Unopposed candidates from De La Salle Lipa (DLSL) SANDIGAN Party addressed key concerns on inclusivity, student welfare, and transparency during Tapatan 2026 at DLSL Sentrum, April 7.
Representatives from the College Guidance and Counseling Center (CGCC), Student Discipline and Formation Office (SDFO), Les Lasallian Lumières (LLL), Lasallian Alliance of Youth Advocates for Equality (LAYA), Council of Student Organizations (CSO), incumbent Student Government (SG), and LAVOXA Group of Publications spearheaded the interpellation of the candidates’ platforms.
Moreover, 21 out of 25 candidates from the aforementioned party also addressed questions, collated through on-site submissions and via Google Forms, from the Lipasallian community.
Amplifying gender inclusivity
Advocating for more gender-inclusive policies, aspiring College of Education, Arts, and Sciences (CEAS) Vice Governor Erin Danielle Lorzano underscored the importance of the Lasallian core values of inclusivity and respect for all, in addressing the issue of prohibiting cross-dressing among students.
“One of the most pressing issues that I have encountered here is cross-dressing. If we were to go back to [the] five Lasallian core values, we should practice inclusivity and respect for all people and by doing that, we should respect people’s freedom to express themselves,” Lorzano said.
Supporting this stance, Executive Vice President contender Mark Joseph Escano asserted that the SG must go beyond mere leadership and represent the student body through visible results that fosters self-expression.
“I believe that it has always been our job to not only lead the students but also to represent them, […] we cannot only tell you that we are hearing your concerns, but we are also addressing it through our work,” said Escano.
Finding the middle ground
Addressing the importance of compromise, Andrea Ysabelle Suarez, running for Executive President, emphasized that the SG must function as a mediator between student concerns and institutional policies.
“If there are activities […] that the students would like to implement that greatly empowers them, […] but then it goes against our standards and our norms as a Lasallian community, […] we should always find a middle ground, and […] common understanding,” Suarez stated.
Meanwhile, Jesus Miguel Bartolome, running for BS Legal Management Program Coordinator, pointed out that resolving conflicts between students and the administration requires continuous dialogue to find common ground.
“To combat the problems of conflicting ideas […] of the student body and the administrator, […] I believe that continuous conversations about the topic is what we really need, that we understand the needs of both the students and the goal of our administration. And with that, we can find […] the middle ground that we’re looking for,” said Bartolome.
College of Nursing (CON) gubernatorial candidate Abdullah El Sayed Mohamed Zeyada also stressed that respect for these varying perspectives is essential in maintaining balance, arguing that such differences should not warrant consequences.
“For me, to give consequences for certain perspectives doesn’t impede on how they are acting. […] We could provide alternative solutions that […] could make them feel that, ‘I hear you, but don’t worry, you will not be held to consequences’,” Zeyada added.
Ensuring open governance
Escano aimed to prioritize transparency through the implementation of an independent grievance system that gathers students’ concerns and utilizes them to craft consolidated policies.
“As part of my plan to implement a new independent grievance system, […] we will listen to all the concerns that students will raise to the Student Government directly. So from that, […] we will assess and […] we will propose a policy […] that is consolidated from all the reports,” Escano stated.
In addition, Escano further emphasized that the proposed grievance system aims to give voice to irregular students and working scholars who often lack block sections to report their concerns.
”As a scholar myself, I know the challenges that we are facing. […] It also inspires my initiative, which is the independent grievance system, […] created po for irregular students [and] working scholars that do not have a [fixed] schedule and they are not being able to report nga sa Mayor nila,” Escano said.
Furthermore, Ariana Lizbeth Endaya, running for College of Business, Economics, Accountancy and Management (CBEAM) Council Governor, highlighted the importance of open communication and balanced decision-making in addressing inevitable conflicts within the council.
“Conflicts are inevitable and natural in one organization. […] I will be the bridge on having [an] open communication to address kung ano nga ba yung magiging conflicts […] and also i-weigh kung ano yung mas mahalaga […] to come up with a decision that will benefit the whole community,” Endaya said.
Suarez also proposed that by providing a seat for Lavoxa during SG’s meetings, the executive council can ensure that their administration remains transparent and accountable to the Lipasallian community.
***
The three-day voting period is open both online via Google Forms and in-person at the South Lounge until today, April 15.
