The Analyst: Election Special 2022

The Analyst ELECTION SPECIAL

THE CONTENTIOUS AUDIT TRAIL

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The Analyst

EDITOR’S NOTE For over two years now, the COVID-19 global pandemic has been a force to be reckoned with. Its consequences to our country’s economy and society is of a scale most Filipinos alive today have never witnessed.

To contain the spread of the virus, we have lockdowns, curfews, face masks, and face shields to thank but they are not enough measures to totally remove the problem.

The bottom line is that Filipinos are exhausted and thirsty for change. Thus, with the upcoming Halalan 2022, no pandemic will prevent Filipino citizens from exercising their constitutional right to vote and elect worthy leaders for the country.

The central and local student council elections at the University of Santo Tomas, like the ongoing electoral season in our country, are a manifestation of Filipino citizens’ right to vote, particularly students.

Both scenarios are intent on assessing the individuals running for their respective positions, taking into account their will to lead in the face of crises like the pandemic. Due to continued restrictions, Thomasians are to fill their ballots virtually, instigating a sequel to last year’s online elections.

On the other hand, In contrast to last year’s election, the position of Auditor is being sought by candidates from two political parties, making the voters’ duty even more important. The Accountancy Journal publishes this special issue of The Analyst, the publication’s official broadsheet, to be utilized as a resource by students in evaluating candidates, platforms, and plans for the college and the student body.

This issue will also highlight how the college’s usual election activities have adjusted as a result of the sudden move to virtual means. In addition, this issue features the incumbent Accountancy Student Council (ASC) president, his accomplishments and failures during his tenure of service to the AMVians.

Furthermore, this paper covers our fellow AMVian’s campaign for an Executive Board post on the university’s Central Student Council (CSC)–his advocacy, proposed plans of action, and governance programs. Two infographics are also included in this special issue. First, an infographic on the candidates’ stances on college and university issues, as well as the country’s social, political, and economic issues. Second, a tracker that shows the planned programs of the interim Accountancy Student Council (ASC) Executive Board (2021-2022) in order to measure their successes during their term.

With the information provided in this special issue, the Accountancy Journal hopes for a fair and successful electoral season, not only within the university, but also on the national level. May our judgment not be clouded by melodramatic sentiments and campaign gimmicks. We hope that everyone gets to make an informed choice as they exercise their basic rights to vote.

One vote may appear little at face value, but when the fair value of all of these votes is added together, it accounts for not just a significant influence, but also control over the unknown future.

NEWS

April 2022

UST-AMV COMELEC Challenges ASC Aspirants in Tindig 2022: 100 Segundo

By Janella Marie L. Samut

UST-AMV Commission on Elections (COMELEC) brought together nine candidates vying to be part of the Accountancy Student Council (ASC) executive board for the academic year 2022-2023 through “Tindig 2022: 100 Segundo!” last March 25.

The said event was held through Zoom in a question-andanswer format that catered to questions coming from the student body. It is one of the segments organized by the Commission that served as a platform for the AMVians to know more about the advocacies of the candidates and their stance on certain issues, in under 100 seconds. The recordings were posted on the official Facebook account of the UST-AMV COMELEC. This year’s electoral slate is composed of a full slate of eight candidates from Lakas ng Diwang Tomasino (Lakasdiwa) and a sole candidate from Alliance for Student Service, Equity and Truth (ASSET).

President Leading their party as the standard-bearer is Shanelle Ann P. Ching (Lakasdiwa). In a question that asks for the specific things to be revised in the AMV Constitution, she said that it is time to include the batch representatives as they are the primary medium of the council to communicate with the students and hear their concerns.

She added that the responsibilities of each position should also be clearly stated in the constitution to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the council. When it comes to her political beliefs, she said, “I voice out my political beliefs in a way na I live by it. Kung ano yung gusto kong makita sa mga political candidates na I would vote for, I also live by those. And at the same time, I try to educate and make other people aware also of my political beliefs.”

Vice President Adriano O. Cornejo (Lakasdiwa), who is running for the vice presidency, believes that he can stand out without overpowering the president. He said that there is a synergy between him and his running mate, Ms. Ching, wherein they cater to the needs and concerns of the students through their advocacies, platforms, and their own constitutional duties.

the students are the competencies that make her suited for the seat.

go through proper due process and would be held accountable.

On the question that asks if AMV should be a priority for faceto-face classes.“I do believe that it should be a priority kasi we have already been robbed of so many opportunities and I do believe that it is time for us to focus especially giving safety and to ensuring that everyone deserves a quality education,”she answered.

Auditor One of the candidates running as an auditor is Maria Allyssa A. Creencia (Lakasdiwa).

To help combat the adverse effects of mental health problems among the AMVians, she said that she recognized the hardships of the current setup. Then, she introduced an initiative by Ms. Ching which is reinforcing the STRAW committee to be more proactive when it comes to receiving the concerns of the student body. “This allows us to assist and guide them when it comes to their mental health and gives us the opportunity to provide them the assistance during these trying times,” she added.

Assistant Secretary Julianna Nicole U. Go (Lakasdiwa) will vie for the assistant secretary post. She agreed that there needs to be more representation of irregular students within the council. “We are all worthy of being able to run for council and be represented by the council,” she stated.

In response to the question that asks if she is in favor of some professors that are outspoken on social media platforms about their support for certain presidential candidates, she said that everybody has the right to vote for which candidate they believe is best suited for the position as they are entitled to their opinion. “With that being said, now, given the chaotic situation in the world, now is not the time to be neutral. We cannot afford to be neutral, and we should be able to stand up for what we believe in and fight for what is right,” she added.

