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Nathan Blaza, a Business Administration freshman vying for Central Student Council (CSC) Public Relations Officer (PRO), told TomasinoWeb that the delayed posting of his platforms stemmed from not being informed that a campaign manager was needed for his candidacy.

He also attributed the delay to last-minute platform revisions, managing the campaign singlehandedly, handling academic workloads, and adjusting to university life as a freshman.

The UST Central Commission on Elections announced on March 16 that the campaign period will span from March 18 to April 5, providing considerable time for candidates to promote their platforms.

Blaza only posted his proposed programs and initiatives on April 4, just a day before the campaign ended.

Despite posting his platforms late, Blaza asserted that he does not see it as a disadvantage.

“I see it as an advantage pa mismo. [...] I can create an initiative or a program to solve that gap [and] mga loopholes sa kanilang mga platform,” the PRO aspirant said.

Blaza ran because of his perceived lack of presence from previous CSC officers, claiming that the council’s presence was mainly felt during “big events” such as Paskuhan and Welcome Walk.

“Hindi mo sila makikita as someone na pwedeng lapitan ng students,” he said. “I want to change that narrative.”

CSC: The Link, the name of Blaza’s platform, comprises initiatives that aim to strengthen the connection between Thomasians and the council to create “meaningful progress” inside the university.

Tomasinong Konektado, a program under his platform, aims to boost student engagement by making the CSC’s social media more active, improving information dissemination, and creating a safe space where students can freely share their concerns and thoughts about the council’s performance.

Promoting Inclusivity

Blaza aims to complement his plan to create a safe venue for student discourse with Tomasinong Inklusibo, an initiative designed to “create an organization for communities such as LGBTQIA+, PWDs, and Muslims,” to foster inclusivity and promote a sense of belongingness towards minorities.

Asked about the concrete steps of creating a queer-oriented organization within a Catholic institution, Blaza said he plans to conduct constituency checks to gauge the perspectives of Thomasians and use the gathered data to support the initiative when presenting it to the administration.

“If the constituency checks are successful, it can fight against the administration,” Blaza said.

He also claimed that the said minorities, including the LGBTQIA+ community, are now “accepted” and no longer face judgment in today’s society.

“I think UST also needs to progress as time goes by. Kasi makikita naman natin na sa panahon ngayon accepted na ang ganitong mga community and wala nang nagiging judgment,” he said.

Aside from student-centered programs, Blaza’s initiative, Pawmasino, also extends to the animals thriving inside the university. It seeks to create a recognized organization to “promote animal welfare” and establish a harmonious environment between students and animals.

On the lack of student candidates in the elections

The PRO aspirant was optimistic about bringing change in UST, despite his claim that fewer students join the CSC because the administration is “oppressive.”

“Very oppressive ang administration. [...] They (students) are afraid kung gaano kalakas mag-oppress yung administration ng UST,” he said.

Amid the repressive tendencies of the administration, Blaza assured that he would prioritize establishing a “student-centered” council.

“By standing up, having the grit and confidence to stand up with the Thomasian community, we can avoid being just a mere mouthpiece for the university,” Blaza said.

On faculty's demand for better wages and benefits

Amid the ongoing negotiation between the faculty and the university in the National Conciliation and Mediation Board, he supported the faculty's plea to push for the P26-million salary restructuring fund from UST’s non-tuition hike revenues, saying that the University should invest in its academic staff to preserve its educational quality.

“I support the UST Faculty Union in their claim of P26 million allocation of rank upgrades and salary reconstruction aside from P104.68 million na ma-rereceive nila from tuition hikes,” he said.

“UST should start to invest in their academic staff if they want to remain on the big four [and] continue to give such quality of education,” Blaza added.

As of writing, the union and the UST management are still unable to finalize a collective bargaining agreement over the dispute.

Credentials

As the only candidate running with an opponent, Blaza admitted that he falls short in terms of credentials compared to his opponent but believes his prior leadership experience is enough to fulfill the responsibilities of a PRO.

“Credential-wise talo ako. [...] Pero, I do have credentials that can cover most of the tasks of being a public relations officer,” he said.

Blaza highlighted his platforms as an advantage in his race against Heavenly Nerizon, a junior political science student.

“I think they should vote for me because even though I am a freshman, a financial management student, hindi katulad ni Mr. Nerizon, a third-year political science student, kaya natin siya malamangan through platforms that we want to achieve once we are elected for the position of public relations officer.”