P200 and P500 each.
plies that it is all heart that matters. “People can easily Ronas. Other part-time street
be taught how to be perky with kids, how to talk with children—those who don’t l He goes back to Katipunan in the evening. This time, he scavenges for
companies to get sponsorships,” she says. regularly work on the streets, trash with his family. This is another way for Kiko not to get caught by the ba-
“But having the heart to do what you do for a greater come from Quezon City’s Libis rangay officials.
cause is all that matters because that heart can make and Xavierville, and Antipolo
you reach even greater heights. Little acts will go a City’s Cogeo. l Kiko and his family stop scavenging by 10 pm. Until he sleeps at 11 pm, he
long way.”n In 13-year-old Lester* does the next day's homework.
and Christian’s* case, they
live near the footbridge in
UIDON
quiry
y.
thinking that it’s just all part
of a syndicate anyway,” says
Maxine Borja (IV BS LM).
“The children are just forced
to be in the [streets].”
According to her, she grew
up with her parents telling
her that these children were
forced by their parents to join
syndicates. “I know this isn’t
always the case, but to give
these kids money is to help the
syndicate propagate.”
In Lacsamana’s case, his
giving to the street children
depends on who they are.
According to him, he usually
gives anything he has and
chats with a physically handi-
capped girl who hangs out
near 7-11 because she’s nice.
In other instances, however,
he usually ignores the slightly
older teenagers who place ice
picks beside them while ask-
ing passersby for money or
leftover food.
Nevertheless, his encoun-
ters with the street children
changed his perception of
Katipunan. Lacsamana says
that it’s in Katipunan where
one can see the wide gap be-
tween the rich and the poor.
“It’s ironic that people fill up
Katipunan’s food establish-
ments and yet ignore the
children who beg outside,” he
says in Filipino.
Meanwhile, Musmos
President Santi Cang (IV BS
Bio) and his co-members find
it difficult to explain to the
children that they should be
at school instead of begging
in the streets. Despite this
difficulty, Cang says that his
being aware of street chil-
WHEN RUBBER MEETS ROAD
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
defensive when driving.”
Collision road
Accidents in the morning
are comparably not as disas-
trous as the ones that usually
occur between 5 pm and 11 pm.
Says Saligumba in Filipino,
the accidents that occur in the
Complaining isn’t enough. Despite the amount of theft complaints, barangay
officials say that students rarely push through with filing cases.
dren’s struggles has helped
him become proactive to other
equally pressing concerns.
“One way that deepened
my passion, or even my co-
members’, [to continue] what
Musmos is doing is… that
“A lot of [the children’s] lives are
motivated by sheer survival.”
Liane Alampay, Ph.D.
many Filipinos have so many
prejudices about poverty,” he
says.
“The only thing that we
can do is to try to educate
them, [make] them realize
that they are equipped with
skills… as well as the will to
[create] change.”
Change the system
To prevent these chil-
dren from frequenting the
streets, Ateneo alumni found-
ed Learning Links, a non-
governmental organization
(NGO) that aims to provide
supplementary educational
materials, in 2000. Five years
later, Marquez, together with
the Department of Education,
acquired and reorganized it
into ICLIC because the NGO
couldn’t sustain it anymore.
ICLIC usually holds one-
hour daily classes at times
when children can usually
be found on the streets. Its
activities include storytelling,
movie-watching, and other
tasks that aim to develop the
children’s learning skills.
morning are usually few and
aren’t that serious because
cars move at a slow speed in
traffic.
Accident-prone areas
along Katipunan are gener-
ally found at the U-turns as
well as the gates of both the
Ateneo and Miriam College.
The exit at Gate 2, for ex-
photo by kevin c. tatco
It also uses the Marungko
method, which specifically
aims at non-readers to develop
their literacy skills.
Sixty-one children are cur-
rently enrolled under this pro-
gram, despite the barangay’s
forecasted number of 30 to 40
children. ICLIC has proven to
be so successful that, accord-
ing to Marquez, the number of
street children lessened from
50 to around 20.
Besides this program, the
barangay has also initiated
talks with schools like the
Ateneo and Miriam College
in helping the children. In
the Ateneo, these sectors
include the Office for Social
Concern and Involvement and
Musmos.
