WITH the Joint Special Elections spearheaded by the Bedan Electoral Committee (BELCOM) concluding last Aug. 17, the Bedans have cast their votes on the aspirants whom they deem fit for their respective positions. The next set of officers elected for both the Student Executive Council (SEC) and the other co-curricular organizations involved have been confirmed, becoming the leaders who will serve  and represent the student body.

The Joint Special Elections, led by BELCOM in partnership with the SEC, the Bedan Psychological Society (BPS), the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (JPIA), and the Junior Bedan Law Circle (JBLC), were held to address and elect officers to fill the vacant positions across the participating organizations.

This includes the first-, third-, and fourth-year level representatives of the SEC, the first-year level representative of JBLC and Junior People Management Association of the Philippines (JPMAP), the Vice President (VP) for Audit and the first-year level representative of BPS, and the entire slate of JPIA officers.

Among the two aspirants, Javier Santiago Tiglao (I-BSIT) and Lian Khen Cabral (I-BSA), Tiglao was announced as the elected first-year level representative of the SEC. 

Tiglao previously served as a level representative under the SBCA Technical High School Student Council for the past year. He wanted a similar experience of helping his fellow students, putting himself out in the field where he has the opportunity to aid, plan, and deal with various problems.

When asked about his sentiments on his campaign, he expressed his doubts and worries regarding student engagement, as his freshman batch would not have as many interactions outside their respective programs in the first few weeks of the academic year. Another concern was that he had no chance to connect with his other peers through room-to-room campaigns, furthering the potential indifference of the student body. 

Now elected, Tiglao puts forward his “F.E.A.T.” platform of Frosh Friendliness, Eased Integration, Adaptability, and Thoughtful Tendencies, which, according to him, “are less about tangible and specific promised projects and instead the four things I will keep in mind and use as an approach for my SEC service.”

As the elected third-year level representative for the SEC, Jeramelle Agatha Fernandez (III-BSLM) shares that she has always been passionate about student leadership, claiming that it's something she has embraced ever since her freshman year. This passion and her drive to create meaningful change for SBCA were the springboard that urged her to run for the position.  

“Over the past two years, I’ve seen and heard a lot — both from inside and outside the SEC — and those experiences gave me the urge to step up. I want to be someone who stands for good and honest governance, and someone who can truly represent and serve my batch,” she said.

Before filing her candidacy, she began questioning her capacity as a leader, as she worried about juggling both her academics and the responsibilities required of her should she be elected. She feared failing not just herself, but the collective Bedan community, but it was her friends who gave her the courage to press forward, stating that they lent her their faith before she found hers again.  

As she begins her term, her primary directive is to strengthen the bridge between the student body and the SEC, ensuring that every student is represented and assuring them that their concerns are not only acknowledged but also acted upon.

Beyond representation, Fernandez wishes to create more opportunities for student engagement on campus, as she claims that the students and their voices are at the core of her advocacy.

“I want them to know that they can come to me with their concerns, whether academic, organizational, or personal, and trust that I will carry their voices forward,” she added.

While the vacant seats of the first- and third-year level representatives of the SEC have now been filled, the fourth-year level representative seat remains empty with no aspirants in sight. 

The official results also came in for the participating co-curricular organizations, with JBLC’s first-year level representative elections coming to a tie between the two candidates, Monique Allison Garcia and Julia Danielle Gonzales. BELCOM has yet to release a statement regarding the next step of this tie.

BPS welcomes their newly elected VP for Audit, Paul Joseph Binondo (II-BAP), and first-year level representative, Angelica Bree Abuel (I-BSP), while JPMAP formally introduces their first-year level representative for the year, Maria Dela Rosa.

The new slate of officers serving the Accountancy department was also released, which comprises the following:

• Rafael Anselmo Olorga (III-BSA) as President 
• Alyssa Faith Argana (II-BSAIS) as VP for Internal Affairs 
• Mikaela Angela Tirol (II-BSA) as VP for External Affairs
• Jean Christian Avelina (II-BSA) as VP for Academics 
• Miho Yvonne Arellano (III-BSA) as VP for Non-Academics
• Bianca Gail Javier (III-BSA) as VP for Audit 
• Maxine Maria Isidore Anderson (II-BSA) as VP for Finance
• James Gabriel Abadejos (II-BSA) as Director for Sponsorships and Logistics
• Julianne Arwen Dacanay (II-BSA) as VP for Information and Publication 
• Mosela Medina (II-BSAIS) as Executive Secretary 
• Eira Jhanel Cenabre (I-BSA) as Communications Officer I 
• Abraham Asoy (II-BSA) as Communications Officer II 
• Leo Vince Yambao (III-BSA) as Communications Officer III 
• Akio Paule (IV-BSA) as Communications Officer IV