University Student Council AY 2015-2016

Good Governance Committee Proposal

Prepared by Reinald Jay Belen
NCPAG Representative to the USC
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Introduction
The Good Governance Committee (GG) is a special standing committee of the University
Student Council (USC).
Rationale
As an advocacy committee, the GG shall continue to promote the principles of good governance
towards achieving local community trust and confidence in its council and national prosperity as
a whole.
The University Student Council is the highest-governing student body of the University of the
Philippines Diliman. As a student body, it represents the interests of the students within and
outside the university. It is mandated to direct campaigns that benefits the whole nation.
Similarly, it is tasked to provide basic student services to improve the students general welfare.
In essence, the students put their trust in the USC in ensuring that their needs and concerns are
being catered to.
Hence, its stakeholders, in this context, the UP studentry, have the right to expect that the USC
carries out its duties mindful of those whom they are serving. Quality of services, prudent
management of financial resources, demonstration of full accountability to its stakeholders, and
participatory and transparent governance are expected from the USC. We cannot stress enough
the importance of being proactive in proving these assurances to our stakeholders.
Good governance lies at the heart of all successful organizations. Thus, to fully realize and
actualize these goals, practice of good governance must be central to USC.
Upholding the principles of participation, accountability, responsiveness, and transparency,
GGCs programs, projects, and campaigns would revolve around these battle cries, ensuring that
these principles are advanced in every endeavour of the USC.
Vision
A Good Governance Committee that is deemed as an indispensable arm of the University
Student Council that promotes the principles of good governance in the university and in the
nation as a whole. With the continuing greater trend for citizens participation, it envisions a
nation where its youth are enfranchised and empowered.
Mission
To be able to launch projects that cater to the realization of good governance in local and
university student councils and in our nation
To push for national policies that will promote better governance practices in our country

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To empower the stakeholders by creating a culture that encourages a structured exchange

of ideas and provides plenty of context in every endeavour pursued by the GG Committee

Goals
1. Institutionalization of Grade Your SC! (August-December)
The USC shall ensure that feedback is collected effectively and used wisely to
improve its existing performance. Hence, in partnership with the Office of the Vice
Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA), a student feedback mechanism which will
be included in the Computerized Registration System (CRS) interface shall be
launched. This is to institutionalize the USC evaluation conducted by the GG
recently.
To further empower local college councils, a survey questionnaire will be offered
parallel to the University questionnaire.
2. Mainstreaming of the NCPAGs Philippine Good Governance Summit
Underpinning the role of youth in nation building, the USC shall encourage local
college councils to participate in this summit.
3. Seal of Good Governance
As one of the successful projects of the GGC last year, the conferment of the Seal of
Good Housekeeping to local college councils that exemplified the principles of
transparency and accountability during their term as student council officers will be
continued. The devised assessment criteria shall be the basis in determining the
councils who will be conferred with the seal.
Assessment Criteria
- Regular posting of minutes of the meeting
- Publication of the financial statements
- Publications of the councils plans for the semester/academic year
- Posting of the attendance record of its officers
- Citizens Charter, that includes Student Council Services, Directory of Student
Council Officers, Administrative Services, and other information deemed
important for the studentry by the council.
Campaigns
1. Launching of Voters Education Campaigns (August-May)
With the 2016 National Elections just around the corner, the USC shall launch
massive information dissemination on responsible voting. To actualize this, a national
Senatorial debate and forum will be hosted in partnership with the Education and

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Research Committee. This is to provide useful and substantial information that the
voters could consider come May 2016.
A forum on the Philippine Political Party System is also envisioned to raise
awareness on the importance of practicing platform-based politics.
Equally important, the USC shall strengthen the existing information dissemination
apparatus by conducting university- and community-based election-related education
seminars, primarily aimed for the benefit of the youth who comprise a large portion
of our voting population. The seminars shall invite someone from the Commission
on Elections (COMELEC) who will hold a talk on how to use the PCOS machine and
most importantly a talk encapsulating the role of the youth on elections. In addition, a
survey on UP Diliman students on who their president, vice president, and senators
are will be conducted to get a pulse of the leaders preference of UP Diliman students.
Our job does not stop after educating the voters on who to vote for. We shall commit
to increasing the voters participation this coming national election. Thus, recognizing
youth as a potent force in initiating genuine political reforms in our country, a weeklong caravan before the voters registration ends in October, primarily in different
universities around Metro Manila, that encourages youth to register and exercise their
right to vote will be held. COMELEC and possible media partners will be tapped to
ensure the widest possible of youth to vote and participate. This will be in partnership
with YouthVote Philippines and other UP organizations.
To add more democracy to the political process and allow full expression of citizens
political will, we shall lobby for a None of the Above option in our voting ballot.
Apparently, it provides the voter with the option to indicate his/her disapproval with
all of the candidates in an election. This is widely practiced in some countries,
including India, U.S State of Nevada, Ukraine, Spain, and Colombia.

2. Young Leaders for Governance (August-October, January-April)

Advocating genuine youth empowerment, youth leaders across the Metro Manila
shall be convened in a summit that capacitates them with the necessary skills and
knowledge through forums and extensive workshops in conducting voters education
campaigns in their respective localities/barangays. This is to underscore the
importance of grassroots approach in every USC endeavour.

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Committee Structure

The Committee Head shall:

o Convene and preside over the meetings
o Exercise supervision over the committee
o Report to and update the USC members of the activities and developments
in the committee so as to facilitate coordination of the plans of the
committees and committees concerns
The Secretary General shall:
o Record and keep minutes of the meeting
o Keep all pertinent documents of the committee
The Policy and Advocacy Division shall:
o Identify possible national policies and advocacies the GGC could forward
that will improve the existing governance practices in our country
o Maintain close coordination with the progress of the national policies and
advocacies being pushed forward
The Training and Capacity Building Division shall:
o Ensure that the training programs cater to the acquisition of knowledge on
the subject matter being explored
o Facilitate the extensive workshops and seminars that the GGC will
implement in its every endeavour

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