While there have been
joint efforts with barangay
officials, some Ateneans have
formed their own projects. In
Musmos’ case, these projects
include tutorial sessions and
games for the children every
Saturday and leadership
training seminars for the
teenagers.
According to Ateneo Stu-
dent Catholic Action (AtSCA)
President Kevin Ferraris (IV
BS HSc), his organization’s
projects include weekly area
insertions called “Babad” and
regular meetings with the
ample, is a troublesome area
since vehicles exiting the Ate-
neo must accurately calculate
their entry into Katipunan.
Miscalculations often lead to
minor crashes. A major danger
spot is found near the gate of
Miriam, where a U-turn and
an exit meet.
Problems on the side
Safety concerns and issues
in the Katipunan area are
not limited to the road itself.
Vehicles in the parking lanes
in front of Katipunan estab-
lishments are also subject to
harm, chief of which is theft.
While window-breaking is
not common in the area since
there are many witnesses and
passersby, authorities say
that thieves have a different
target: SUV tires. Saligumba
says that groups of robbers
would park next to a parked
SUV and steal its spare tire.
According to him, it’s because
these tires are very easy to
take off.
Thefts aren’t limited to the
main road. Esteban Abada
Street, which is behind Ka-
tipunan, is a frequent target of
thieves. Guards from Esteban
Abada establishments say
that laptops and purses are
children’s parents called
“Bukluran.” It also has joint
activities with the Pre-Med
Society of the Ateneo such as
their medical missions.
For these sectors, how-
ever, having few student
participants is a constant
problem. Says Mainit, the
center’s three-man staff
and student volunteers are
having difficulty in helping
the children, the number of
whom has increased to about
a hundred.
In Musmos’ and AtSCA’s
case, their on-campus proj-
ects aren’t usually that
successful because very few
Ateneans are interested to
Kids at work. Keeping the kids out of the streets and into the classrooms is Barangay Loyola Height’s top priority.
often stolen from cars parked
along the road, especially in
the parts unlit or unguarded
by security officers.
Marquez admits to having
received many complaints
from people, especially stu-
“Students would rather not bother
with filing cases since [the hassle]
would affect their academics, among
other things.”
Caesar Marquez
dents regarding things stolen
from their vehicles. He says,
however, that most of these
complaints never material-
ize since complainants would
back off once the real investi-
gation process occurs.
“Students would rather
not bother with filing cases
since [the hassle] would af-
fect their academics, among
other things,” he says. It then
becomes more difficult for the
barangay officials to track
down who the thieves are and,
thus, implement preventive
measures.
Despite these difficulties,
the barangay still makes ef-
December 2008
participate. It’s also because
of the limited resources and
time they have. “[Musmos is]
trying to come up with things
and projects that at least can
spark interest from [the stu-
dents],” says Cang.
“As of now, we do not have
much [activity] that really
involve the Ateneo commu-
nity.”
For Theology Department
Lecturer Rachel Sanchez,
however, having many volun-
teers doesn’t necessarily mean
a better means of helping the
children. According to her,
this doesn’t assure the proj-
ects’ participants that their
impact can change the entire
Photo courtesy of INTERACTIVE CHILDREN’S LITERACY CENTER
forts in ensuring the safety of
cars parked in the establish-
ments along Katipunan. Just
recently, Barangay Ordinance
07 S-2008, which requires
that parking attendants be
registered with the barangay,
was implemented.
“There is a need to deter
crime in parking areas of
these establishments,” say
Marquez.
Joint efforts
Besides releasing the ordi-
nance, the barangay hall has
also tied up with the Ateneo
and Miriam in organizing
and preparing the cases of
theft that occurred outside
campus.
Preventing these thefts
from happening, however,
starts with the students’
efforts. Marquez says that
oftentimes, students make
33
photos by Kevin C. Tatco and Tata L. Yap
situation. “Poverty is system-
atic,” she says. “We have to
change the system and not just
increase its volunteers.”
She also says that, by not
striving to help the children,
people can more easily fall into
materialism, pragmatism,
and “many other things that
draw us away from our true
selves.” “Service to the chil-
dren constantly reminds us
what [the] the Ateneo educa-
tion is for,” she says. “It’s not
for ourselves. It is for others
[as well].” n
*Names have been changed
to protect the individuals
**With a report from Maan
C. Bernardino
the careless mistake of be-
ing complacent about their
belongings, leaving behind
laptops, bags and other gad-
gets inside their cars for many
thieves to see.
