“Appeals that are not backed by realistic data and grounded in true student voices remain weak in the eyes of the administration.”
HAU – University Student Council (HAU-USC) President Aerith Claude Catap endorsed nine priority subjects for the first semester of Academic Year 2026–2027, urging the Holy Angel University Student Government (HAUSG) Senate to “produce something the University can actually adopt and act on.”
In a legislative agenda dated June 6, Catap highlighted the importance of generating research grounded in student data before advancing appeals to the university administration.
“Where investigations are called for, I ask that the Senate pursue findings rooted in student data — numbers and narratives alike — so that when we bring these matters to the University Administration, we come prepared,” he stated.
He further asked the Senate to “produce something the University can actually adopt and act on.”
The following are the president’s priority subjects, ranked according to urgency and importance, as identified in his legislative agenda:
- Rainy Season and the Implication of Delayed Class Suspensions
- #HAUNoTOFI2027
- SOGIESC Framework for the University
- Support Mechanisms for Working Students and Student Assistants
- Challenges Faced by Students During Enrollment and the Effects of the Delayed Release of Partial Payment Slips
- Reconsideration of Mental Health Breaks Following Examinations
- Sexual Harassment and Cases of Faculty Misconduct
- Student Perception of the Student Government and the Decline in Democratic Participation
- Performance Evaluation and Metrics Framework for USG Bodies
Most of the proposed subjects push the Senate to produce investigation reports, research papers, financial analyses, position papers, policy recommendations, and framework proposals.
When asked how he justifies pursuing longer-term investigations amid the urgency of the Habagat season and the issues requiring immediate attention, Catap maintained that both approaches are necessary.
“Dialogue between the USC and the administration will always continue, especially in urgent situations like appeals for class suspensions. But I must be honest that such appeals do not always succeed on their own, as we have seen from the previous school year. That is exactly why long-term investigations matter, as they strengthen the credibility and force of every future intervention,” he added.
For the #HAUNoTOFI2027 campaign, Catap said previous efforts against Tuition and other fee increases (TOFI) should “serve as lessons rather than reasons to abandon the issue.”
He cited student governments in other universities that successfully challenged TOFI through extensive research on their impact on students, arguing that HAUSG’s campaign should likewise be grounded in data and active student participation.
“At the very least, unlike last year, we will be able to ground our advocacy in actual, tangible student voices. Students, and not student leaders alone, must be properly represented at the seat of the TOFI consultation meeting. There must be proper means where students can directly submit their concerns. This is an important difference that must be made from the approach of the previous USC administration to TOFI,” Catap explained.
“More importantly, online campaigns alone remain performative. Real advocacy against TOFI demands real evidence, and that is exactly what we intend to bring wherever our campaign takes us, whether to the administration or to CHED, so we will not come empty-handed,” he added.
Discussing Priority Subject No. 3, which seeks the development of a university-wide Sexual Orientation Gender Identity Expression Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) framework, Catap argued that the existing Pronouns and Gender Respect Policy Act of 2025 falls short of addressing broader concerns affecting queer students.
“Given the time it took, and the gravity of what SOGIESC truly encompasses, I believe the studentry deserved more,” Catap said.
To recall, the HAU Student Government (HAUSG) enacted the Pronouns and Gender Respect Policy Act of 2025 on December 1, 2025, institutionalizing the voluntary use of preferred pronouns in HAUSG activities and events with SOGIESC awareness.
Catap explained that while the measure recognizes students’ gender identities, it covers only one aspect of SOGIESC and does not provide broader protections and guidance for queer students.
On the other hand, his priority subject calls on the Senate to develop a framework that the university can “realistically adopt” while remaining grounded in the recognition of rights and operating within its Catholic identity.
“What I wish to propose is a comprehensive framework that would cover and actively safeguard the rights and dignity of queer students, one that can be adopted not only by student leaders, but by the University administration itself.”
Catap deemed the need for research to support consultations evident during discussions on the USC’s Pride Month 2026 proposals, noting that administrators and university officials have expressed appreciation for data-backed initiatives.
However, for Priority Subject No. 7, Catap acknowledged cases of misconduct can be overlooked or left unaddressed, especially when they involve long-serving faculty members.
”I also understand that we may not be able to uncover the full truth or investigate every instance to its fullest extent. But what matters is that we give voice to students who have experienced these situations — that we do not simply let their experiences disappear in silence.”
When asked regarding Priority Subject No. 8, following the low turnout recorded in the recent HAUSG plebiscite and HAUlalan 2026, Catap argued that disengagement stems not merely from student disinterest but from a perception that their concerns do not translate into meaningful action.
“An important understanding that I have on the dynamics between students and their leaders is that apathy does not emerge simply because students are uninterested. It grows when students begin to believe that their voices will not lead to meaningful action,” Catap said.
He acknowledged that responsibility for low engagement cannot be attributed solely to the USC, but maintained that participation declines when students are not provided with consistent and meaningful avenues to engage with the council and the broader student government.
“It is the earnest commitment of this USG administration to enliven genuine student representation, through proper surveys, investigations, and research, and to ensure that student participation is not merely encouraged, but made vital to everything the USG does,” he added.
According to Catap, the expected output per his priority subjects aim “to provide genuine and accessible means for students to have input in the decisions that affect them.”
In accordance with Article III, Section 2(f) of the HAUSG Constitution, which vests upon the President of the HAU-USC the authority and responsibility to propose priority subjects for Senate deliberation prior to the start of the semester, the Senate is expected to take up the agenda during its regular sessions this term.
The same provision sets the deadline for submission of priority subjects before the semester begins, June 8.
The USC President said he had already met with the College Student Councils (CSCs) on June 7 to remind them of this responsibility.
The HAUSG Senate is set to convene its First Regular Session on June 10, with the reading of the first set of priority bills as part of its agenda.
As of writing, no press releases have been issued by the CSCs regarding their respective governors’ priority subjects.
