UCGs create Student Care Initiative

By Tristan Dyln Tano

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lasallian community, along with the rest of the world, battled and struggled to cope with the ramifications of the virus. With everyone’s way of living transforming drastically to adapt to the new normal, Lasallian student leaders scrambled and coordinated to create an initiative that would answer to the call of those in need. Spearheaded by then Arts College Government President Pepeton Felipe, along with his Chief of Staff Michelle Orbeta and College Counsel Maxine Pampolina, the Student Care Initiative was created on Term 3 of A. Y. 2019 – 2020 as the consolidated synergy of the skills, efforts, and talents of all De La Salle University College Governments in formulating a direct response to the imminent threat of COVID-19.

As an inter-college entity, the Student Care Initiative functioned to prioritize the development of student welfare through various activities and projects like Behind The Screens, COVID19: By the Numbers, and other self-help publicity acts for the students. Furthermore, the Student Care Initiative served as the causeway of integration between different college governments in the enactment and execution

of student support services, seminars, and initiatives to combat and address the difficulties of the new normal.

With the Academic Year coming to a close, the initiative lacked a capacity and ability to sustain itself beyond the overturning of student government administrations. Given this, at the arrival of Academic Year 2020 – 2021, Pepeton, Michelle, and Maxx enlisted former Business Management Society President Tristan Dyln Tano, former Internals Vice Chairperson for FAST2018 Lian Lazo, and former Legislative Assembly Representative for EXCEL2020 Nina Bermejo to act as the founding Executive Board for the Student Care Initiative.

During Term 2 of A. Y. 2020 – 2021, the Student Care Initiative officially became the first-ever volunteer organization of the Office of Student Affairs, operating under the guidance and direction of the Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Christine Ballada and the Associate Dean Dr. Cyril Lituañas. Inaugurated under its three core values of Altruistic Volunteerism, Fostering of Student Welfare, and Concern for the Common Good, the Student Care Initiative constantly dedicates itself to the furthering and the consistent and constant upwards development of the Lasallian community. Given a charitable goal of the continuous pursuit of Lasallian aid and care, the Student Care Initiative serves as the overseeing body of the Lasallian Student Welfare Program (LSWP). The LSWP is the Lasallian community’s program for the provision of support so students can achieve their academic goals and experience a meaningful student life. The various initiatives under this program such as emergency health aid, student life assistance, emergency relief, technology support, care visit, scholars’ support, support for students living away from home, mentoring network, and the tuition and scholarship are designed in aiding and assisting the Lasallian community through troubled and unprecedented times.