UC SAO Directors And Selected Student Leaders Join PACSA Convention • University of Cebu

The university’s pillars in student affairs recently attended the 27th Annual National Convention, Seminar and Workshop on Campus Advising. The affair was held on November 25-28, 2006 at the Teachers Camp in Baguio City. The UC undergraduate contingents joined the 11th Annual Seminar and Workshop for Student Leadership on the same dates, within the same venue. The summit was headed by the Philippine Association of Campus Student Advisers (PACSA).

Sailing under the premise “enhancing competencies through campus advising and leadership towards global connectedness,” the event was attended by UC campuses’ Student Affairs Directors, each with at least one student leader in tow: Ms. Rebecca Ancheta of UC-Main attended with Jay Anthony Y. Cavales, a sophomore Education student who is also the Press Relations Officer (PRO) of the UC Council of Presidents (UCCP) of UC-Main and the Associate Editor of the school paper Lakandiwa.

Mr. Mars O. Mandal of UC-Banilad joined with Paul John Gesta, President of the Commerce and Accountancy Student Society.
Mr. Dominador P. Retardo of UC- Lapulapu Mandaue (LM) was with Jared Noynay, a senior Electronics and Communications Engineering (ECE) student and the incumbent President of the Institute of Electronics and Communication Engineering in the Philippines - LM Chapter (IECEP) and is the President of the UC Council of Presidents (UCCP) in LM campus as well.

Mr. Jesus C. Cabingue of UC- Maritime Education and Training Center (METC) went with three student leaders from the campus: D/C Hilario Mancao, President of the Council of Maritime Leaders, D/C Julito Penio, Editor-in-chief of the campus paper Anchor, and E/C Janu Reyes, President of the Norwegian Ship-owners Association Scholars Association. Reyes and Penio were sponsored by their respective student organizations.

On the first day of the gathering, the delegates from various learning institutions were welcomed by the PACSA Board of Directors: Prof. Estelita Bernardo, VP for Luzon; Dr. Rolando Musca, VP for Visayas; Prof. Romeo Dequito, VP for Mindanao; Prof. Rosario Aranda, VP for NCR; with the PACSA secretary Prof. Dondon Nueva Jr. Rev. Fr. Victor F. Sadaya, CMS Rector, delivered the keynote address.

The remaining days were devoted to talks on Leadership, E-generation campus advisers and student leaders (plenary), parliamentary procedure in action (students), developing technology based student affairs management (for advisers), meeting with COMELEC, presentation and deliberation on constitutional amendments for ratification/plebiscite (for advisers), regional planning and socialization, strategic management of student organization (for students), organizational behavior (for advisers), transformative/transformational leadership (for students), and PACSA Board of Directors election.

Among the topics tackled, Mr. Mandal and Ms. Ancheta both find the e-generation item the most interesting and enlightening. “The illustrated internet-based counseling is a new and helpful option for students, especially for those who cannot express themselves freely in person,” cites Mr. Mandal. “Making use of technology could help with furthering the effectiveness of the SAO services,” adds Mr. Mandal. This could mean servicing more advisees or students even with limited human resources.

From the convention, Mr. Mandal also looks forward to coming up with programs geared toward furthering the development of the students.

The conference also proved as an avenue for the communing minds to articulate each delegate’s province’s culture thru the arts. In fact, Jay Anthony Y. Cavales of UC-Main made Ms. Ancheta proud as he, together with the other representatives of Cebu, rendered a well orchestrated take on the Cebuano ethnicity. “He brought the house down with his performance of the Sinulog dance!,” recounts Ms. Ancheta, while vividly remembering how they turned her scarves into Jay’s costume.

PACSA, a non-profit nationwide organization of campus advisers, is committed to provide opportunities for the development of talents and potentials of campus advisers and students to become effective instruments of total transformation; initiate the love and zeal for knowledge and wisdom through dynamic and well-planned co-curricular programs and activities; exemplify the values of love, peace, unity, harmony, cooperation, and respect for the dignity of the person and the preservation of the environments; and to instill appreciation for and understanding of the country’s cultural and literary heritage while recognizing international change geared towards the acquisition of national identity and global cooperation.