DEVCOMM
8
9
December 2021 - April 2022 | Vol. XXX Special Issue
By the power vested in the council:Student-to-student FinancialAssistance Program “Leadership requires integrating support and concern for people with consideration of the environment and potential tasks.” - David Purchase, Chief Officer: Principles and Practice (2014. Third Edition)
Roxan D. Resuello
In a world where everyone seems too busy going about their own lives, either trying to make little progress for themselves or creating a path towards their successes, it is quite easy to assume that most people do not have the extra free time to embark on something that goes way past the borders of their chosen career of focus.
Runs Past the Filipino Veins The Philippines, however, as per the global pandemic special report of CAF World Giving Index 2021, proved that it is possible to juggle personal and social duties, as the country ranked 28th out of 114 countries for the most time given for volunteer work. Embedded in who we are as Filipinos are the natural sense of extending a helping hand to those who need it most. Although times have changed drastically, and we do not find it in ourselves to carry a "Bahay Kubo" from one place to another anymore, the spirit of Bayanihan's camaraderie lives on through good acts of modern volunteerism. Doing Good to Rid the Bad; Ridding the Bad to Feel the Good Third-year, Accountancy student Queenie Josh Leocadio frees some of her time to give service to the student body together with UPANG Peers Facilitators Circle (PFC). An organization that functions by addressing the students' mental health issues through webinars and providing an open line of communication to anyone who needs it. She says that her choice to volunteer as a mental health advocate was rooted in her struggles. "Maybe it was my calling to help other people not experience the same struggle as mine," Leocadio said. Usually, you don't get a prize or a medal for standing up to volunteer. However, what you get to have is the chance to grow through the process and enjoy a lifelong fulfillment of being able to help. In Leocadio's case, her good karma came when she
"[I] was able to become more aware of myself, identify my strengths and weaknesses, be aware of other people's emotions, how to respond to a person who is going through something, and be more disciplined in every action I take and words that I spit out of my mouth." With her responsibilities as a student and an advocate for mental health, she always tries to be kinder and more sensitive in understanding other people around her. She reiterates that being a Peer requires a lot of professionalism, understanding, and patience. It goes without saying that dedicating time for volunteer work, especially in difficult times such as what we are in at the moment, is something that takes a lot of selflessness and commitment. The act of volunteering is a broad nature of allocating a portion of your 24/7 into something that piques your interests and inner good Samaritan. It is not one size, fits all as it can be done in various ways for different reasons, depending on each person. There are people like Queenie who would go out of their way to become a part of an organization to confront a problem and advance an awareness to trigger change. Some people, however, would rather take little steps on their own to try and contribute to something bigger than themselves. A Bag of Blood = A Bag of Hope For Carl Jevsen Macaraeg, a second-year Medical Laboratory Science student, donating blood is something not out of the ordinary for him.
The 21-year-old Red Cross Volunteer regularly donates blood for the Philippine Red Cross every 3-4 months and to others who need it as well. His active participation in social works such as blood donation is rooted in a sensible cause. "The reason is simple, to save lives." Macaraeg expressed. It might be just a pint of blood, but he says he "always thinks of it as giving life to other people." He relates participating in social work as simply helping the most deprived and vulnerable people in the community. "It creates an effect that inspires other people to give a hand and participate.", he says. Volunteerism knows no bounds. Albeit more associated with doing community work under health, rescue services, and environmental conservation than others, volunteerism also reaches through the doors of politics, with most relevance this year due to the nearing National Elections. For the Nation: Political Participation In recent months, a huge number of people, mostly the youth, have been partaking in relevant rounds of political campaigns as they voice out their sentiments and support for their Presidential bets. Volunteerism has been essentially rampant, especially in campaign activities, including rallies and unity walks where flocks of Flames have been actively participating by performing on-stage, showcasing artistic abilities through mural paintings, and diligently volunteering to go on house-to-house visits to communicate platforms and create a more
educated voting population. The Future can Still be Bright. Flames allowing themselves to be devoted to something out of the confines of their bachelor courses is an outstandingly incredible read to ponder on. More so with the fact that they still have the time to focus on their academic lives and excel in them. Although times are becoming more difficult as days pass, knowing that some still heed each other's initiating nature gives some hope that there are people out there that are not as self-centered as this world makes us think. With the proper support and acknowledgment, surely, getting up together and volunteering for great advocacies would lead us to greater heights. Days may be dark at the moment, but the future can still be bright. With the right amount of fire, the torch that will light out the future may still ablaze. Photos from Sir Jairus Sibayan
On the 6th of this year’s April, the Supreme Student Council of PHINMA - University of Pangasinan granted financial assistance to academically competent tertiary working students from low to middle socioeconomic backgrounds presenting the SSC FAP batch 1. Justine Paul M. Ballesteros, Juliet D. Banayat, Jemalyn A. Bosante, Justine Reggie M. Mejia, and Jacqueline Mae Cuerdo Salud are all from the College of Social Sciences, while Josiephine D.Reyes is from the College of Management and Accountancy.
uncovered, the student will be automatically disqualified.
During the most difficult times of financial need, the student leaders of the PHINMA - University of Pangasinan Supreme Student Council passed Resolution No. 2021-05, providing financial assistance to working students who are genuine members of the university, allowing them to become competitive and successful professionals in the future.
The incoming President Lhae Quiles was the primary author of the resolution, elaborating the details about the resolution. “SSC Financial Assistance Program is the program for academically competent tertiary working students from low to middle socioeconomic backgrounds. It all started with Wesley Halili, our former president. He gave us, the CAS representatives, the duty of developing a resolution to assist our fellow students financially.
