By Lysander Tiu
Silliman University (SU) student councils started the full implementation of the 2016 memorandum for optional council fees for the current school year.
The memorandum issued last 2016 wrote, “In no case shall non-payment of these fees be made a basis for non-admission, non-promotion, or non-issuance of clearance to a student.”
However, it is up to the discretion of respective college student councils to decide whether students can attend college events without paying their council fees.
Council fees draw flak
At the start of the second semester for school year 2023-2024, various colleges received public commentary on their semestral council fee breakdown.
In light of these concerns, the SUSG 33rd Student Assembly resurfaced the University memorandum regarding payment of council fees in its Facebook post last February 2024.
In its Facebook post, the SU College of Business Administration (CBA) drew reactions regarding their ₱950 fee which was ₱500 higher than the first semester.
“Pang 1st sem ra diay tong ₱450?” CBA student Belle Kate Cual wrote in her shared post.
(Was the ₱450 just for the first semester?)
Meanwhile, SU College of Engineering and Design (CED) alumnus John Aldwin Alaton also commented on its council fee for the second semester, questioning the inclusion of working committees, turnover, and ring hop ceremony.
“1. What are those working comms? Naay nonworking? HAHAHAHAHAHHA 2. Luh ilang turn over naay budget. Saman na? 3. Naa nay hard-hatting, mag ring-hop pa? Nya seniors ra bya unta na,” Alaton responded.
(What are those working comms? Are there nonworking? Wow, their turnover has a budget. What is that? There’s already the hard-hatting, there’s also the ring-hop ceremony? That’s only for seniors.)
Governors’ response to complaints
SU College of Nursing Association President Chloe Dakay said that without a sufficient budget, the college’s performance and output quality would be “negatively affected.”
“The council [wouldn’t] be able to produce jerseys, support players in their training, provide the basic necessities to players, and cover expenses for competitions,” she wrote.
Moreover, she said that non-payment of these optional council fees may lead to further student apathy, lack of student involvement, and disinterest in council initiatives.
Meanwhile, SU College of Performing and Visual Arts Governor Sean Christian Joy Cuizon said that a decline in contributions would “significantly hinder” small colleges.
“It’s important to emphasize that it’s our fees that enable everything to function […] It is a reasonable expense for maintaining the college’s activities and operations,” she wrote.
Cuizon also suggested that student councils should provide ways for students who can’t pay the fees to contribute in other ways such as monetary donations or providing amenities.
