OPINION| Transparency to EveryJUAN

KARRIEsmatic Insider

OPINION| Transparency to EveryJUAN

by: Karrie Anne C. Langit

Juan de la Cruz wouldn't be so tired of yearly elections if most candidates would come across as genuine and transparent towards their promises to the people.

Every time the students express their concerns and opinions, all they want is to be heard by those supposed to help them, especially when they are at their most vulnerable.

Isn't the job of a student officer to look out for the best interest of the people they serve? I'm not looking for superheroes, but what we need is student leaders who have morals and compassion for the people's needs.

Dissemination of Information:

Being a student does have its ups and downs. The primary job of a student officer or student leader is to find ways to make every student experience manageable and comfortable.

For a functioning administration, there needs to be well-structured dissemination of information. It would mainly start with college councils.

The data is sent to the mayors of a section, then sent to the Registered Student Organizations or RSO, then finally relays the information to the students. It seems pretty systematic. Unfortunately, specific issues seem to slip through the cracks.

Students had difficulty obtaining a loan to pay for school expenses, particularly enrollment, which is unfortunate because students would do anything to get a loan.

Sadly, the information on applying for a loan didn't understandably reach them for both students and parents/guardians. The power of knowledge is vital, especially during technological advancements on how we communicate with each other.

In a world where limited people can move about, it would be very confusing to apply for a loan if the information they receive is misconstrued. That's a disadvantage on the part of the student, parent, or guardian and the student officers.

Even worse, if the information isn't distributed well, it could even affect an entire class. Some students didn't even enroll because there was no information about how they could register.

The main point here is that most students' situations should be taken into account because their parents are working extra hard and struggling with their jobs these days. In short, they should learn how to adapt to the students' needs and give them options to choose their way of applying for loans.

Payment System

When it comes to the payment system, it appears to be pretty simple because the entire process is carried out through online channels such as Gcash, Paymaya, Landbank, and Chinabank.

However, things may become complicated if you must go to school and have it verified by the finance team even though you have already paid for enrolment. That may be acceptable to some, but ask a student who doesn't have a reliable internet connection at home or a student who lives far away from school.

To summarize, payment convenience is time-consuming. Problems like this require student officers to take the podium, commit to the promises they made and put their words into action.

This is how you become a great and effective leader who doesn't lead with their pockets but leads with a balanced mind and heart. Listen to the suggestions of your beneficiaries and make their voices be heard.

In the case of the payment system, why not design a more adequate system that eliminates the need to travel long distances for us to pay for enrolment, tuition fees, and other necessary payments?

What if the school came to them and not students’ having a need in going to school to get things done? This is less hassle and more convenient for everyone.

I would like Student Council officials to be more empathetic towards the people they serve while also being transparent with them about specific issues concerning a more engaging school projects, seminars, programs, etc.

If there’s one thing that this pandemic has taught us all, it’s to take care of the people surrounding us. Think of it as a plant. Student council officers are the gardeners. They ensure that the plant grows and succeeds by providing what the plant needs.

If any of these elements are lacking, the plant will wither in the dust. If they leave it without that much care, we need to change the people who take care of us.

I have faith in the Electorate system since this is a great training ground for us to exercise our right of suffrage or the right to vote even at a University-wide level.

The lessons we have learned from previous elections have made us wiser and can help us choose the right people who have the best interest. It's all up to you to make the right decision.