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From advocating a genuine student representation in her term as the UST Central Student Council (CSC) public relations officer (PRO), legal management sophomore Annie Nicholle Agon is taking her commitment to the next level by running for the position of vice president in the upcoming 2025 CSC elections.

In an exclusive interview with TomasinoWeb, Agon admitted that she could not establish a large-scale initiative during her term as PRO due to the limited time and various internal challenges.

“Due to limitations din talaga, medyo mahirap din talaga na further trabahuin ‘yung parang magkaroon ng changes in span of ilang months lang din,” she said.

This sparked a question from the Thomasian community: why run for a higher post when her previous term was marred with limited initiatives and internal setbacks?

Despite this, Agon is eyeing a leadership position with a broader influence–one she believes is essential to reinforce the advocacies and campaigns of the central student council.

“Bilang syempre, siya (vice president) nga talaga yung magli-lead sa mga campaign na dapat hawakan ni central student council,” she said. “At hindi lang sana siya malimit sa paggawa lang ng statement.”

From a wasted opportunity to a bigger platform

While admitting to a lack of actions as a PRO, Agon views the second highest position as more hands-on when leading student campaigns.

She explained that even though she is eligible to run for the presidency, she was driven by her commitment to strengthen the campaigns and advocacies. For her, the role of vice president involves advocating for a leadership style that prioritizes student needs through campaigns, lobbying, and dialogues.

Still, the lack of any major initiative under her belt puts her readiness into question. What makes her more qualified now?

4-point agenda

Agon's platform focuses on her four 'Tomasinong Malaya' agendas: access to quality education, a strong and independent student government, active participation in national issues, and a consultative and transparent leadership that truly represents their needs.

These may sound promising, but a closer look in her past term reveals that many of her proposals are rooted in the same method: consultations, discussions, and speaking out.

Among her proposals is the establishment of a Research and Development (RND) Committee to lead a data-driven campaign to understand social issues affecting students.

The candidate advocates for a comprehensive approach to education reform that includes researching and addressing the commercialization and colonial nature of the education system.

“Through research and development committee, susuriin talaga natin at mas mapapalalim pa natin siya through collective discussion with the students, at paano ba natin siya (education) masasabi na commercialized,” Agon said.

Aside from the RND committee, Agon also proposed a KonTom Grievance Desk, ensuring that students feel heard by actively reaching out to them through events like "gazebo hopping" and room-to-room visits.

“Hindi naman talaga natin parang mapipilit na lumapit yung students sa atin. Tayo yung lalapit sa kanila,” she said.

While this kind of outreach is proactive, it remains unclear how it will gather input beyond-surface level or whether it will lead to a political change.

The running vice president then pushes for the passage of the Student Magna Carta, which only currently exists as a draft. She suggests that there should be a student consultation in the drafting process because it protects constitutional and democratic rights and ensures that students have a say in policies that affect them.

Agon also prioritizes revising the University Students Election Code (USEC) for a more inclusive and democratic election.

These initiatives once again lean heavily on discussions rather than having a concrete action or plan to mobilize student support.

Agon has consistently branded herself as a voice for students—participating in protests and mobilization. However, her track record remains thin when transforming those initiatives into institutional results.

Is a consistent voice in activism enough?

The student activist is frequently seen in mobilizations supporting the UST Faculty Union’s (USTFU) call for better wages and benefits, and opposition to tuition fee increases. For her, these issues are rooted in how commercialized education is.

“Hindi siya talaga basta tuition fee increase lang, usapin na talaga siya ng pagiging commercialized ng education natin,” she said.

Agon believed that campus issues can't be separated from national issues, as they are often interconnected.

While she also recognizes the importance of dialogue, the student activist emphasizes that rallies and protests are tools for mobilizing students and pushing for a change in the system.

“Siyempre, hindi lang naman tayo dapat maging kampante through dialogues and table battles. Need natin ng isang collective action, isang mass action,” she said. “Importante rin ang pagpunta natin sa lansangan mismo.”

According to her, activism is a vital tool for students to address their concerns.

“Hindi naman kasi kapag sinabing activism, puro rally ‘yan,” she said. “Andyan ‘yung pag-aaral natin sa lipunan. Different actions, different collective actions with our constituents at kung paano ba natin isusulong ‘yung different types of campaign,” Agon added.

The student advocate suggests a consistent mobilization and engagement beyond the protest itself. While there is formal action on the inside, there is also collective action on the outside, where the students voice all their calls.

But, did these mobilizations result in real gains for the student body?

Despite being vocal, many of these issues remain unsolved—only creating noise but not necessarily building pressure.

As she ran for the second highest post in the student council, the challenge is not just her speaking louder but to ensure that those voices reach the right tables, and more importantly, lead to action.