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OUR VISION: MISSION STATEMENT 2009-2010:


Recent News

Updated Nominee Statements!

May 22, 2008

President

Rose Lyn Castro

Greetings brothers and sisters! Being a Samahang Pilipino general member for three years and part of leadership for two, I have grown in my love for this organization and for our community as a whole. With this love, I want to work towards Samahang Pilipino’s growth as president by pushing for better representation of the Pilipin@/Pilipin@ American community on and off campus through accountability and advocacy for our needs as Pilipin@/Pilipin@ Americans.

Accountability

- On-campus Pilipino Community Collectives: spaces for Pilipino students on campus, including the different Pilipino organizations, to discuss issues faced by our community and means of addressing them

- Off-campus Community: “General Meeting” putting us directly in the community, working with community organizations and members, including the youth

- To the projects: conduct social investigation and implement board training in summer in order to create our vision and plans for the year as a board, and thus provide projects with more direction

Advocacy

- Community Organizing Training: Summer, training for leadership to better prepare for taking action during the year; during the year, training for general membership to increase spaces for general membership involvement

- Working with USAC to push for our issues (i.e. Access & Admissions, Campaign for Pilipino Studies & Diversity Requirement; Lobbying to lower student fees)

Thank you for taking the time to prepare for elections by reading my statement. These are just a few of my ideas, so please feel free to address any questions or concerns with me. See you at elections!

Emily Bautista

My dream for Samahang Pilipino (SP) is to provide a space for Pilipin@s/Pilipin@ Americans/Pin@ys to develop a sense of family in an environment that fosters cultural awareness, leadership development, Pilipino unity, and a strong sense of cross-community engagement through education and community organizing. As president, I, Emily Bautista, plan to address the following issues accordingly:

  1. Cultural Development
    1. Bi-weekly general meetings (GMs)
    2. have more diverse forms of GMs
    3. Co-program w/facilitators outside of SP leadership
    4. Create an All-SP calendar encompassing ALL events from SP Board, SPEAR, & SPACE to be more purposeful in addressing the SP’s goals
  2. Leadership Development
    1. More all-leadership spaces
    2. Develop clear objectives & ways to participate in SP committees
    3. Implement an All-SP internship that opens participation in SPEAR, SPACE, SP Board, Community-Based Organizations, & USAC
  3. Pilipino Unity
    1. Develop SP liaison relationships w/other Pilipino organizations (P-orgs) on campus
    2. Create a quarterly calendar that includes all P-org events
  4. Cross-Community Engagement
    1. More opportunities for cross-community interaction
    2. Build political awareness on the Campaign for Pilipino Studies & Pilipino-specific immigration issues (e.g. DREAM Act)
    3. Create proposal for the construction of a central Cultural Center building for communities of color

Experience:

  • SPEAR Staff Assistant (W06)
  • SPEAR Volunteer Staff (S06)
  • SPEAR Administrative Assistant & Co-Internship Coordinator (2006-2007)
  • Samahang Pilipino Retention Coordinator (2007-2008)
  • Campus Retention Committee (2007-2008)
    • Retention & Development Subcommittee Chair
    • Training Subcommittee Chair
    • External Subcommittee member

External Vice President


Jason Tengco

My vision as EVP is a unified and supportive Pilipino community that works diplomatically with other organizations in order to create widespread and collective social change.

Therefore, my mission as EVP is threefold: to establish a sense of coalition from already established relations with on and off-campus groups, to improve the external visibility of Samahang as a flagship organization, and to address the lack of personal politicization amongst general members.


Constitutional Goals/Objectives

1. Representation in Standing Coalition Spaces

  • SCPASA (Southern California Pilipino American Student Association)
    • Increasing visibility and purpose of SCPASA as a mobilizing force
      • ie SCPASA Annual Summit
        • This year’s theme for the summit is Education, so utilizing the coalition space for support and awareness of Campaign for Pilipino Studies (CPS)

2. Work with USAC Sponsored Groups as a Politicizing Tool

  • EVP as a Political Role
    • Political Committee as a Tool for Direct Action
      • Politicization of general membership, particularly within crucial Presidential election year
  • USAC EVP Office
    • Allowing general members to know their resources with conferences hosted by EVP office
      • ie Lobby Con and Leg Con

3. Facilitate Collaboration with Other Pilipino Organizations on Campus

  • Barangay ng UCLA
    • Advancing the sense of unity and support through this collective space with leaders from all ten Pilipino organizations
      • To develop a unified plan of action for the year that complements rather than impedes or overlaps with each organization

Education Coordinator

Michael De Vera

As Education Coordinator, I will promote the individual and collective growth through culturally relevant education by:

1) Advocating on behalf of Filipino studies for a stronger representation within the curriculum of higher education through the Campaign for Pilipino Studies.

