SANGGUNIAN GENERAL ELECTIONS 2022 Blue Ballot 2022 is The GUIDON’s special coverage of the Sanggunian General Elections. This is a project by the Editorial Board aspirants for AY 2022-2023.
EDITORIAL
Dividing the virtual wall EDITORIAL CARTOON BY SAMANTHA ROSE M. RAGAZA
THE ADMU Freedom Wall (FW) has served as the anonymous haven where Ateneans share their woes and complaints on various matters concerning campus life. Although leaders from the Sanggunian have made steps to increase engagement with the student body, there remains a disconnect between the two parties. COMMUNICATION BARRIERS The multiple posts on FW suggest that Ateneans are aware of school affairs and the role of the Sanggunian in addressing issues. However, due to the FW’s veil of anonymity, the Sanggunian faces the challenge of finding avenues to connect and engage with its constituents. For example, the Commission on Anti-Sexual Misconduct and Violence and the Loyola Schools Office of the Ombudsman responded to a post reaching out to an anonymous victim who was allegedly harassed by a Sanggunian member. “If you’d like to speak with one of our first responders to process this experience or to be connected to the Loyola Schools (LS) Gender Hub, our communication lines are always open and we are ready to listen to you,” a part of the comment reads. While the Sanggunian continues to hear concerns raised
through the FW, the processing of cases are riddled with uncertainty as decisions moving forward must be backed by credible data through consultations with the necessary stakeholders. Without indisputable facts, standard Sanggunian processes may delay the FW users’ pursuit of justice and order. Apart from issues of efficiency, the popularity of the FW is a stark contrast to the low rates of participation during Sanggunian-led projects and surveys. As students continue to use FW to criticize the LS processes and student government response, the Sanggunian General Elections—which will elect leaders who will manage these concerns—sees little engagement from the student body. LACKING INVOLVEMENT Active engagement is the key to making a democracy thrive, more so when it comes to electing a new set of leaders. Despite the significant number of FW posts calling for action in the Sanggunian, there seems to be a lack in student engagement when it comes to participating in student matters. While the Sanggunian General Elections saw a higher voter turnout from 12.6 percent in 2019, the engagement in electing the Sanggunian’s next leaders remained low at 22.24 percent. Furthermore, constitu-
ency checks—such as the One Big Strike LS endorsement in 2020—have received similarly low turnouts with only 20 percent of the student body having casted their vote. Despite these numbers, history has shown that active involvement, while seemingly rare in the online set-up, is possible. In 2019, the Atenean community participated in an on-campus protest to express their indignation towards the sexual harassment case as well as show their support to the victims. Although student engagement has been low in recent years, history has proven that the Atenean is not completely apathetic nor disengaged. REVIVING INTEREST While there are multiple factors that contribute to low engagement, the Sanggunian must continue to find more ways of effectively reaching out to the community. Engaging
with posts in the ADMU Freedom Wall is the first step in the right direction, but it is not enough. As the community slowly shifts to hybrid learning, there is an even bigger challenge for the Sanggunian to engage with the students. At present, the lines of communication and other processes are too saturated, which calls for a more centralized system of communication between the student body and the Sanggunian. Whether it be in hearing the call to action of the community or doing our active part in improving our systems, the responsibility must be shared by both students and the Sanggunian. With the challenges the online setting has brought, Ateneans need to take that leap of faith to achieve a deeper level of trust that would foster better engagement between them and the Sanggunian. Conversely, the Sangguni-
an should be prepared to fight for and represent their student body in conversations, discussions, and decisions. We must remember
that words and actions are both needed when it comes to creating an atmosphere of order and harmony within the LS.
“ Whether it be in
hearing the call to action of the community or doing our active part in improving our systems, the responsibility must be shared by both students and the Sanggunian.