By AJ Rodriguez and Patrick Jose
Before the conclusion of the academic year, the San Beda College Alabang School of Law (SBCA SOL) elects a new set of student body leaders to the School of Law Government (SLG). Last June 17, 2022, a total of 624 voters exercised their right to vote. This number comprises more than half of the student body of SOL. There were 9 elected positions that were selected from either the Lakas Alyansa, Ating Yugto, or Independent parties.
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The TRC asked about the guiding principle of this year’s SLG and they shared that it is primarily grounded on inclusivity and integration, as well as the promotion of a Bedan class of excellence in work and service. Their objectives include finding the perfect balance between the wants and needs of the SBCA school administration and law students. This entails having open, transparent, and collaborative communication between the two. One of the goals of the SLG is to also promote and empower the members of the Council of Organizations by increasing its visibility and emphasizing the role it plays in the holistic development of the students. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the SLG would like to contribute in making SBCA SOL indeed the happiest law school through different activities and causes planned throughout the school year.
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- President: Jon Mayette M. Salacup
Mayette and her family are based in Fairview, Quezon City. Like many families in the country, her dad is now a retired OFW, while her mom is a retired government employee. She has three other siblings with one being an OFW herself, while the other two siblings are also currently pursuing graduate studies in various fields. Mayette used to work as a practicing social worker prior to entering law school. She shares that her previous work has allowed her to learn more about the intricacies of dealing with different types of people, and if she has one thing to take away from these experiences, it is about being humble.
Now, being the President of the SLG, she can say that she will be able to apply real servant-leadership since for her, being a servant-leader is not just about making her stakeholders happy but also about confronting issues with fairness and a sincere desire to work for the common good. Humility is about listening and responding to the call with an open mind and a willingness to take the necessary action. Her desire to be heard and to serve pushed her to try it out and she is happy that many fellow students resonated with her message. She shares that as she learns more about herself in the position, the better she becomes as a person. She considers herself a risk-taker and seeks to continually grow by stepping out of her comfort zone. As with any venture, be it in her study of law or being a student-leader, she understands that she will not learn unless she sacrifices and puts in the work.
SLG President Mayette’s message to the students of SOL is to “never think that you are better than other people just because you are a law student and will become a lawyer in the future, you are a human born equal in the flesh but distinct in opportunities from the rest. Use that privilege in life to incorporate humility in our eventual profession, as it is a noble service and position to be in—always practice humility and sensibility.”
Bonus trivia: Mayette’s desired superpower is by Peter Petrilli of Heroes who absorbs the superpowers of others.
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- Internal Vice President: Sean Thomas P. Loquinario
Sean is the Internal Vice President of the SLG. He hails from Parañaque and shares that he has always been a student leader since his primary school years until his college years. He is the eldest of four boys in the family with his dad being a businessman and his mom being a retired registered nurse. Just like many other law students, being a lawyer has always been a childhood dream for him and his choice of being a student-leader is a part of this. He sees the practice of law as primarily one of service to the community, that’s why he is willing to serve as a student-leader at school.
He dreams to have the power of The Flash and have superhuman speed so that he can do things in a blink of an eye—including finishing all his readings and even remembering it all. But in all seriousness, he shares that while it is difficult to balance the workload of being a full-time law student, as well as being a student-leader, it is important to manage one’s priorities well and be able to decide which comes first. He shares that now, he appreciates the online setup of the classes since it allows him to save time that was previously set aside for traveling to and from the school. However, he shares that he also misses the interactions he had with his classmates and friends when the set-up was still in-campus classes. Still, he admits that whether it is online or face-to-face, law school is still hard work.
As a student-leader, Sean hopes that he will be able to represent the voice of the student body well by being able to listen to the needs of everyone and be able to communicate these to the school administration. He is hoping that through him and the SLG, they will be able to uphold true Bedan values and principles.
