VOLUME III, ISSUE 1, THE IMAGE

Scan to see This coming Election 2022, to whom does the School of Education stands for?

The Newsletter of The Reflection, The Official Student Publication of the School of Education Volume III Issue no. 1

December 2021

MID-TERM SOSA: The Remnants of 2122 CSC-SEd Photo Courtesy of HAU School of Education—Student Council

BY SHAINA GIL SUNGA

Yesterday, December 18, 2021, the HAU School of Education—Student Council presented their latest Accomplishment Report and Financial Statement, and faces the questions of the teacher education community in a State of the School Address (SOSA) via Zoom and Facebook live.

BY CATHERINE RECORTE The pioneer MID-TERM State of the School Address (SOSA) of the School of Education (SEd) was carried out yesterday, December 18th, Saturday, via Facebook live stream and Zoom meeting.

HAU School of Education – College Student Council (CSC-SEd) initiated the event with the aim to showcase the accomplishment and plans of the current student administration from the council, organizations, and publication through a twominute audiovisual presentation. The said event also served as a platform for these student bodies to update the school’s stakeholders on how the finances were managed, and other operating expenses were spent. Moreover, it aims to promote oversight and integrity in the actions of local student government and organizations.

The SEd councilors have also discussed a comprehensive report of the activities, programs, and webinars under their respective committees. These activities aim to accommodate the Eduk students with their needs and to actively engage within and outside the department affairs.

Berlyn Geline Yumul, the Head of Finance, Facilities, and Logistics, took this opportunity to summarize their financial statement for the past months. Yumul highlighted that the financial report aims to provide transparency and breakdown of the budget from sponsors to the disintegration of expenses of the accomplished event. She also mentioned, “...Para alam

ninyong lahat kung saan napupunta ang maski piso pagdating sa council.”

The council heads, Abelardo Jr. Cortez and Nicole Diane Liwanag exhibited a thorough discussion of the projects under their administration with the help of SEd copartners. It resulted in establishing leadership and unity among the Eduk students, especially during the SEd days, also referred to as Sikluban, which took place last October 27 in accordance with one of the primary objectives under the council head’s directive. In addition, Cortez stated the attainment and the successful collaboration of the SEd community with other external departments including Unity Statements, Support to University School Council (USC)’s HAUyokomuna Campaign, Assistance for the International Day of Peace 2021, and many more.

The school publication of SEd, The Reflection (REPLE), serving as the check and balance, facilitated the Question-and-Answer portion to help enlighten the SEd community regarding the queries needed to be addressed in the SOSA. The Eduk students and the publication staffers were asked to formulate the questions used in the event through a disseminated Google Form. The CSC-SEd was able to clarify their intentions to the department and answered the queries of the students within one minute.

Before the SOSA concluded, Mary Julien Dela Cruz, the Head of the Legal and Grievances Committee, bid

her farewell towards the CSC-SEd and community through a statement. In her announcement, she stated that she is about to change her course starting this upcoming second semester. “…Along the way, I asked myself questions like: “Do I really want this?”, and the most eye-opening question ever, “Am I genuinely happy and at peace?... The above mentioned were not enough reasons to stay – I figured that teaching is not merely a profession, but rather, a calling – and it seemed not to be calling me… Hence, I decided to shift courses from Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in English to Bachelor of Science Major in Psychology: my first choice,” Dela Cruz stated.

Additionally, Dela Cruz also reasoned out that she was diagnosed with Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. Thus, she figured out that it is time for her to prioritize her overall health and well-being.

The Dean of the department, Dr. Alma Natividad, congratulated the different student leaders of SEd and expressed her support for Dela Cruz’s choice through an online comment and her message on the student leader’s group chat.

Another session of the State of the School Address will be held on the upcoming 4th season of Eduk Elections of The Reflection. The next SOSA is expected to showcase the transparency report of the CSC-SEd on their public service in the fast-approaching second semester.

EDI TORIAL TAGASUNDU NING ISTORYA NING LUGUD

Photo Courtesy of HAU School of Education—Student Council

WE’LL BE FINE IF YOU’RE

TRANSPARENT A MID-TERM SOSA SPECIAL ISSUE

W

ho wants to be left out clueless?

Who wants to be left out wondering? Who wants to be left out with so many questions about the administration and its term? No one.

Integrity and transparency are some of the pivotal characteristics that an administration must have in serving its people. Never in a million years would the public not want to know how well the people they voted for did their job serving the people. The public doesn’t deserve to wonder what comes next and what they have already lost. The public has the right to demand to know the truth. Hence, releasing a transparency report is a significant task that each term must accomplish. A transparency report, let it be a financial statement or an accomplishment report, might be a simple paper for the eyes of some but take heed, for it is the paper that can unleash the truth behind the administration’s flowery words and fake promises.

BY SHAINA GIL SUNGA The HAU School of Education – College Student Council (CSC-SEd) garnered a total of five out of five-star rating on their first-semester public service performance from the teacher education community on the State of the School Address (SOSA) yesterday, December 18, 2021, via Facebook live streaming and Zoom Meeting.

The council members revealed on their individual committee reports that each event that involved the SEd students all received a perfect score of five stars based on their evaluation forms and survey forms. The committee heads and members handed out the forms to the students in exchange for an electronic certificate.