Treasurer Contending to be the next treasurer is Angelo Carlos S. Gutierrez (Lakasdiwa). When it comes to his insights on student activism, he said, “Lahat naman tayo as students, may tinatawag tayong freedom of expression na kung saan pinapahayag natin ang mga gusto nating sabihin.”

He added that there are proper platforms given by the council to the students so they can voice out their concerns to be resolved. According to him, the treasurer’s purpose in the pandemic is to safe keep the funds and allocate the budget to projects conducted by the council efficiently and effectively.

During his previous term as the assistant secretary, one thing that he learned is to take a breather and rest. He said, “Even though we would like to function well to the best of our capabilities if our mental, physical, and emotional well-being is compromised, hindi po tayo makapag-function fully.”

Assistant Treasurer Marie Alyssa Ruth E. Lintag (Lakasdiwa) is eyeing the assistant treasurer spot. To address the concern about the AMVians ranting about the UST Freedom Wall instead of raising it to the student council, she said, “We have to validate the concerns of the AMVians. With this, I would like to endorse one of the projects of Ms. Shanelle Ann Ching, who is currently running for the position of President, to ensure na meron tayong maayos na grievance process forms.”

Secretary Vying for the position of secretary is Yvonne M. Batalla (Lakasdiwa). She pointed out that having good communication with the people around her as well as being persevering to address both concerns of the administration and

The reason why she runs for the post is to ensure that all of her projects and advocacies, which she believed are well-rooted from the concerns of the AMVian community, will be implemented. If elected and failed to perform such promises, she said that she should

In response to the experiences that have prepared her to serve as an auditor, she mentioned that she was part of the Finance and Legal Administration of the UST AIESEC in UST which gave her a clear overview of both financial and operational auditing of an organization. She was also an executive associate to the STRAW committee head and this allowed me to see the external problems and come up with ways that she can implement internally to better serve the student body.

Chico Rico B. Rivera (ASSET), the sole candidate of their party, challenges the position of auditor. Regarding the question of how he will win against his opponent, he mentioned that he will be presenting his views, principles, and developing projects that will be beneficial to the AMVians.

On attending debates during the national campaigns, he said, “Sa tingin ko ang pag-attend ng debates ay crucial kasi dito malalaman yung nasa isip ng kandidato, kung ano yung laman talaga ng kaniyang magiging (plataporma)...kapag naelect na siya.”

Moreover, with regards to the representation of irregular students within the council, he agreed that there needs to be more representation for them because they are currently a minority and their needs are not usually given attention.

Public Relations Officer Last but certainly not least, Jose Karlo C. Pascual runs to secure the public relations officer seat.

In response to the question that asks if he is afraid to be defeated

by Abstain, he made it clear that he is not. He said, “Siguro mas malungkot ako if I will not be able to implement the platforms, the advocacies, and projects that I have planned kasi naniniwala ako na it will benefit the student body.”

Other than the dissemination of information through Messenger and Facebook, he mentioned that his plan of action is the “Text Blast” to cater to the concerns of those who have weak internet connections. He added, “This will be coordinated to the Batch Representatives and P.R.O.s of each block.”

April 2022

NEWS

The Analyst

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AMV Halalan 2022: A Virtual Sequel

By Mikaela V. Pilar With the upcoming UST Central and Local Student Council elections on April 4 - 8, UST-AMV Commission on Elections (COMELEC) prepares to conduct the second consecutive online polls via Zoom on April 4-8, 2022.

Given the situation and limitations brought upon by COVID-19, the filing of candidacy and campaign of the aspiring candidates was still conducted virtually with the implementing rules and regulations set by the UST-AMV COMELEC Resolution No.15 Series of 20212022 promulgated last January 15.

The voting procedure will be held simultaneously on the said dates from 7 am to 8 pm. Meeting links will be handed over to class presidents for scheduled elections to be disseminated in their sections. Each class will be given a specific time where they can cast their votes.

Open precincts will also be accessible for those students who were unable to attend the scheduled elections to give them a chance for the polls. Students are only allowed to vote once and cannot substitute for other students. Guidelines and violations are presented in the released UST COMELEC Executive Order No. 07 Series of 2021-2022.

AMVians are looking forward to the new set of officers to take over the student body since candidates from the two political parties, Lakasdiwa and ASSET, assemble themselves as they continue to campaign for the next set of officers for the Accountancy Student Council.

In line with the UST Halalan 2022, AMV’s bet Benjamin B. Amper IV aims to secure the treasurer post in the Central Student Council Election.

Art by Janine Zyrelle S. Awat

UST-AMV COMELEC hosts TINDIG 2022: HOTSEAT

By Rishi Lyanna F. Villalon UST-AMV College of Accountancy Commission on Elections (UST-AMV COMELEC) put the nine [9] hopeful candidates on a “hot seat” aiming to hear their stances on major issues and social concerns of the AMV Community as part of their Tindig 2022 video series ahead of the local student council elections.

In the Q&A segment, Lakasdiwa’s bet for the Presidential post, Shanelle Anne Ching, recounted her past experience as a PRO, for which she saw the internal system of the council and the laments of the students as a driver to continue to serve for AMVians as president.

Furthermore, given the struggles of the students in enhanced virtual learning, Ching lays out plans in order to convince the admin with regard to longer academic breaks, academic ease, and faceto-face classes.

“First, we have to build a good relationship with the admin. Second, secure it with data in order to support our argument or to support what we are trying to communicate with the administration. From here, as we view the data on the academic breaks, academic ease, and face-to-face classes, we already have a benchmark on how we are going to communicate with them. And, I believe that as long as we communicate properly makikinig sila sa atin,“ Ching stated.