“It’s like you’re teasing the
robbers [to steal from you],”
says Marquez. He especially
cautions students about this
Christmas season.
“Life’s difficult. So, be
more vigilant when going
home,” he says in a mix of
Filipino and English.
Parking in the right spots
is also another measure stu-
dents must constantly comply
with. Many of the thefts occur
in the less-populated areas
where parking isn’t even al-
lowed, according to him.
Marquez says that main-
taining peace and safety in
Katipunan should be ev-
erybody’s concern. It relies
on the actions of everyone
involved—from students and
barangay officials to school
administrators.
“We can’t do it alone. It
should involve everybody,”
he says.n
*Names have been changed
to protect the individuals.
 The GUIDON
44 INQUIRY December 2008
photo by tata l. yap

Are the demands of being part of the Sanggunian too high for its current crop of officers?
by Emman D. Delocado alongside Sanggu duties,” Student Leadership Center.
and Paolo B. Monteiro she says in a mix of Filipino Other CIP provisions
and English. also state that tardiness and

“I
t wasn’t that orga-
nized last year,” says
Central Board (CB)
Representative Maria* in
Filipino. “This year, Sanggu
has a clearer vision and
provides a clearer path for
officers like me.”
School year 2007-2008
was a year of controversy
for the Sanggunian ng mga
Mag-aaral ng mga Paaralang
Loyola ng Pamantasang Ate-
neo de Manila (Sanggu). Gad-
fly Society, a “secret society”
that aimed to incite change
by calling on Ateneo’s sec-
tors, launched a blog labeling
Sanggu as obsolete. The dif-
ficulties that year climaxed
when Karl Satinitigan (IV
“When my parents talk about me
running again, I say that I don’t
want to run anymore.”
BS LM), then Sanggu presi-
dent, was ousted from office
because he wasn’t enrolled.
This year, however, a lot
has changed in Sanggu. In
contrast to last year’s accu-
sation of an absent govern-
ment, Sanggu has launched
widely publicized projects,
such as the Bring-Your-Own-
Baunan scheme and Ateneo
Student Concern Center’s
drop boxes.
But, how far have Sanggu
officials sacrificed to initiate
these changes? According to
CB Representative Clarissa*,
during the discernment
talks, the Office for Student
Activities (OSA) warned as-
piring officers like her of the
sacrifices they would have to
make in their academic and
personal lives. “From that,
you’ll get the picture that
there’s nothing you can do
After the final bell rings. More than just staying in school well into the night, student-leaders must balance
their academics and Sanggunian duties.
Sacrifices have to be made
For some members, being
a part of Sanggu means hav-
ing to make a lot of sacrifices.
For Maria, this means miss-
ing out on her friends’ get-
togethers and family dinners.
“When my parents talk about
me running again, I say that
I don’t want to run anymore,”
she says in Filipino. “I don’t
have that much control over
my time anymore.”
In Clarissa’s case, this
means not having enough
time for academics. Accord-
ing to her, the time she could
have spent on studying is
now reserved for attending
both CB and committee
Maria*
meetings.
Besides sacrificing time,
being a Sanggu official can
also mean having difficulties
with his co-workers. Clarissa
attributes this problem to the
difficulty of communicating
with them because of the dif-
ferences in their class sched-
ules. Says Clarissa, working
with fellow representatives
means having to compromise
to their needs.
Late night meetings
According to Section 10
(Regular Meetings) of the
CB’s revised Code of Internal
Procedures (CIP), represen-
tatives should meet every
Friday “at the time and
venue agreed upon by its
members.” As far as this year
is concerned, meetings are
held from 6 to 9 pm usually
at the Manny V. Pangilinan
early departure will be partly
considered as an absence
depending on the fraction
of time the officer attended.
According to the Student
Judicial Court executive
report The Inquiry there are
six block and course reps
that are subjected to trial
for exceeding the number of
allowed cuts.
As it takes Maria a while
to arrive at home, she usually
leaves meetings 30 minutes
earlier. She believes that it
might already be too late
if she leaves at the end of
meetings.
