UPLB Welcomes New Roster of Student Leaders, Gutierrez Wins Student Council Race

by Christian Natanauan (Ikirara)

The University of the Philippines Los Baños campus elections for the Academic Year 2021-2022 University Student Council (USC) and councils for the university colleges commenced on March 16-19, 2021. They have released the final votes for the general elections at the night of March 19th and garnered 44.16% voters’ turnout, with a final tally of 5,115 votes out of 11,581 student voters. Abstain votes do not outnumber any of the positions, with all electoral seats being occupied by their respective councilors.

Former Student Regent candidate Siegfred Severino led the newly elected USC officers for USC Chairperson with 4394 votes and Former League of Filipino Students (LFS) - UPLB chairperson Shaira Daludado for Vice Chairperson with 4294 votes. Winning as University Student Council councilors are Paola Beatriz Quidilig (3367), Gean Celestial (3336), Agnes Gutierrez (3248), Bianca Katalbas (3248), Clarice Sumagaysay (3174), Christian Reginio (3052), Arveil Briones (2946), and Michael Olarita (2870). The entire list of elected USC councilors represent Samahan ng Kabataan para sa Bayan (SAKBAYAN), snagging a clean sweep for the alliance-party. SAKBAYAN was the only university-wide political party that offered their candidates for this election year, while representatives from college political parties ADLAW CEM, CEAT Alliance for Student Empowerment (CEASE) and the Veterinary Medical Students’ Alliance (VMSA) have filled up the seats for respective college councilor nominations. Meanwhile, independent candidates ran for the Graduate School Student Council (GSSC) elections.

The UPLB Genetics Society’s very own Agnes Gwyneth Gutierrez secured a spot as USC Councilor. Agnes is a current member of GeneSoc’s Publicity Committee and was the 2020 Sponsorship Committee Head of National Intercollegiate Genetics Quiz Contest, a major event of the organization. She is also a current member of UPLB Gabay Volunteer Corps and volunteered to Serve The People Brigade - UPLB in Tulong for Taal in January 2020.

This roster of USC student leaders have laid out their main advocacies in their General Plan of Action, with major points revolving around the withholding of student academic freedom and democratic student rights, the security of university-wide unification and freedom, and the establishment of justice in the nationwide community. 

The elected USC officers have started their term as the university’s USC after their oath-taking ceremony last April 8, 2021. Their term length will last until the next student council elections.

For the full list of winners (including those of the university colleges), you may visit UPLB Perspective’s Twitter thread: twitter.com/uplbperspective/status/1372873950158487552.