The presidential aspirant also believes that these core five values transparency, peaceful struggle, authentic humanism, common good, and nationalism have shaped her to become the person she

is today. She also added, “Hindi lang dapat tayo nagseserbisyo para sa ating sarili, dapat iniintindi natin kung ano ‘yung pangangailangan ng nakakararami and at the same time, we fulfill the needs of the minority and promote nationalism.”

In addition, Lakasdiwa’s representative for Vice President, Adriano Cornejo, believes that proper communication must be established in order to ignite a harmonious relationship among the different organizations in the AMV community. Hence, his past experience as a secretary geared him to carry out the duties and responsibilities if he will be appointed as the next vice president. Cornejo also pointed out that his advocacies and platforms are deeply rooted in the current and potential concerns of the AMVians.

As she seeks to be the next Secretary, Lakasdiwa’s bet Yvonne Batalla envisions herself to be the bridge between the students and administration to help both ends facilitated by her projects and advocacies. Batalla asserts that every factor should be considered in every decisionmaking in the council. Hence, she would examine the contest of both parties - the students and the administrators. With these, Batalla proposes the project of Ching - Pulso ng AMV, which aims to address the concerns of the students and her own advocacy, which is to provide professional support and assistance to fellow AMVians.

Moreover, Lakasdiwa’s representative for Assistant Secretary, Julianna Nicole Go believes that she would be able to give quality service to every

AMVians by maintaining and improving the transparency of the council to its constituents. Hence, she emphasizes that the online learning setup will not hinder her duties to serve the best interest of the students.

Lakasdiwa’s bet for Treasurer, Angelo Carlos Gutierez, mentioned that his experience as the assistant treasurer last term has prepared him to become the next treasurer of the AMV Community.

Gutierez also believes that being honest and having integrity are the qualities that a treasurer should possess. As he pursues the executive board seat, Guiterrez ensures financial transparency by conducting meetings, good internal control, and proper communication with other officers.

He also believes that the students of USTAMV are being benefited from the funds coming from the tuition since the projects and platforms are rooted in the concerns of the students.

Furthermore, Marie Alyssa Ruth Lintag, Lakasdiwa’s representative for Assistant Treasurer, promotes her projects such as “AM-Valita!”; where the students are given the platform to act upon their own advocacies, and “Usapang Pinansiyal: The Series”; which ensures that the students are financially literate.

Lakasdiwa’s bet for the auditor post, Maria Alyssa Creencia, believes that she is more qualified for the position than her opponent from the opposition, Asset’s Chico Rivera. Backed up with her experiences as a member in the finance and legal administration of AIESEC in UST, it allowed her to have a clear overview of

financial matters and operational auditing aspects of an organization. Creencia also affirms establishing an internal control system that focuses on the accountancy student council (ASC) membership and performances.

Chico Rico Rivera, Asset’s lone candidate eyeing the post of Auditor, proposed the “ASC Agapay”, which is a three-part evaluation project where it intends to develop recommendations and propose courses of action for the improvement of delivering quality services to the student body.

In addition, the Bulacan native also proposes “AMV Handa”; which researches the information that is useful for the students and addresses their concerns at the same time. Rivera also asserts that if he wins the auditor post, he would still be willing to share and receive ideas from the opposing party. The aspiring auditor also added that he does not view the Lakasdiwa as an enemy because they all have the same goal- to serve the student body.

Targeting the position of Public Relations Officer (PRO), Jose Karlo Pascual believes that it is important for the council to raise its stand on pressing issues through social media platforms because this will make the students be aware of social issues in the country. He also added that he can prevent the spread of fake news by discerning and verifying first the sources of the information.

Aside from the Q&A segment, the candidates were also asked to take a stance by quickly answering a yes or no to social issues and current affairs.

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The Analyst

NEWS

April 2022

Amper seeks to represent AMVians as CSC Treasurer

By Maureen Andrea M. Diola and Kathy Mae V. Arnedo

All eyes are on Benjamin B. Amper IV as he sets his aspirations to be UST Central Student Council’s next Treasurer.

Last March 4, UST Central Commission on Elections (COMELEC) released their official list of Central Student Council candidates for this year’s HALALAN 2022 with Amper as the sole unopposed candidate for the said position.

According to Amper, his main motivation for his candidacy is rooted in his thorough commitment to serving the Thomasian community.

Moreover, he saw the need to have a specific point person with regard to university-wide financial matters.

“As you may know, walang CSC Treasurer this academic term. So basically, kaming Finance Directors and Executive Associate ang nag-handle ng financial matters sa university-wide… And it was quite hard kasi, although merong program for financial process of the university’s student councils, medyo unclear pa rin kasi walang specific na point person to really tap,” Amper explained.

Prior to his candidacy, Amper has been a part of UST – Central Student Council as an Executive Staff for the Finance Committee for 2 years before becoming the Finance Director in 2021, with him now vying for an Executive Board position, he claims to step up “broadened his perspective on how things work in the university”.

“More than just a Finance Director, I really committed to myself na I really like serving the student body. And if I ever become the Treasurer of CSC, I would really use my platform to help those who are in need through ULAP, ARAW, and TALA,” he said.

His first 2 platforms, ULAP: Crisis Resiliency Protocol and ARAW: All Aboard UST, both focus on the Thomasian students’ smooth transitioning from online to face-to-face set-up. The 3rd platform, TALA: Jumpstarting Dreams, aims to provide information for Thomasian seniors and graduates about necessary documents, requirements, and such in the professional world.

Amper believes that by being part of the central council, he can extend help to the AMV community whenever it needs a voice at the university level.

“I assure you that I would be more hands-on when it comes to coordinating with the local student council regarding your grievances because I am well aware of our issues here in our community.”

Currently a 3rd year AIS student and a Risk Advisory Intern at Deloitte Navarro Amper & Co., Amper is known to be active with both co-curricular and extra-curricular activities ever since he was in UST – Senior High School.