Additionally, the CSC-SEd also reported that their social media engagement has been well-received by the public.

Crystal Jade Santos, the Secretary and the Head of Communications and Creatives, as well as Abelardo Jr. Cortez, the Chairperson and the Head of the External Affairs Cluster, shared their satisfaction in this achievement, in which most of their publicity materials reached thousands of people even outside the department.

When asked on which initiatives did Cortez take pride on, “...Ipinagmamalaki ng konseho na ito ang una, ang Sikluban 2021. Para sa ‘min, ito ‘yung SEd days na kailangan ng mga estudyante natin ngayon. Ito ‘yung SEd days na hiningi ng mga estudyante na tinanong namin bago siya inorganize.

And so far, with what we experienced, we must say that we are proud that we have successfully achieved the goals of Sikluban 2021.”

Other projects of the CSC-SEd outside the department made sure that it carries the core values of the teacher education community. Thus, it was supported by the SEd administration, organization, publication, and fellow Eduk students. Project Alaya, the community engagement project of the CSC-SEd, is also one of the greatest achievements of the administration.

“And of course, we have Project Alaya. Para sa amin kasi, hindi lang ito manipestasyon ng isang mahusay na student council and pagiging magaling sa loob ng ating departamento. Magaling tayo kung lumalabas tayo sa university at kung ito ‘yung pinaglalaanan natin. Sinasabi natin lagi na ‘para sa bata, para sa bayan,’ and I guess, Project Alaya is the best manifestation of that statement,” Cortez added. “...Kaya ang mga projects natin ay ginusto natin na maging sustainable dahil gusto po natin na ang Project Alaya ay ang magsilbing community engagement, na parang forever na, ng buong School of Education,” The Head of Project Alaya and the Head of Civic Engagement, Keanu Malig also stated.

The CSC-SEd members mentioned that there will be more projects and events which the administration will be pushing through the second semester. One of the events is the Regional Teacher Convention of the External Affairs Cluster which is set to take place in late January or early February.

In the government, we are always seeking transparency reports. We want to know if the government’s budget is being used properly and if they are accomplishing projects that they have promised to the mass. How come we don't practice this more often inside the campus? To our chosen student administration? We believe that handling school politics is just the same as handling the politics in the country. Same with the government, schools also have a manual that they should follow. For the whole Holy Angel University community, we follow the Councils, Organizations, and Publications Manual or what we all refer to as COPsMan. It was stated on COPsMan under Office of Student Affairs (OSA): Cash Management that, “A Financial Statement must be prepared and submitted by the student body at the end of every semester to the OSA not later than two (2) weeks after the close of the said semester.” The financial statement shall be disclosed to all students for transparency.

Who wants to be left out with no transparency report? No one. We don’t want a negligent and irresponsible administration. A transparent administration will always be the people’s demand. We want an administration with integrity not only when they are sitting at the throne of their power. We want an administration that continuously dedicates their work for the students, for their constituents. We want an administration that did not just put a lot of effort into the campaign period, but also on the days of their leadership. Being transparent with people is a responsibility they have committed with the moment they wanted to serve the people. Each term must not withhold the public from having access to transparency reports especially in terms of financial matters, for this is their responsibility, and rights that the public has. A transparency report assures people if the budget was handled and used properly. It also helps students learn if the administration achieved their goals and objectives within the time period. It helps the public to know if the administration is doing their job and not just allowing time of their term to pass by the wind without accomplishing significant plans they made when they were running for their position. That is to say, transparency reports help us to settle our doubts for we’d have no questions left to ask the administration. Seeing the report gives us the certainty that the post-holders built a transparent and progressive administration.

Having knowledge of the transparency report is one right way of evaluating the performance of the administration.

We should evaluate based on facts and not rumors. We should evaluate based on performances. Releasing this report would also help the administration on tracking down their lapses which they can use for their improvement. It will also help the administration to summarize the unmet plans so they can reconstruct them when the opportunity permits. Most of all, it would help the administration to state the current status of their management.

An irresponsible administration is afraid of the truth that the transparency reports report can unleash to the public.

An administration that claims that they had a good and progressive term, wouldn’t hide anything from the people. The public, especially the students must be provided an actual and factual transparency report. The administration must face the truth and release this awaited and important document.

Releasing a transparency report should not even be a request addressed to them, instead, it is their duty that they must be responsible enough to do so. No administration would be afraid of the transparency report if they served right. After all, the job of an administration does not end with winning the election. Winning in the election is only an entrance ticket for serving the students and the public. In working hard to be part of an administration, the candidates should not have a mindset of winning a position as a way for them to thicken their portfolios or curriculum vitae. Leaders should always have a heart for helping their constituents and serving the students. Releasing a transparency report is one way of showing that they are progressive and competent leaders that are always on the side of the people. An administration should be diligent enough on releasing transparency reports even before the students could request them. It is their responsibility to release it even if the sad truth would give a scratch to the image of their term. However, no matter what happens, the students should never be afraid of voicing out their rights. You read that right. Demanding a transparency report is a right that is given to you and your fellow students. It is only fair and just enough for everyone to demand a good, progressive, and transparent administration.