Below are some of our brothers and sisters running for elected positions for the upcoming year. If you, or someone you know, is interested in running for board and posting platforms on the Samahang Pilipino website, please have them email ivp@samahang.org by Tuesday at 11:59 pm, as Wednesday at noon will be the last time candidates and their platforms will be posted here. Know that although it is not necessary to post a statement/platform on the website to run for board, we highly encourage doing so, as it provides general members the opportunity to better prepare for elections.
Thank you for your time, and see you at elections!
And the Nominees are...
John Christan "JC" De Vera for External Vice President
Vision: My vision as the External Vice President of Samahang Pilipino is a Pilipino community that is united through a common identity, works towards the betterment of the community through collective social change, and understands the importance of their actions.
Mission: Therefore, my mission as EVP is threefold: to continue to build and strengthen the relationships with on and off-campus groups, to improve the external visibility of Samahang Pilipino's vision, and to address the politicization of the general membership.
Constitutional Goals/Objectives:
- Utilization and establishment of diplomatic relationships with other on and off-campus groups
a. SCPASA
i. Increase both the visibility of the alliance to the general membership, and the general membership to the alliance.
ii. Address the importance of this space, and its crucial forum of dialogue in sharing ideas and visions with other colleges and universities.
b. UCLA Pilipino Organizations
i. Reassess the current status of the space, and develop plans to make it more conducive through goal-setting.
ii. Continue to build a sense of unity and support.
iii.Have something concrete to work on each quarter to improve communication - Develop political awareness in the general membership
a. Educational workshops each quarter addressing aspects of politicization for general membership to personalize
i. Suggested themes: grassroots organizing, coalition-building, what is advocacy?
ii. Utilize the USAC EVP Office as a resource
b. Using the knowledge gained from these workshops and seeing them put into action
i. JFAV in Fall Quarter, Student Legislative and Lobby Conference in Winter Quarter, May Day in Spring Quarter.
c. Create a more established structure in the Political Committee, and continue to use this space for leadership development.
Ronald James Arruejo for Administrative Coordinator
As Administrative Coordinator, I believe my organizational skills will be beneficial to this position. I want to continue providing logistical support to Samahang Pilipino so that the organization can work effectively. Additionally, I will make sure that the different spaces and organizations within and outside Samahang Pilipino are more informed about each other’s important updates and current events.
I am running in this election because I want to contribute back to an organization that has provided me with so many opportunities. Samahang Pilipino welcomed me before I even set foot in this organization, and I want to relay that openness to the next group of freshmen and transfers. I want to help this organization grow, and I will be able to do that best as the Administrative Coordinator of Samahang Pilipino.
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Ruth Mendez for Kabalikat Coordinator
Hello y'all! Here is a little background of why I'm qualified to be your next Kabalikat Coordinator! I am an openly queer Pilipina who is a lover of all genders and have been a Kabalikat member for two years. I am an Asian American Studies major (hoping to declare Pilipino Studies concentration!) and a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Studies minor. I have also been on the Queer Alliance Board for the past two years, an outreach intern for Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, phone-banked for the No on 8 campaign, and marched/protested in many marriage equality rallies since the passage of Prop H8. My academics, extra-curricular activities, and activism show how dedicated I am to the advancement of our Queer, Asian, and Pilipino/a communities. As your future Kabalikat coordinator I will continue to advocate for our queer Pin@ys, maintain this important safe space, and educate SP members into queer-minded allies!If elected I will implement the following platforms:
1) Foster leadership stability and growth through queer Pin@y empowerment!
Through my already established networks with the queer student organizations and LGBT center at UCLA, and LA API LGBT community-based organizations, I will not only bring my experiences with these organizations back into the Kabalikat and Samahang space through communal discussions; I will encourage members to go into these spaces or participate in their events. Meeting queer leaders and participating in community involvement can shape one's personal growth into empowered leaders while learning how these experiences relate to our Pin@y identities.
2) Bringing the GENDER component back into Kabalikat!
Emphasize more discussions topics such as queerying the gender "binary"; how does one be a Pinoy or a Pinay in our culture? Now how does being a queer Pin@y challenge the gender "binary"? I also will highlight queer Pinay and trans-issues.
3) Ally awareness workshops/ LGBTQ sensitivity training
4) Breaking the Silence: discussing sexual health, safe-sex, and HIV/AIDS awareness within our community
Through my work with Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, I have learned that Pilipinos have the MOST HIV cases among the Asian Pacific Islander community. Not only will we openly discuss about these topics, we will evaluate how our culture plays a role into this silence.
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Jan Victor Andasan for Kabalikat Coordinator
Vision:
- As Kabalikat Coordinator, I want to promote and maintain the Kabalikat Space to continue discussions of gender and sexuality and the intersection with our Pilipin@/Pilipin@ American identity. I want to further create a safe environment that is inclusive of all people and address the importance of each aspect of the LGBTQIA and unify each other through our struggles.
Mission:
- To create that safe space where people can interact with each other regardless of gender and sexuality and promote a space that fosters discussion about LGBTQI issues and putting the “A” back in it.
