IMPACTFUL PROJECTS. The Sanggunian wants to help students in their formation by supporting student-led efforts, such as the medical outreach activity shown above. Photo by Pia B. Guballa.

FOR THE first of three cycles of the Sanggunian Subsidy System (SSS), the student government had shelled out an amount totaling P120,000—already half of the whole sum allocated for the same purpose last year.

The SSS is a program of the Sanggunian which aims to give financial support to Loyola Schools (LS) students and organizations for research or theses, projects and conferences.

The SSS is part of the Boost Financial Assistance System that is composed of three financial support groups. The other two apart from the Sanggunian are the Office of Student Activities and the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo.

For the first cycle, there were five recipients of the School of Science and Engineering (SOSE) Sanggunian subsidy, two recipients of the John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) Sanggunian subsidy, one recipient of the School of Humanities (SOH) Sanggunian subsidy and one recipient of the Office of the Finance Officer (OFO) subsidy.

“It’s one of the basic services we [the Sanggunian] can provide,” said Sanggunian Finance Officer Billie Dumaliang. “We have this opportunity to help students kick-start their ideas and help them in their formation as students.”

She noted that they modified some processes in the grant system this year. “In the previous year, what was lacking is one, promotions and two, a more streamlined process of everything.”

“What we wanted to do this year is to really make it work for the students [because] what’s the use of a system if it’s not gonna work for the constituents?” she added.

The applications for the first cycle of the SSS started last July 24 and ended last August 14. The grantees were announced last August 30.

The Sanggunian gives the subsidies to individuals or groups who have strong research or project plans, adhere to the Sanggunian’s thrust, show promise of sustainability and impact, have high recommendations and need financial assistance.

The second cycle of the SSS ran from September 14 to October 5.

Affecting the community

Dumaliang said that the SSS is the most direct way that the Sanggunian can affect the Ateneo community. “We know that not everyone is financially capable and finances become a hindrance so people can’t jumpstart their ideas and their passion.”

The criteria for choosing the grantees was patterned after the thrust of the student government this year.

“It’s a balance of how these projects can help Sanggu in pushing for our goals and how feasible, innovative, relevant and impactful the project is to the LS community,” Dumaliang said.

She added that the OFO came up with the system, but the ones implementing it are the different school boards. The SSS is composed of five branches: the school boards of SOH, SOM, SOSE, SOSS, and the OFO. For this year, they promoted the grants through both an umbrella promotional campaign and school-specific promotions.

They also improved the system by setting an SSS calendar for all three cycles beforehand. “Everything is calendared already so the students can plan when [to] apply for it. The kits also have everything they need,” Dumaliang said.

She added, “Best thing is we’re still on track and hopefully we can give out as much as we can.”

More promotions needed

Subsidy recipients of the first cycle of SSS generally had a positive view of the application process, but some felt that there was dearth of promotions.

Interdisciplinary studies senior Eos Trinidad said that this was his second time to receive the grant, and, for him, the process was admittedly easier. “All the forms are downloadable. Everything was there in the kit so it was made easy.”

“We lacked the budget. When you have a project, and you believe in it so much, and you can’t make it possible if you don’t have enough money, then you apply for the grant,” said Trinidad when asked what his main reason for applying was.

His project, Memory: Humanities and Heritage, received a letter grade of A, for which he received 100% of his requested subsidy.

Memory: Humanities and Heritage is a student journal that serves as an avenue for budding educators, professors and researchers to have their research published.

Trinidad, however, also said that the SSS could be improved by increasing promotions.

“A lot of people here in Ateneo have great ideas and if the only constraining thing with your great ideas is money, then why not apply for a subsidy?” said Trinidad.

Management honors senior Daryl del Rosario said that she liked that the process was relatively straightforward, but she also advised the Sanggunian to improve on its promotions.

“Make the project seem much [friendlier] and open to people, and open to much smaller amounts to more groups.”

Meanwhile, fifth year biology major Emmanuel Delocado, who also received 100% of his requested subsidy, also found the SSS to be more successful this year.

“Granted that you are helping people in their advocacy, how can you not be successful?” said Delocado. “Sure, the system through the years can be improved—not that there is any major thing that needs revision—but people benefit from it already.”

His project is named “Detection of Blood Cancer Cells Using Bioluminescent Bacteria Isolated from Selected Philippine Marine Animals.”

The said project aims to use glowing bacteria isolated from marine animals to test the presence of leukemia cells in human blood. From there, the project aims to come up with an easily accessible, efficient and user-friendly portable kit.

Sophomore Aldwin Segismundo said that the biggest benefit they got from the grant was that it was able to help them recover the unexpected costs.

“[It] can help not only org members but also other students who are in need of subsidy,” he explained.

The third and final cycle of applications for the SSS will start on January 7 next year.