Throughout the past years, he has exemplified leadership skills by continuously taking part in the local student councils as a Finance & Sponsorship Associate in ASC and as a Logistics Director in UST SHS Student Council. Furthermore, he was also a member of the Accountancy Student Legislative Assembly (ASLA) for the past 2 years, where he now serves as the Deputy Speaker for this academic year.

He joined various organizations including the local Accounting Information Society and university-wide Tiger Media Network, where he occupied key positions as an Executive Associate to the President and Finance and Project Management

Head respectively. He also takes part in community engagement groups such as The Playhouse Project, where he is currently serving as the Finance Head, as well as The Initiative PH, where he became Finance Head and Logistics Head.

As of now, 5 candidates, including Amper, remain unchallenged as they aim for an Executive Board position in the Central Council. On the other hand, the position of Vice President remains vacant with no candidates.

The Online Central and Local Student Council Elections will be held on April 4-8, 2022.

Benjamin B. Amper IV

ASSET: We still went all out this academic year

By Rholand Christian C. Francisco After a year of idle from the political space of the college, Alliance for Student Service, Equity and Truth (ASSET) breaks its silence about the political party’s stance and deliberation on the mingling rumors on its current state and plans for future endeavors.

The Accountancy Journal had an exclusive one-on-one discussion with ASSET’s chairperson, Sherry Nell Bambilla, to answer questions about its incomplete electoral slate and the contention for the Auditor slot that Chico Rivera represents.

When asked about the political party’s decision not to go all out for the academic year 2021-2022, Bambilla responded that the party did go all out thus right from the very beginning of the academic year with massive efforts to lure potential members not only to fill in its possible comeback in the political run for the Accountancy Student Council (ASC) but also envisioning a community of student leaders.

“We went all out. Furthermore, we did conduct a project this semester actually, which include ASSET All Set Coach and ‘yong intention dito is, you know, as student leaders, we really want to have a community. Not just limiting ourselves to endorsing candidates for election,” Bambilla said.

When we say that we stand for principles and we want to have a

community, we are genuine in that. And one of the very proof na genuine kami sa mga sinasabi namin is yung project naming yun, which is ASSET All Set, the efficient guest, and yung coach and through that, we were able to gain more members kasi napakita namin with action yung principles namin,” the chairperson added.

ASSET openly expressed its thoughts on choosing its representative for this year’s election, elaborating that Rivera was willingly ready for the task at hand, given the current system of governance in the college.

The ASSET third-year chair added that Rivera’s reputation precedes and is backed up by commendable credentials; there was no reason for the political party not to allow the auditorial aspirant.

“As much as possible, ayun nga, parang eight yung slate supposedly, as much as possible we wanted to offer it to whoever was qualified, but in the end kasi nanggagaling yan sa estudyante mismo.

Sarili niyang initiative yung pagtakbo and ayun si Chico eh,” Bambilla stated regarding to the deliberation held by the political party.

The lone representative of the political party’s candidate filing is not related to redemption from the possible dissolution of a UST - AMV Commission on Elections (COMELEC) ruling Section 9(d) of the

Election Code, whichstates that the registration of the political parties may be canceled on the following grounds, one of which is failure to field official candidates in the last two preceding elections, of which it is still subject to hearing by COMELEC, Bambilla reiterated.

“We never forced or asked any individual to run just to save ASSET. Chico wanted to run from the very first moment na na-bring up yung opportunity sa kanya. It was his own initiative. Unintentionally yes, he was able to save ASSET pero his reason for running didn’t have any connection as to saving ASSET,” the chairperson added.

ASSET and its objectives for pushing through advocacies in spreading social awareness are open to any form of opportunity that may arise subject to COMELEC approval but are still in its phase of deliberation by the party moving forward.

“I can’t specify exactly our plans kasi siyempre they are subject to COMELEC approval. Pero yes, hindi naman matitigil ang plans ng ASSET to be able to really prove with actions the things we keep on talking about in terms of like our principles, our advocacies and things like that,” Bambilla emphasized.

MISMO passes up ASC Elections 2022

By Bianca Rose S. Ariza MISMO, one of the esteemed political parties of AMV, proceeds to abstain from running in this year’s local student council elections following their decision not to run last academic year.

In an interview with MISMO’s chairperson, Francheska Nadurata, the party explained how they prioritize giving students whose hearts instill servant leadership the opportunity to obtain a seat in the council.

They shared that the party promotes making informed choices; thus, they do not want to make their members run if they refuse to do so at will.

“We don’t want our members to run for the election aggressively. We don’t want to force them for the sake of having someone run under our party,” Nadurata stated.

Despite the party’s nonparticipation, they remain vocal about their stances on essential matters to positively impact the AMVian community.

“Our members, as a representation of MISMO, continue to show the party’s ideologies for the continuing betterment of our communities,” said the chairperson.

MISMO was established in 2014 and affiliated with the Lakas Tomasino Coalition (LTC) to give students the power to choose and the chance to make significant changes.

EXCLUSIVE

April 2022

The Analyst

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GET TO KNOW YOUR CANDIDATES

Who will be part of the next Accountancy Student Council?

PRESIDENT

By John David G. Caday

LD’s Standard Bearer Highlights Student-Driven and Solution-Oriented Governance With the sudden shift in the learning setup brought to us by the pandemic to the uncertainty of face-toface classes for the next academic term, LAKASDIWA’s presidential hopeful Shanelle Ann Ching intends to build on the foundations set by the current council and promises to reform current systems better to improve the quality of life of every AMVian.

“Become that senior that your junior self needed you to be,” A statement that seemed to shape her unwavering principles as a student leader who is both emphatic and sensitive to the student body’s needs.