- To politicize members about LGBTQI issues and create a plan of action to work in conjunction with other queer organizations outside of Samahang
- To create better understandings of “LGBTQIA”
- Connect the LGBTQI with our ethnic identities
- Host workshops to create better understandings of Allies
- Institutionalize Kore, Kaukus, and Kollectives meetings to ensure that the space is maintained and connects it back to the SP general members
- To ensure members that this is an inclusive space not just for queer pinoys, but queer pinays and allies
- Outreach
- Work with other components in Samahang Pilipino (SPEAR & SPACE) to co-program workshops pertaining to gender and sexuality in order to raise awareness and discussion
- Work with other Pilipino organizations beyond Samahang to promote the space to those not part of Samahang and address the problems of gender and sexuality in a broader sense through different perspectives (ie. PTSP)
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John Gabriel Pantaleon for Administrative Coordinator
Greetings brothers and sisters, I am running for Administrative Coordinator because I feel I have the necessary organizational and logistical skills to fulfill the duties of this position. Moreover, I feel that my knowledge of Samahang and its mission has truly grown and inspires me to take part in leadership and express my visions and desires for the future of the organization. Samahang Pilipino truly gave me a home and I would like to be able to provide that same feeling for the current and future generations of Samahang.
Vision: My vision as Administrative Coordinator is to see Samahang with clear and consistent communication within all its aspects but to also keep a connection to other organizations including USAC and other culture groups.
Mission: My mission as the Admin Coord is to provide the proper support for board and for Samahang as a whole; including, keeping members up to date with events and issues and to provide outlets for general members to explore different areas.
Platforms:
- Utilize the Administrative Assistants from the respective projects
- Meet with them consistently in order to facilitate communication between the projects and the organization itself.
- Potentially host workshops for varying needs, such as application workshops especially for project specific positions.
- Work with board to create a tracking program for its general members and observe membership levels and activity throughout the year.
- Create a program, which allows general members to assist in planning and facilitating a general meeting at least once a quarter.
- This allows for more individuals to have involvement in Samahang.
- However this time, more action will be taken to outreach and to really entice general membership to participate.
- Create a program that sends leaders from other organizations into our meetings and vice versa in order to maintain connections and perhaps gain new insights.
- This will help demonstrate unity between our organization and the organizations of other cultures.
- It will also allow us to share and contribute ideas that we may not have though of before.
- Working with the President and External Vice President in order to establish a firm connection between Samahang and USAC.
- This will include sending out emails containing USAC relevant information or making announcements during general meetings, whenever applicable.
- It will also entail making sure that the USAC image is presented within Samahang throughout the year, not just during elections. It will help general membership to really understand why we have USAC and endorse a certain slate.
Paloma Doreza for Cultural Coordinator
Vision:My vision for Cultural Committee is for it to be, not only a source of, but also a catalyst for cultural awareness and understanding of the importance of such, in innovative, interactive ways that interest and involve members of Samahang, the Filipino-American community, and the greater community of diverse backgrounds.
In other words, the spark that lights a fire, consistently working towards the goals of empowerment and ultimately, action, but most importantly, encouraging and emphasizing individual growth through personal knowledge and appreciation of culture. To me, Cultural Committee is here to address just not just the collective identity of our community, but to really focus on the foundation of that, which is US--YOU AND ME--the individuals sharing the experiences that make up this constantly changing community.
Mission: To provide an open, comfortable, and creative environment that sparks cultural discussion and fosters individual growth throughout the whole year, in and beyond the SPCN space; to spread cultural awareness through the medium of visual and performing arts, cultural workshops, and ALL OF YOUR talents, experiences, and perspectives; to make resources, such as alumni and the archives,more visible and accessible; all the while in constant communication and cooperation with all components of Samahang and other orgs.
Platforms:
1. Pilipino History Month & SPCN as introduction & culmination:
- open dialogue between CulCo & SPCN Class
- look at cultural activities of other universities
- Intro session into PCN & what it’s about; SPCN pre-basics workshop
- PCN Exposed! Post-PCN get-together to sum up everything we’ve learned
2. Understanding and mobilization through arts & cultural workshops
- organize CulCo structure (Sayaw Chair, Archives Chair)
- bring Sayaw back not just about cultural dance, but music too
- fun, interesting, interactive workshops about topics people don’t necessarily know about
- CulCo Poetry & Music Corner about Pilipino-American experience/immigrant experience
- CulCo Forum for Artistic Cultural Expression (website, blog, exhibit)
3. Keeping constant conversation going within Samahang & between P-orgs
- Structure (Liaison with components of Samahang and other P-orgs)
- constant communication: meetings, informal, check-ups
- provide steady support & knowledge resource; spread awareness and better understanding of problems and obstacles that projects like SPACE & SPEAR face
- presence in programs; put on workshops at SITE
4. Updating, increasing awareness, and utilization of resources (Alumni, Archives)
- informal meetings; coffee chats, dinner with Alums
- initiate alumni involvement in PCN class and programs
- convert VHS into DVDs, update files by gathering recent PCN materials
- Begin CulCo meetings with Cultural icebreakers, presentation of Cultural artifacts from archive collection
5. Culture is from individual to community, community to individual (open communication, two way-street)
- bringing individual experience to community, learning from community collective to help individual grow (cycle)
- promote comfortable, welcoming environment during CulCo meetings allowing people to learn and talk about culture in their own ways, whether through song, dance, music, art, etc.
I am here to serve YOU, to help you find the space and means with which you can discover your cultural identity, past and present, and express it with others. Culture isn't only found in the lived experiences preserved in the archives and in the knowledge of our beloved alumni, but in EACH OF YOU. Every single one of your individual experiences is invaluable, for it is all part of our story and our struggle, OUR CULTURE as WE MAKE IT. As Cultural Coordinator, I would strive passionately and to the best of my abilities to ensure that all of these goals are implemented and all these valuable experiences shared.
more to come throughout the week!