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- External Vice President: Charlene Joy D. Pecson
CJ hails from Cainta, Rizal, and was raised by a single mother together with her three siblings. She considers her mother as her hero for being able to raise four children and send all of them to good schools despite numerous difficulties they faced as a family along the way. Her mother showed her the value of hard work and discipline and so, after taking up Consular and Diplomatic Affairs in college, she was able to work for various Philippine Consulates across the world including San Francisco, USA, the Italian Embassy, and the Belgian Embassy.
Upon returning to the country, CJ decided to take up law given her desire to help others by sharing with them her time and expertise. Her work has allowed her to meet different kinds of people and at the same time, given her the opportunity to learn more about herself.
When asked what power she wishes to have, CJ shared that she wants to fly so she can see more places and experience more things that life has to offer. Perhaps this can also help her with her studies and practice of law later on.
Currently, she is a working student and appreciates the online setup of classes since she is from Rizal. She saves a lot of time with the online setup and is able to allot this time for studies and her work, as well as her extra-curricular activities.
As a student-leader, CJ hopes to be the “ate” for many of the younger (or perhaps even older) law students and be someone they can easily approach for any issues that they may have in school, and perhaps she may be able to offer a helping hand in the process.
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- Secretary: Ezekiel Dwight G. Sambat
Dwight is from Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, and comes from a close-knit family including his grandmother, parents, and five siblings, one in senior high school and four in college. Being the eldest, he is the “kuya” that everyone goes to when the younger ones have concerns. He graduated from SBCA with his undergraduate studies majoring in Legal Management, which perhaps also influenced him in going to law school. Dwight also feels that his previous work as an Operations Specialist in an international company influenced him to run for an SLG position because he saw the opportunity to help create systems that will help people be more productive. He also considers being a part of the SLG as a call to serve others by empowering them and giving the students the opportunity to be heard and be able to reach their full potential.
When asked about his desired superpowers, Dwight mentioned that he wants to have the power to teleport so that he can be at many places in a shorter amount of time. He admits that law school is overwhelming at times and he is still learning to balance his time properly. But with all things that are worth doing, oftentimes it will be difficult and would entail a lot of sacrifices and Dwight understands this. What’s keeping him motivated in law school is mostly his love for the school, his friends, his studies, and even his professors. He even shares his special affection for his Legal Management professors Atty. Bendijo, Atty. Jacome, Atty. Chong, and Atty. Yamamoto.
Dwight encourages other students to develop this kind of mindset in law school: love what you are doing, love and appreciate the people around you for they are there to support you as well. Hang tight and don’t give up. If you feel like this is for you, just keep going.
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- Treasurer: Muhammad Adel Macarambon
Muhammad is originally from Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur but grew up and went to college in Iligan City. He finished his degree in AB Philosophy from Mindanao State University Main Marawi City. He comes from a large family of ten siblings of which he is the eighth. His father is a lawyer, while his mother is a businesswoman. Muhammad shares that it is natural to help other people, which is why he decided to enter law school in the first place. This was also what influenced him to run for a position with the SLG since he feels that he can be of service in this capacity. He mentioned that he would like to be the voice of the unheard among the students, someone who is willing to help and listen to the needs of others. He considers the success of one, is the success of many and the struggle of one, is the struggle of many.
Muhammad shares that he would love to be granted a Multiple Shadow Clone power. With that power, he would be able to extend as much help as he can. Additionally, he can also study all subjects simultaneously and at the same time have fun outside while his clones are studying at home. Regardless of whether he has this power or not, he believes that it is very important for a law student to have the proper mindset and discipline to effectively balance all the work we need to accomplish. He understands that this is not an easy journey and therefore he believes that we need to support each other along the way. He shares this message to the other students, “Need us. Trust us. Don’t forget to come to us when you need help. We will be there with you along the way. We will do our best to serve you and represent you. We are more than grateful to help you. Let us be one. Let us be successful. Damn the hardship, let us unite and make this school the happiest.”