SSCFAP seeks to assist academically capable working tertiary students from low to middle socioeconomic origins. It also seeks to provide financial help to academically qualified tertiary students in order for them to complete and achieve a high-quality education, including the creation of this resolution to assist with their financial needs a total of two thousand five hundred pesos (Php. 2,500). This academic year, there are twenty-five (25) spaces available in the first semester and twenty-five (25) slots available in the second semester. If a fraudulent document or documents are
All applicants must meet the following criteria; a. Latest Certificate of Indigency b. Certificate of Matriculation (COM) c. A copy of your grades showing ratings no less than 2.5 as final grade. d. Application Form e. Proof of Billing • Recent electric bill f. Proof of Employment • For Privately Employed: latest payslip Except for recipients of Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), MUNICIPAL/LGU Scholarship, CHED Scholarship, and DOST Scholarship, recipients who are eligible to obtain academic scholarships or other kinds of educational benefits or privileges from other external scholarship programs will continue to receive financial help from the Supreme Student Council.
The hardest part is deciding "who," but the most crucial factor is "why." Great things, in my opinion, always begin with "why." After much deliberation and consideration, we have decided to award financial assistance to academically competent tertiary working students since we know that many businesses have closed, many individuals have lost their jobs, and these events have impacted their financial ability to continue their education.” The movement for the establishment of this resolution started on March 8, 202, with the help of one student to another. “We considered ‘yung nangyayari ngayon. Pandemic. We believe na bukod sa academic challenges some or many of our students nag-struggle na rin financially. That's why we chose them.” Quiles added. In reviewing the resolution and its number of beneficiaries, the goal of 25 students were not met this semester, which is why Quiloes is also hopeful for more students to grab this wonderful opportunity despite this trying times, “We, the students, would like to encourage our fellow students as well to apply because this FAP could be a great help in their education. This is made for them. It might not be much, the slots might not be a lot, but in our little ways, we can be part of changing the lives of few. We can't provide the answer but we can be part of the solution.” As to the interview with Quiles, the outgoing president of the council Wesley Halili also shares his statement on how the SSC FAP was originally established. “I told our SSC CAS Representatives to create a resolution in regards sa Financial
By Trixie Ann C. Bautista
Assistance hindi dahil naisip lang o nagkataon lang. Kailangan ng mga kapwa natin mag-aaral ng tulong financially. Lagi tayong nakaagapay sa bawat isa emotionally, physically/virtually, mentally pero parang hindi parin sapat sa iba lalo na't maraming nawalan ng trabaho ang kanilang mga magulang, maraming nawalan ng hanapbuhay at pagkakakitaan. Kaugnay nito, marami ring mga kapwa natin UPang students na breadwinner o ‘di kaya ay sila ang gumagawa ng paraan para makapag-aral sila.Dito nabuo ang plano, dito nag-umpisa ang SSC FAP, wala mang nag-request nito mula sa community pero napag-isipan naming ito ang pangangailangan ng ilan o marami sa atin. Sa simpleng tulong na maipapaabot natin sa kanila ay malaki ang maitutulong upang makamit nila ang kanilang mga pangarap. To tell you honestly, CAS Reps did a great job patungkol sa paggawa ng buong resolusyon na ito na sinangayon ko at ng buong kataas-taasang konseho ng mga mag-aaral.” The publication was granted 3 interviews from the following beneficiaries—Juliet Banayat, Josiephine Reyes, and Jacqueline Salud. The three of them shared a similar discovery of this opportunity via Facebook. It may not be enough to fully-cover their expenses, but they are still grateful in appreciating the efforts exerted by the council in delegating funds to extend help for the tertiary working students. A resident of Cabanbanan Manaoag, Pangasinan, Banayat is an assistant in a Facebook online shop named First Choice. “To be honest po mas naging okay nung nakuha po ako as beneficiaries ng SSC FAP, mas naging magaan po yung expenses dahil kaagad agad po nilang nai-less sa tuition fee ko yung allowance na ibibigay po nila, so nakatulong po yun nung finals namin. As of now po, since hindi pa ulit nag-sstart ang A.Y medyo okay naman po and kapag mag-sstart na po yung klase we'll do our best po para mas maging okay yung expenses ko as criminology student.” Banayat stated in expressing her experience as a beneficiary of the FAP. Reyes, the resident of Brgy. Malued, Dagupan City, is an incoming fourth year BS Tourism Management, works as a saleslady of a frozen food dealer around town. “I was hesitant at first kasi po naisip ko maraming working students sa UPang na sa tingin ko mas deserving naman. Pero after ko makausap friends ko, nakapag-decide po akong sumubok.”, as she stated. Incoming 2nd year student this semester, taking Bachelor of Secondary Education, Salud resides in Brgy. Bonuan Gueset and works as a Service Crew in a fastfood chain. Through the means of social media, she expressed in an interview her discovery of the program. “Nakapag-apply po ako sa SSC FAP through their FB page, nag scroll po kasi ako sa newsfeed, tapos po nag appear po yung post nila, kaya chineck ko po agad yung post nila sa FB page, ayon po nag-try po ako.” For the incoming school year 2022-2023, here’s an additional opportunity to be added in your cart. Financial assistance in aiding educational needs may still be limited and not enough, but take this as a hope that things can be easier, with the resolution written with integrity, and established with the goal of reaching out to the students who are in desperate need.