The incumbent Public Relations Officer (PRO) boasts an extensive resumé that includes officerships in various organizations since 2016, leadership seminars, and participation in nationallevel competitions, including the ongoing L’Oreal Brandstorm 2022.

Building a Strong Foundation Ching and her fellow candidates from LAKASDIWA have crafted advocacies that they believe complement one another.

In line with this is her primary advocacy dubbed “Pulso ng AMV,” which she described as a Three-Point Agenda of reinforcing platforms, networks, and operations. This plan of action aims to address each AMVian’s concerns systematically.

SHANELLE ANN P. CHING (LAKASDIWA)

The 21-year-old Manila native believes that the council must aim to improve and upgrade its systems continuously. Her advocacy “Fast Track” emphasizes giving the council flexibility and versatility in addressing the pervasive issues that AMVians face within each academic year.

This plan of action aims to provide an internal system arrangement that would help both the administration and the students to strengthen and fast track procedures such as Advising, Petition Classes, and ELE Enlistment.

“I want to achieve a strong foundation within the council that can address as many of the issues that our student body has, and I believe that is where my advocacies come in as it would allow the council to build systems not just on pre and post-enrollment procedures but also towards addressing the individual concerns if each AMVian while also strengthening the student representation,” she added.

Student-driven and Solution-oriented Equipped with first-hand experience in dealing with both the studentry and the college administration for the past year, Ching aims to strengthen the feedback loop, which entails transparency involving the courses of actions taken by the council and the proposed addition of year-level coordinators to be able to pinpoint the problems for each batch and the ability to respond to it in a much efficient manner.

VICE PRESIDENT

By Bianca Rose S. Ariza

Abiding by his advocacy of building a policy-driven plan of action toward inclusivity, the 20-year-old Batangueno believes that the concerns of both the minority and the majority should be taken into account.

ADRIANO C. CORNEJO (LAKASDIWA)

After braving the highs and lows of being the council’s Assistant Secretary in the last academic year, 2A1 student Adriano C. Cornejo, decides to climb two steps higher and vie for the position of Vice President.

As he is no longer a cub in the field of student servitude, Cornejo emphasizes the need to become empathetic, competent, and self-aware to be the good student leader that the AMV community deserves.

Embodying The Triad Of Good Leadership Cornejo underlines the importance of empathy in being a good studentleader. Knowing where the students are coming from, as well as their struggles and pain points, are to be prioritized and understood to immediately be addressed.

The aspirant explained that competence and passion should come hand in hand to become a good studentleader, as he believes that experience comes for something but does not come for everything.

Further, Cornejo shares that knowing how to view and assess things from different perspectives is also an important principle that he lives by.

“We should have this mindset na lahat ng concerns ng student body and ng administration ay completely valid kasi ‘di naman ‘yan ma-re-raise kung hindi nangyayari. Doon papasok ang pagiging neutral, objective, and self aware natin as student-leaders,” he said.

Embracing Inclusivity To fulfill his advocacy of attaining inclusivity, Cornejo proposes two main plans of action. First, the candidate introduces Converge, a forum intended to establish an internal collaboration with other institutions for benchmarking.

“Dapat competitive tayo sa kung ano ang hinihingi ng current and potential concerns ng mga students, in which kaya natin i-tailor fit sa kung anong sistema meron tayo currently,” he said.

Further, the project intends to achieve three main objectives. First, to modify the internal system by having a benchmark that satisfies the needs of the AMVian community. Second, to provide an avenue for current and potential student-leaders. And third, to build an interrelationship with other institutions through both academic and leadership means.

“We plan to collaborate with big institutions na meron tayo within U-belt.

I believe it’s one way para magkaroon tayo ng good implementation ng events and projects na gusto natin i-endorse sa student body,” he explained.

To better engage the academics committee, the candidate also introduces Utilizing 3Cs For Inclusive Academics Committee Relations.

This project ensures the consistency, credibility, and convenience of the academic materials being provided to AMVians.

“Voting rights clearly depend on our students–on our AMVians. They are free to think if I am capable of being your next vice president or not. But I believe that what we have endorsed are projects which are great plans for the students. It is more than enough para ma-express natin talaga ‘yong competence and passion natin to serve,” he said.

THE CONTENTIO

Curious. Ea These words describe AMVians every time the electoral season ne for it is when a brand new set of student-leaders Last academic year, LAKASDIWA went full force and fl all but one position remain unopposed, as LAKASDIWA and ASSE

A Better Piece in the Puzzle: Service through Unrivaled Preparation

By Bea Francheska S. Barbiran

Engrossed with being of service to his fellow students that have transpired when he was in 5th Grade and persisted during his 10th and 12th Grade where he was elected as part of the Executive Board, Chico Rico B. Rivera of 1A2 wants to be a constituent for the further improvement and development of the Accountancy Student Council (ASC) to effectively deliver quality services to his fellow AMVians; thus having his advocacy, “Dekalidad na Serbisyo para sa Matatag na Kolehiyo”.

Being a detail-oriented and impartial student leader himself, he stated that he will ensure that the financial reports to be issued by the Council are fairly and faithfully represented to ensure accountability and transparency. Moreover, when asked what is his perspective of being an Auditor is, Rivera, based on his experience during his 10th grade where he served as the Auditor of their Student Council, prepares reports which evaluates the performance of his fellow officers making sure that they are doing their due responsibilities and that no one is lacking with their duties.