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- Auditor: Jeremy A. Delos Santos
Jeremy A. Delos Santos hails from Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur. He is from a humble yet evidently meaningful origin being raised by a farmer and a housewife, which he is very proud to call his parents. As a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and Masters in Business Administration, Jeremy told The Red Chronicles that his educational background does not have any influence on his running for the position of auditor. It was his work experience of 5 years in both internal and external auditing that gave him the confidence to assume the position. He strongly believes that he can contribute to the group and eventually make significant changes to the process, especially on the finance and record-keeping side. “I have decided to run [as the] SLG auditor to make some changes on how our student funds are being spent, kept, and recorded,” explained Mr. Delos Santos as he aims to provide solutions to how school auditing should proceed.
Jeremy also told the TRC that if he was given a superpower, he would want to be a time traveler. “I would travel to the future to know the winning combination of Lotto draws and earn a lot of money, invest it with winning stocks which I already saw in the future, and eventually change the world to be a better place.” A modest man with humble intentions indeed!
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- 4th Year Batch Representative: Ma. Vanessa D. Hernandez
Ma. Vanessa D. Hernandez, fondly called “Viah” by her friends and schoolmates, originated from Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. For Viah, entering law school was an effortless decision because “taking up law and becoming a lawyer is something that I’ve wanted for as long as I could remember.” Viah also told TRC that coming from a family of politicians, all her life, she had been exposed to politics and government service in one form or another. Naturally, this gave her the opportunity to have a glimpse of how the system works in our country. “I believe that becoming a lawyer would let me help improve this ‘system’,” she expounds.
As a student leader since high school, serving and helping students have been routine for her by now. She says that she genuinely wants to help her fellow students in making their stay in the happiest law school a little less stressful than it already is.”
When asked what superpower she would like to have, she replied, “If I were given any superpower, I would like to have the power to control time. It’s because I always feel like there’s not enough time. And I am a person who wants to do so many things. With this power, I could also manage my tasks as a working student and a student leader more efficiently.”
Since lawyering is her dream profession, it is befitting that Viah is also a court employee. She used discipline and dedication to juggle the demands of that job while being a student and a student leader. And now that she is elected as the 4th Year Batch Representative, she assures her batchmates, “I made the decision to sacrifice some of the things that I usually do. It’s because I believe that being the voice of the graduating batch is an important role and they deserve nothing more than my full dedication.”
As a graduating student, she wants to impart these words of encouragement to us all: “There will be a lot of times when you will be brought down to your knees and start doubting yourself. Thoughts of giving up your dream of becoming a lawyer may even cross your mind. But remember this, law school is tough, but so are you. Even if it scares you, keep moving forward. You are destined to become a Bedan lawyer.”
May her words reverberate in your hearts and uplift your fighting spirit, for those words came from a dedicated, experienced, and a sincere graduating law student leader.
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- 3rd Year Batch Representative: Dante Castillo III
Dante lives in Quezon City, but luckily enough, when he needs to get quickly to our campus in the south, he stays in his condo in Taguig. Dante was inspired to enter law school after taking an International Law class as part of his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies, majoring in European Studies. As for running for the SLG position, it was while studying in law school that the idea was born in his mind. Dante explains, “It is the law which taught me to step up and take the initiative, so that change may happen. I was no longer comfortable with just standing by the sidelines.” Dante also recalls how Mayette convinced him to run for the position: “It was Mayette who convinced me to run for the position. I was skeptical at first, especially since I’ve never been in a leadership position as important as a Batch Representative. However, the fact that Mayette and our other running mates gave me their assurance that they will guide me through this responsibility, I gained enough confidence to go and run for the position.”
If you ask Dante, in view of the soaring fuel prices, he wants to have the superpower to teleport in any location, saying, “I would love to have the ability to teleport. Since I live all the way in Quezon City and with the rise of gas prices, it wouldn’t hurt to have the ability to teleport to a different place with only a thought.” A practical young man is what Dante is.