“It pisses me off when [my
co-workers] don’t understand
that I have to leave because
it’s too late,” she says. “I’d
rather miss some parts of the
meeting than be stabbed or
held up.”
Says Clarissa, “[It would
be better] if we could move
the meeting in an earlier
time. [That would] improve
attendance and make people
more efficient.”
As far as Sanggu’s weekly
meetings are concerned,
Sanggu President Omi Casta-
ñar (V AB DS) agrees that
scheduling the meetings at an
earlier time would be better.
It is difficult, however, to al-
lot a three-hour slot that the
majority can attend. He also
initially planned to have the
three-hour meetings moved
on Mondays, but with the
schedule problems that arose,
they continue to be held on
Fridays.
“Juggling obligations”
According to Ateneo
School of Government Lead-
ership Program Staff member
Maricel de Guzman, being
a student-leader is not an
easy job. Being a member of
student organizations like
Sanggu means having to
develop the skill of juggling
one’s obligations.
Photo by kasey d. albano
data taken from The 2005 Constitution of the Undergraduate Students of the Ateneo de Manila
Loyola Schools
“Juggling [obligations]
is a skill. To get that skill,
you need to practice it. It’s a
process to achieve that,” she
says. This means knowing
how to mediate between the
administrators and the stu-
dents, as well as balancing it
with his personal life.
Being a student leader
also means having to en-
counter different kinds of
student leaders. Says de
Guzman, there are domi-
nating leaders who set their
subordinates into a specific
direction. According to her,
leaders shouldn’t dwell much
on being too dominating as
this may be misinterpreted
by their co-workers.
There are also facilitative
leaders who often encourage
their co-workers to par-
ticipate in making decisions.
According to de Guzman,
student leaders should be
geared toward this kind as
much as possible.
Nevertheless, she be-
lieves that being a leader
boils down to providing
avenues for a particular com-
munity’s voice to be heard.
“[It] is about being the voice
of a certain community and
providing [its members] with
the necessary framework or
[guidelines] on how to live
through change.”
In Castañar’s case, being
a student leader means act-
ing like one every minute of
his life. Though his academic
and leadership duties would
often clash, he makes sure
that they don’t impair his
other commitments. “You
have to be on your best per-
formance because people will
not really remember you for
the good things but for the
bad things,” he says.
Mixed feelings
Like in the past years,
however, students have
mixed feelings for the student
council.
Upon getting into the
Ateneo, Block Representa-
tive Paul* expected a certain
presence from Sanggu. But,
after one semester, he thinks
that it’s not as visible as var-
sity teams and other student
organizations.
”[Some sectors of the
community] went overboard
at some points,” he says, re-
“Juggling [obligations] is a skill.
To get that skill, you need to
practice it.”
Maricel de Guzman
ferring to the criticism that
Sanggu is irrelevant. ”[But,]
it was a wake-up call of some
sort.”
Meanwhile, OSA Director
Christopher Castillo believes
that Sanggu is performing
well. ”If we grade them from
one to ten, with then being the
highest, they have an eight,”
he says. ”Is that good? Yes.”
Nevertheless, to some ex-
tent, these sectors might also
have too high expectations
for these student leaders.
Says de Guzman, these high
expectations are most likely
caused by the numerous local
and national issues that the
school deals with. She also
says that, with the Ateneo’s
culture to be magis or to give
more, the community can’t
be blamed for setting these
standards.
She says in Filipino,
”[These student leaders]
should probably study the
community’s expectations
of them... and find ways to
innovate.”
Forming leaders
At the end of the day,
however, officers like Clar-
issa find their jobs at Sanggu
fulfilling. “Perhaps, the 0.01
decrease in QPI [is just fine]
because you didn’t exert
much time or effort as before
in academics,” she says.
Castañar shares the same
sentiment. “Personally, I’m
always telling myself that
after one school year, I’ve
grown a lot. I’m already reap-
ing the seeds of maturity I
had because of my Sanggu
experience.”
Although Maria didn’t
find her job fulfilling during
her first year at Sanggu, she
says that her current position
has made her see the student
council from a different light.
Says Maria, her experience
this semester has offset
much of the annoyance she
felt. “When you’re a student
leader, it’s important that
you have to acknowledge all
the different experiences,”
she says. n
*Names have been changed
to protect the individuals.