One of the proposed programs of governance of Rivera is ASC AGAPAY. ASC AGAPAY is a three-part evaluation project where the performance of the Accountancy Student Council (ASC), as a whole, is to be fully assessed where at the end of such, it intends to develop recommendations and propose courses of actions for the improvement of delivering quality services. Its first phase, Kaloob, purports an internal evaluation where the members of the council gauge the performance of the duties and responsibilities of the elected officers, ensuring accountability and competence. Secondly, Kahusayan intends to implement an external evaluation of the ASC as a whole, where the AMVians assess the effectiveness and efficiency of their performance of the entrusted

duties and obligations of the Council.

Lastly, Kamalayan enables the AMVians to evaluate the projects done by the Council.

“Kahit sabihin na mataas yung evaluations every year doon sa mga projects, I know na mayroong i-improve, mayroong kailangang pwede pang ayusin para mas maganda yung serbisyo na magagawa ng student council.” he explained.

Rivera emphasized the significant role of the Research and Evaluation Committee, which is entrusted under the authority of ASC Auditor, where he mentioned that the projects shall be further developed based on these evaluations and information gathered by them.

Also proposed by Rivera as his program of governance is the AMV HANDA. This project is enkindled by the pressing concern of learning transition from virtual to onsite classes, thus, it intends to gather information that will aid the students and address the common concerns raised.

When asked about what he wants his fellow AMVians to see him, Rivera mentioned that he desires that he will be seen as an active, approachable and dedicated student leader.

“Unang-una, hindi naman tumakbo para makilala, pero tumakbo para makapagsilbi.”, he explicitly stated. Rather, he further elaborated this statement by stating that it is important, particularly in our current situation, to have a student-leader who may inspire their fellow students to serve.

“Even though na internal ‘yong gawa ko, I know that there will be times na I have to step up as a leader na kahit ‘di as an Auditor, na labas sa scope ko, gusto kong maka-inspire as much as possible.”, Rivera said.

OUS AUDIT TRAIL

ager. Keen. ears. It has always been a most-awaited event by the community, contest for a spot in the college’s local organization. looded the students’ ballots. In this AMV Halalan 2022, ET go head-to-head for the seat of Auditor on the student council.

A Leader Manifest: Guidance through Adaptive Problem-Solving

By John David G. Caday

After realizing the various issues plaguing AMVians within the college, Maria Alyssa Creencia’s burning desire to contribute and contrive a solution to fixing these problems pushed her to pursue the highly contested-auditor post in the Accountancy Student Council (ASC).

As a former student-athlete and CAT Executive Officer, Creencia of 1A3 has pointed out that her extensive leadership background is not limited to academic learning as she also has experience in events planning, such as online concerts. The steadfast level of discipline she maintained proved to be essential in the early stages of her journey in the AMV. Creencia hopes to build synergy through a competent internal system. She believes that synergy is the key to emphasizing our strengths while compensating or developing the weaknesses of each member of the council.

Her project entitled “ It All Starts Within: State of Leadership” aims to establish an internal control system that manages and evaluates the performance and development of ASC members. This focuses on the critical aspects of membership and performance: recruitment, education, engagement, relations and synergy, performance management, and succession planning.

“As a part of the current student council, you can observe how the officers and different executives work and function, so I believe this system will reflect on how we implement the projects that we have and will allow us to serve the student body better,” Creencia explained.

Creencia added that a by-product of this project would be a highly customizable “ASC Internal Control Manual.”

This would give a much-needed opportunity for Accountancy Associates of the council to be able to have an overview of the systems and processes in place while having the ability to go beyond their constitutional duties or duties as an AMVian.

The second and last project she hopes to accomplish if elected is the “AMV iPROTECT,” which allows the cultivation of data privacy practices within the AMVian community through informational postings and collaboration with fellow auditors from different organizations.

“I thought of this action as I recognize that through our online setup, and even if we go back to the traditional set-up, it is imperative to have an initiative which would allow us to educate and raise awareness to the AMVian community regarding our basic data privacy rights,” she said.

As a member of the Students’ Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Committee, she attested that she was able to grow as a leader and personally come up with solutions and alternatives that benefited the students.

“As I’ve mentioned earlier po, mayroon po tayong projects or initiatives po within my system na allows us to have better member relations and synergy kasi I really want to see a student council that thrives and grows and that while serving the student body, we’re also able to grow individually and hone our skills and at the same time produce more leaders,” she concluded.

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EXCLUSI VE

The Analyst

April 2022

S E C R E TA R Y

By Bianca Rose S. Ariza With hopes of becoming an “Ate” figure to AMVians, Yvonne M. Batalla of 2A5 leaps running for the third-highest ASC position despite being aware of the struggles and challenges that await her along the way.

As the former Executive Coordinator to the Secretary last academic year, the 21-year-old Pangasinense caught a glimpse of what it was like to be in Secretary Kathrina Nazario’s shoes. It exposed her to the different secretarial duties and responsibilities and the amount of passion and perseverance it requires.

“Kung wala ‘yong passion na ‘yon, mapapagod at mawawalan ka ng rason para magpatuloy,” Batalla said. “Kung nandoon talaga ‘yong puso mo sa service na ginagawa mo, hahanap at hahanap ka talaga ng rason para magpatuloy, kaya nakakainspire po si Ate Kath.”

In line with her advocacy of building countless possibilities for the AMVian community through professional student support and assistance, she proposed three projects. First, Link: The Art of Communications is a webinar that

YVONNE M. BATALLA (LAKASDIWA)

promotes the effective exchange of ideas among AMVians. Second, Ready, Get Set, Go is a three-part event that aims to develop career-related skills to guide students in making career decisions. And third, Pusong AMVian is a webinar in collaboration with Assistant Secretary candidate Julianna Nicole Go that highlights different stories narrated by the alums of AMV. “Only an AMVian can understand another AMVian, so iba talaga kapag maririnig natin ang mga kwentong mayroon sila,” Batalla stated.