2) Restructuring the internship program into an action-oriented experience that exposes individuals issues larger than the campus.

3) Actively reaching out to the transfer student population to create a more all-encompassing representation of the Pilipino community within the UCLA campus.

Outreach Coordinator

Mark Jimenez

SPACE

  1. Establish a pilot site by the end of my term.
    1. Work has already begun this quarter with Samahang’s new site subcommittee. A lot of research has been done on schools in the surrounding area. Currently, information is being compiled so that Samahang Pilipino can begin deciding the direction of the SPACE Project.
  2. Continue maintaining CBO relationships for SPACE.
    1. This year, relationships with PCORE and SIPA have already been happening. I would like see Samahang further these relationships for our organization and the project.
  3. Revise Samahang Pilipino’s investment plan for SPACE.
    1. As OC, I would like to further the development of this investment plan realistically using the information SPACE has accumulated over the years.

Samahang Pilipino

  1. Strengthening the relationship between the SPACE project and the Mother Organization.
    1. This year, I’ve been a complete advocate for the strong M.O. support for both projects. Next year, summer will be vital in setting this expectation for the year.
  2. Continuing to engage others about the issue of Access for the Pilipino community.
    1. I will continue my efforts from this year in developing a stronger awareness and understanding of the Access issues the Pilipino community faces.

SIAC

  1. Follow through with 5-year plans with other OC/AC.
  2. Run for SIAC Chair.

Community Projects Coordinator

Anna Sterling

Platform: Accountability, Consciousness, Action

Issue: As UCLA students, we often times get trapped in our campus bubble—especially a Samahang Pilipino one. I plan on addressing this issue by raising consciousness on the issues that warrant community involvement, keeping Samahang and its constituency accountable to this community we claim to advocate on behalf of and providing opportunities for action.

Solution:

- I will focus on a specific issue (ie: JFAV, immigration reform, labor issues, women's issues, etc) affecting the community for the quarter/year and have programming/teach-in's leading up to a direct action in which all can be involved. This will include creating spaces for education and dialogue to acquaint Samahang Pilipino's general members and leaders on community issues and thus, heighten investment and accountability to the community.

- I will utilize Community Committee as a tool to develop critical consciousness and mobilize general membership.

- I will have continual communication with leaders from Pilipino community-based organizations such as SIPA, PWC, and GABnet to streamline Samahang Pilipino's community efforts with their work as well.

- I will develop relations with other community-based/social justice organizations on campus such as Coalition for Peace, Students for a Democratic Society, E3 and so forth to expose Samahang Pilipino to other organizations committed to the broader social justice movement. Through this coalition-building, Samahang members will gain a better understanding of Samahang Pilipino's work and its larger role in the community. In doing so, I also hope to raise Samahang Pilipino back to its status as a strong progressive force at UCLA.

Activities Coordinator

John Christian De Vera

Vision:
- As Activities Coordinator, I want to continue that social space that Samahang Pilipino was first founded on. I would like to further Samahang's vision of creating a unified Pilipin@-American community, as well as instilling that sense of family that embodies Pilipin@ culture.
Mission:
- To create that social space where people can interact with each other, find their commonalities, and create that sense of family within the organization through various types of programming (socials, parties, competitions, etc.) Once everyone establishes that personal connection with each other, then we'll be able to look past the commonalities, realize struggles, and thus promote the progressive social change that encompasses the other aspects of Samahang Pilipino.
Platforms:
- Create various socials (after-GM activities, club parties) that allow the general membership to interact with each other and establish that common ground.
- Outreach and work with other on-campus organizations to co-program activities (club parties, etc) in order to establish working-relationships that would help make the organization be more visible.
- Work in close collaboration with the OSA Mentorship Coordinator to effectively co-program activities that target new and incoming students.
- For the Summer/Fall term, get a head start on Friendship Games to bring the SPUF trophy to UCLA. Plan an effective Welcome Reception to recruit new general members. Plan summer hangouts to continue the social interactions outside of school.
- Utilize the Social Committee space to foster the development of future Samahang leaders.