Page 32 - The Flame

ganizations. tivity. “The organizations need to learn how
“The total aggregate amount will be di- “What we do is to shoulder the expens- to be not fully dependent on the SAF. My
vided into two—50 percent will go to the es first, then file a reimbursement claim decision to decline was actually meant to
societies and the other 50 percent will go after the event itself. Manageable naman maximize the creativity and competence
to the Artlets Student Council (ABSC) and ang ganoong process,” said Mariano. of the organizations in conducting differ-
interest organizations like the Artistang Bes Soc Treasurer Tricia Camille Huseña ent activities,” he added.
Artlets, Red Cross, Scarlet, and others,” said they also implement the practice un- Furthermore, Cifra noted that increas-
Vasco said. dertaken by the CASA. ing the SAF is just tantamount to “tolerat-
“Unfortunately, the SAF of the societies Meanwhile, LM Soc Treasurer Rochelle ing the negligence” of some student offi-
are always negative. (The problem is) stu- Estrada said their society is aware of the cials.
dents spend more than what they pay for,” “hassle in requesting money from their “Try to think of it, if the funds will be
he added.
“To observe fiscal health, you really have
Societies’ struggles
The Journ Soc experienced funding to budget and to rationalize your budget.
problems brought about by the debt they It does not mean if you have a budget, you will
inherited from the previous administra-
tion, President Shekinah Gapuz said in the throw your money into the river. You have to be
society’s annual Mr. & Ms. Journalism pag-
eant last September. very efficient in the utilization of fund because it
For other societies, the budget alloca- would be unfair to other noble projects,”
tion is enough to fund the activities of their
respective organizations and they do not - Artlets Dean Michael Anthony Vasco
encounter SAF related problems.
“SAF requests usually take time, but it SAF,” leaving them no option but to fund raised, the societies will just increase their
is bearable,” CASA President Rogelio Mari- their projects through joint activities. activities because of the increase in re-
ano, Jr. said. “(We) always do partnerships with sources. The same thing will happen. Just
“Wala naman (kaming problems re- other organizations inside and outside the maintain the present funding and tighten
garding the SAF). Ngayon, nag-apply kami University,” she said, noting that this pro- the control. Let the ABSC control the funds
for reimbursement ng mga expenses for cess makes their expenses lighter. completely and oversee the societies’ bud-
all of the activities that we made use of “Actually, we have not used our SAF geting,” he said.
the SAF,” Bes Soc President Patrick Remo yet. The organization fund finances our dif- Current ABSC President Julius Fernan-
added. ferent activities,” she added. dez sees it the other way around.
Majority of the societies responded Councillor for Treasury Romeo Alexis “The increase in SAF should be rea-
to the Flame’s request for interview with Devora of the Concilium Philosophae said sonable for us to agree on it. It would be
the exception of the officers from Eco Soc, their society managed to produce funds enough if the SAF is not allotted for the
Socio Soc, Lit Soc, and TPSF who opted to through their members, blaming the re- events of the ABSC and other Artlets orga-
remain silent on the issue. duction of their SAF to the less number of nizations, but it is. We (the ABSC and the
enrollees. Dean) are going to discuss this again be-
Slow-ball processing? The unnamed source’s concern fore the academic year ends,” Fernandez
Although internal problems contribute stretched to the policy of the administra- said.
to the difficulties experienced by the soci- tion in ensuring transparency between the However, Fernandez is suspended
eties, a society officer who wished not to society officers and the student popula- from his post as of press time due to an
disclose his name said to the Flame that tion. He further suggested that there is a impeachment complaint filed by TPSF in
these do not discount the fact that most need to “streamline the system.” line with the Insignia issue. (See story on
student leaders are in discontent due to “To instil probity, make strict demands page 28)
the snail-paced procedures in processing that money unaccounted will be returned. Meanwhile, Vasco noted that excess
the SAF. I dare say there are still a number of stu- expenditures from a society’s SAF will be
He said that “almost all of us (officers dent-leaders who are generous and willing carried over to the next set of officers as
from different societies) are encountering enough to sacrifice and just opt for reim- debts, but if a society still has an unused
difficulties in requesting funds from the bursement later, but this should not be amount of money in their allotted SAF, it
(Dean’s) Office. This is apart from the de- the convention,” he said. How about those will be transferred to the University budget
lays in processing the papers.” who are unwilling? Thus there are cases as part of the University’s standard-operat-
“The procedures enforced now are re- that activities are delayed or cancelled.” ing procedure.
straining us. They should be lenient with “(The) unused fund ay wala na, baba-
us because academic societies are pretty SAF increase lik na sa general fund (of the University)
much at the mercy of their coordinators or Vasco said that he proposed a P25 in- iyon. Hindi siya carried over sa susunod na
advisers and their constituents,” he said. “If crease for the SAF last year but former academic year dahil bagong budget na-
they are serious that student leaders must ABSC President Vincent Cifra rejected the man ang gagamitin the following year,” he
be transparent with finances, then insti- proposal. clarified.
tute a policy that hinders them to graduate “I declined the proposal simply be-
without fixing liquidation reports.” cause it means an increase in tuition. The Administration explains
Some officers find ways to cope up with students are already paying enough for the Fernandez voiced out the same senti-
the problems they encounter like delays in SAF and the organizations need to under- ments with that of the aggrieved societies,
the release of their cash advances in order stand that they have the power to conduct but he countered as he said, “Inefficiency
not to cancel or postpone a scheduled ac- fund raising activities,” Cifra said. does not only come from the side of the

32 | FLAME