To arrive at her proposed plans of action, the candidate factored in her passion for servitude to the student body and how it drives her to continue even in the face of uncertainties in the future.

“Gusto ko talaga ipakita throughout sa lahat ng ito ay yung sincerity talaga naming lahat sa pagtakbo. Hindi man siya madali, pero yung rason kung bakit patuloy kaming lumalaban each day ay yung kagustuhan talaga namin na magserve sa AMVian community,” said Batalla.

A S S I S TA N T S E C R E TA R Y

By John David G. Caday

Maintaining your resiliency in these difficult times with the everchanging learning setting and through countless criticisms is a highly underrated asset for a student leader. Julianna Nicole Go, a freshman, is determined to serve as a role model for the AMVians and guide them to achieve their full potential.

In fulfillment of the said advocacy, the 18-year-old Quezon native aims to focus on social issues that the community development committee can address through her three-pronged “RED Approach.”

First, “Rediscover” is a skills workshop aimed at accountancy associates to foster camaraderie and inspire the next set of student leaders. Then, “Redefine” is a video series that narrates the journey of different AMV alumni after graduation.

And lastly, “Redevelop” is a community development project wherein participants are taught how to make baked goods with limited resources.

Go assures the AMV community that her projects and plans of action are highly flexible and can easily be implemented in an online setup or as we start the transition back to limited face-toface classes.

“I believe that there is a leader in every single one of us, and sometimes we just need that little push to allow us to hone our skills to see our full potential, and I want to be remembered as somebody who inspired the next set of leaders who will continue to inspire future generations of leaders as well.” Go mentioned the impact she wants to make on the community.

JULIANNA NICOLE U. GO (LAKASDIWA)

TREASURER

By John David G. Caday

Rallying behind his strong sense of duty with student inclusivity as his calling card, Angelo Carlos S. Guttierez of 2A5 aims to level up from his current post to serve the AMV community better.

Guttierez mentioned that his experience as the incumbent Assistant Treasurer played a vital role in crafting his policies and projects for the upcoming academic term and was exceptionally tailored to his challenges during his tenure.

“As your outgoing Assistant Treasurer, I was able to assess the primary demands of the student body that needed to be prioritized, especially with the circumstances in place and challenges that were thrown at us.”

ANGELO CARLO S. GUTIERREZ (LAKASDIWA)

His advocacy of building purposedriven and principled actions for an empowered AMVian aims to bring out the best version of the whole studentry through the two projects he crafted. First, AMVayanihan is a two-phased project that enables AMVians to become socially aware of the economic implications in our country. Second, Kwentong AMV is a video series that covers stories of AMVians to inspire and empower one another.

The aspiring treasurer assured the AMV community that his projects would be relevant in both an online and face-toface type of setup as they have drafted these projects considering their feasibility in both settings.

EXCLUSIVE

April 2022

A S S I S TA N T T R E A S U R E R

By Miguel Alfonso S. Caramoan

The Analyst

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P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S O F F I C E R By: Bernadette Clarisse C. Morilla

MARIE ALYSSA RUTH E. (LAKASDIWA)

Banking on her previous experiences as a student leader before entering AMV, Marie Alyssa Ruth Lintag of 1A4 once again heeds the call to take the lead by running for the position of Assistant Treasurer in the upcoming elections.

With the promotion of “the common good” as the primary reason for joining LAKASDIWA, the 18-year-old candidate has lined up two specific programs that underline its importance. AM-VALITA! will bring light to society’s pressing issues, where every posting partners up with different non-governmental organizations.

At the same time, Usapang Pinansyal: The Series tackles fund management amidst the pandemic and how to engage with mutual fund investment.

“I believe that it is our responsibility

na magbigay lagi ng opportunities for students to join, and at the same time, discover their leadership skills. Dito sa mga projects ko na ito, magbibigay ito ng avenue to students to push for their advocacies and maging financial literate sa panahon ngayon,” Lintag when asked about the purpose of her projects.

If elected in this forthcoming poll, Lintag wants the whole AMVian community to remember her tenure with the council as a leader that will listen to all sides of the spectrum.

“I am someone who would ensure na may inclusivity pa rin, despite the diverse community we have among the students in AMV. Lahat magkakaroon ng opportunities and platforms,” she said. these projects considering their feasibility in both settings.

JOSE KARLO C. PASCUAL (LAKASDIWA)

Empowered by his abundance of experience in student-leadership, Karlo C. Pascual of 1A5 contests for the Public Relations Officer post this academic year.

Living by the core values of passion, competency, and collaboration, Pascual’s advocacy focuses on building stronger relations to amplify unified student service. He eyes to establish a proactive communication line, partnership, and trust within his team.

“To be someone who empowers, someone who knows how to empower other people, and someone who knows how to communicate,” Pascual said. “Specifically, knows how to listen and when to speak at the same time.”

In fulfillment of his advocacy, the PRO aspirant has two programs in store for the college. First, “Revitalize” is an

interactive webinar with invited experts from the field of psychology that aims to strengthen the mental well-being of the students towards the uncertainties of tomorrow. Second, “Progress” maximizes different platforms for information dissemination. There are three parts to this plan, namely the AMV Serye, ASC Locate, and ASC Steps.

“As a student, nararanasan ko po firsthand yung mga struggles, yung mga hardships. Nararanasan ko rin po siya. When it comes to establishing communication through the student and to the Student Council, doon po natin makikita kung paano natin matutulungan yung mga students and kung paano natin ma-address yung needs nila.” Pascual said.