When it comes to balancing his law studies and the responsibilities of being a newly elected SLG officer, Dante is aware that his position in the SLG is demanding, “but so is studying in law school and so far I’m doing well in the latter.” It looks like Dante is on a congruent path as he continuously ventures into related endeavors or studies, with the goal of serving the student body through his position in the SLG. Let us all support Dante as he answers the call to serve in the SLG.
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- 2nd Year Batch Representative: Trisha Nicole P. Nugas
Trisha Nicole Nugas is a local of San Pedro, Laguna. She is the “ate” to her two younger sisters and she enjoys bonding with her family. She told TRC, “As a family, we usually bond by taking road trips together. We would drive from Laguna to our provinces, Marinduque, and Bicol. We also often take spontaneous late-night drives where we just want coffee then next thing we know we’re already eating a midnight snack in fast food restaurants in expressway stopovers.”
Trisha has served and held student leader positions since college. While taking BS Accountancy, she was the class secretary and also the Vice President for finance of their organization, the Philippine Institute of Accountants, SPCBA Chapter. She admits that being a student leader is challenging yet fulfilling. “Although it’s almost draining serving the student body, you really feel better when the students thank you for your efforts to help them.”
Asked why she joined the SLG, she says that she knows what freshmen experience and feel upon entering law school. They are clueless and in need of guidance. So she says, “I wanted to help those students who are like me. I want to make their law school journey somewhat more bearable by giving them tips or information that could help them adapt to law school.” In other words, Trisha is an emphatic student who truly cares for her fellow law students. “I wanted students to have a person to go to, to ask any question and give them that comfort by answering their queries so that they could just focus or have a worry-free mind while studying.”
Trisha has a message to the students of SOL: “To freshmen, welcome to SOL! To older batches, welcome back to SOL! May we all have a fruitful academic year filled with passing grades, lesser breakdowns, and no bokya recitations this AY 2022-2023.” The School of Law is thankful for having a jolly and friendly SLG officer in the person of Trish Nugas.
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- 1st Year Batch Representative: Anna Camille G. Teodoro
Anna’s home province is Samar, but she presently lives in Quezon City. Taking up Political Science grew her love for the Philippines. “This course opened up opportunities for me to become a part of organizations and work experiences that strengthened my desire to help the Filipino people as a lawyer.” Anna also shares that she loves her family very much. “I have 3 younger brothers named Enrique, Alfredo, and Angelo. We have parents who continue to motivate us to love and work hard for our dreams.”
Asked what superpower she wished she had, “I want to heal people whenever I sing. I’m a growing worship leader in my church, New Life Alabang. This is something that would be awesome to do with my praise for God. Haha!”
When asked about her reason for joining the SLG, Anna has an unequivocal reason. She told TRC, “I’ve always had a heart for people. I joined the SLG because I want to help unite, uplift, and strengthen my batch of aspiring lawyers.” Aside from creating a schedule, Anna says making time for church is integral in balancing her duties as a student and as a student leader. “I plan to create a schedule that would manage my time well for studies and my responsibilities as the 1st Year Batch Representative. I also believe that making time to receive in church will help sustain me as I balance my academic load with my call to serve.”
Being an incoming freshman, one would think that Anna prefers online classes, but she prefers to get the full law school experience. “I prefer on-site classes because I would want to be trained face-to-face. I get to save a lot of money because of online classes, but having actual physical experience makes a huge difference. Having on-site classes would be a great way to build stronger relationships in law school.”
As for her SLG duties, she knows exactly how to deliver them. She explains, “I plan to support my fellow freshmen through proper dissemination of information and positivity that will inspire them to never give up, especially when times get extremely challenging in law school.”
Lastly, Anna has this to say to her fellow students: “A Juris Doctor degree doesn’t come easy. You have to work for it and give your all! You can do anything if you set your heart and mind to it.”
She also shared with us this bible verse:
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me; My God, my rock, and strength in whom I trust and take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower – my stronghold.” – Psalms 18:2