LOOK: UST-AMV COMELEC conducts #Unfiltered Mandatory Debate for the nine aspiring candidates for the Accountancy Student Council (ASC) executive board positions held last April 1, via Zoom Meetings and Facebook Live

April 2022

FEATURES

The Analyst

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The Epitome of Responsible Voting

By Rholand Christian C. Francisco

Democracy has been practiced in many countries for countless years and has always played a vital role in society’s exercise of competent governance assessment. It is a significant responsibility for any citizen belonging to a particular state, which covers not only the importance of assessing what is at stake for the country’s innovative development and growth for decades to come, but also the exercise of freedom to express reliable information that is substantial for everyone to know and learn.

maximized and should not be a privilege to those only who can afford quality education.

Information from the issue mentioned abovemust be available to the public at any time for free.

Getting to know the experience of a particular candidate profoundly is also an excellent aspect to look at.

However, it must depend not only on the number of years of so-called service, but also on the significant impact of successful and ongoing programs that gave hope and prosperity to the country’s marginalized citizens.

Time and time again, the country has witnessed numerous names emerge to step up and take on the demanding responsibility of being a government official, precisely the executive positions that have repeatedly made noise to the public, alongside promising platforms and exceptional offers that voters are lured to the idea of having to choose a particular aspirant to handle the job.

Transparency, integrity, and accountability are qualities that every voter should consider as well, whether the aspirant gives emphasis to information about the expenditure of the country’s fund and how it is properly reported that are backed up by supporting documents. This concept should not be taken away from the public because it reflects the mindset of how this person weighs and prioritizes issues.

Sadly, the public continuously appeals to have some kind of radical change because these promises are not falling into place. Blinded by misinformation, fake news, and other propaganda, voters often overlook the fact that partaking in the elections is an inherent right, considering that they have the power to appoint the next potential leader that can answer the demands and issues that have fostered catastrophic results in the past.

The question is now raised as to what voters should look for in terms of choosing the next set of people that will not only uphold the true ideal of transparent and truthful governance, but also be able to address pressing issues that continue to threaten the probability of the country to prosper.

Critical assessment of what factual information about the aspiring leaders’ claims should be taken into account; mere gossip and belief from non-reputable sources are not valid information to be declared truth

because it is the root cause of fake news and misinformation. Any person can persuade others that they have credible backgrounds without doing proper research and fact-checking to make this person worthy

A leader must possess academic, professional, and moral excellence. A solid foundation and educational background will help a leader comprehend what needs fixing in an unstable system to ensure that this will never forsake the lives of many to test a certain project. A good track record of all activities done by the aspirant should never be taken for granted, and voters must respect and openly communicate these concepts if they are to depend on their lives to someone competent for the job. Lastly, the way people perceive the attitude and character of an aspirant must be keen and should not be compromised by any of his/her vote. Voters should be mindful of tempting thoughts or actions that can possible fraud; hence the change the direction of healthy discourse. availability of credible resources from numerous media outlets/publications (e.g., Vote wisely. newspapers, journals, books) must be

We Not Me: A Leadership Outlook As the University continues to adapt to the challenges of an online setup, ASC president Lynnuelle Corocotchia made sure to put a concerted effort to not let an AMVian be left behind in his term.

Just like the feeling of doubt, fear, and uncertainty that every AMVian had during these trying times, it was not easy for Corocotchia to handle and lead the whole student body. There were a lot of concerns to resolve and new strategies were needed to be formulated in order to adjust to the situation. In short, he shouldered a lot of tasks – yet he found a way to not succumb to the pressure.

“Before assuming the position, I knew that it was not going to be easy.

I certainly had doubts about myself but regardless, I pushed through because I wanted to serve. Upon sitting as the president of ASC, I felt the weight of the responsibility as every decision I made and every suggestion I had would have a great impact on the student body, but I used this as my motivation to ensure that each student in the college was wellrepresented,” Corocotchia bared.

The road was definitely not easy for Corocotchia. Factoring out the difficulties of not being able to discuss matters in a face-to-face manner should only make it tough to deliberate such ideas.

No one would deny how daunting it is to be in his position to brainstorm useful projects/advocacies and to be in control of a lot of paperwork. It can mean

sacrificing your leisure time on weekends, which typically could only be the refuge from the grueling schedule every AMVian has.

But if we inwardly look at Corocotchia’s response to the call of serving the AMVian community, he would be better described as a selfless leader.

Not only does he deflect the credit, but the third-year student also is the happiest when the whole council succeeds.

“My proudest moment as the president of the council is seeing other officers lead their own projects, platforms, and teams. As a leader, one of my missions is to mold other leaders that would continue leading even after our term,” he said.

Amidst the bumps and bruises that Corocotchia had to endure throughout his stay as president of the ASC, he remained composed, knowing that the support system around him was firm.

The number of times that being part of AMV is taxing should be already a clear understatement. Thus, it propelled him to become an instrument that helped amplify the rumbling concerns of all AMVians and make their life a bit easier.

“I firmly believe in the saying that goes, “Kapwa AMVian lang ang makaiintindi sa kapwa AMVian.” This is why as a council, we first listen to what others need, then maximize what resources we have to be able to help,” Corocotchia mentioned.

Indeed, there is no perfect formula to alleviate all issues presented by this context (pandemic). Now that his tenure with the Accountancy Student Council (ASC) is about to close at the end of the academic year, Corocotchia hopes that they are able to set out a growing foundation in the coming batches of the council.

“Our goal is to improve on what they have started and add something more than the next council may learn from. If you think about it, we are not just #DefyTheOdds term, we also carry with us the values and learnings of those who came before and for that, we are grateful,” Instead of focusing on his own heroics, Corocotchia has deferred to the collective undertaking of their team.

It was noticeable that he didn’t want to get the limelight on his lonesome. This soundly reflects how the council under his tutelage defied the odds – despite the restrictions bestowed in this remote arrangement.

By Miguel Alfonso C. Caramoan