Polytechnic University of the Philippines Student Council

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines Student Council , formerly known as Philippine College of Commerce Supreme Student Council before 1972, is the official undergraduate student union and prime representative of the student body of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Manila Campuses. It represents the interests of the students on the university, national, and global issues.
As the collective student representation in the university, the central and college student councils are composed of members elected amongst the student body of Manila Campuses, mandated to organize and direct campaigns and activities to defend and promote students’ rights and general welfare. Furthermore, it provides direct services to the student body.
The PUP Student Council is composed of the , also known as the PUP Central Student Council, the local student councils of all existing colleges, including Open University System and Institute of Technology ; and four independent bodies namely: Student Council Commission on Audit, , Student Council Commission on Student Organizations and Accreditation, and Student Council Student Tribunal.
The Executive Committee of the PUP SKM is composed of the President, Vice President, Secretary-General, and Treasurer, who, together with the presidents of all college student councils from the Manila campuses, constitute the , the highest decision and policy-making body of student councils at the PUP Main Campus, undergraduate level.
In contrast, the serves as the unified alliance and official federation of all student councils across the entire PUP System, including satellite campuses outside the Main Campus.

History and advocacies

In 1969, then-Philippine College of Commerce President Nemesio Prudente included the student council in the board of trustees of the college.
In 1972, the student council was abolished due to the proclamation of martial law. Five years after the PCC was converted into a chartered state university and renamed Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the student council was eventually revived in 1983 with its constitution and by-laws being drafted and ratified.
In 1990, Prudente, who was reappointed as PUP president, assigned the student union hall and certain rooms in the main academic building to the PUP SKM, accredited student organizations, cultural groups, and major student publications.

PUP SPEAK's domination (2016 - 2021)

From 2016 to 2021, the Students' Party for Equality and Advancement of Knowledge had been the ruling political party of the PUP Student Council.
In July 2019, ahead of the fourth State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte, the College of Communication Student Council was among the youth groups invited to Rappler's MovePH Huddle to discuss on several issues. On the youth sector's efforts to campaign for a coal-free Negros, COC SC's Neilvin John Aventurado shared that "the government should be listening or they should be aiming for the protection of our environment and the people who benefit from it" after expressing sadness by the fact that the youth had to conduct protests just to be heard.
In February 2020, the PUP SKM, together with various organization under the leadership of PUP Office of the Student Regent held a benefit concert on the university oval grounds to support the mid-to-long-term rehabilitation of the communities affected by the Taal volcano eruption. The concert, which was attended by over 15,000 people, was headlined by Parokya ni Edgar, Itchyworms, Gloc-9, and Rocksteddy.
In April 2020, the PUP SKM joined in decrying the detention of Rexon Aumentado, a mechanical engineering department and community volunteer, over alleged violations of the enhanced community quarantine. Joining the call to release the student were human rights lawyers Chel Diokno and Erin Tanada, who called the arrest a form of "harassment".
In April 2021, the College of Accountancy and Finance Student Council urged the university to extend the "academic break" from April 5 to April 11 amidst rising COVID-19 cases. It insisted that the students and the professors are "not mentally and practically ready to start the new semester,” as it also pointed out that they were immobilized due to the extended community quarantine and its border restrictions.
In January 2021, the PUP SKM was among the stakeholders of the university to condemn the proposal of Duterte Youth Rep. Ducielle Cardema to Department of National Defense to abrogate its 1990 accord with the university, a day after the abrogation of its 1989 accord with the University of the Philippines. The accord stated that the police and military forces must give prior notification to the university president before conducting any operation on any PUP branches and campuses. PUP SKM President Jonero Dacula and PUP Board of Regents student representative Ellenor Bartolome submitted a position paper to Cardema opposing the termination of the PUP-DND agreement. In their position paper, Dacula and Bartolome highlighted a key provision in the PUP-DND accord, which recognized the right of all students “to freely advocate their ideas on the campus with utmost tolerance, understanding and guarantee, without fear of interference and intervention or repression from the state, or any of its agencies and instrumentalities.”

SAMASA PUP's return to power (2021 - present)

In September 2021, Miss Trans Global 2021's Duchess Global Albiean Revalde, an engineering student, was elected as the first trans woman president of the PUP SKM; and Sandigan ng Mag-aaral para sa Sambayanan became the ruling political party of the PUP Student Council once again after five years.
A day after the International Human Rights Day in 2021, the PUP SKM declared the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and Hands Off Our Children Movement persona non grata in the university after claiming the NTF-ELCAC's "records of baseless red-tagging and HOOCM being an enabler in silencing progressive youths through a facade of psycho-social services."
In April 2022, the PUP SKM endorsed the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo, vice presidential bid of senator Kiko Pangilinan, senatorial bids of Chel Diokno, Risa Hontiveros, Neri Colmenares, Leila de Lima, Luke Espiritu, Teddy Baguilat, Elmer Labog, Sonny Matula, Alex Lacson, and Carmen Reyes Zubiaga, and congressional bid of Kabataan Partylist. It believed that Robredo and Pangilinan were "the best option to prevent a possible resurgence of a Marcos and a Duterte", who they insisted had been historically proven as "murderous, corrupt, and self-serving." Both Robredo and Pangilinan would eventually lose the national election to both Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte, respectively.
In October 2022, several student leaders across the universities in the Philippines including the PUP's Sentral na Konseho ng mga Mag-aaral opposed the mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps in the schools. The incumbent vice president of the student council, Benhur Queqqegan, said "ROTC would only be a financial burden to students and waste taxpayers' money."

Composition

Sentral na Konseho ng Mag-aaral / Central Student Council

Name	Position	Party	College
John Paul "JP" Azusano	President	SAMASA PUP	CCIS
Tracy Althea Ramos	Vice President	SAMASA PUP	COC
Michael Dave Bolima	Secretary-General and Councilor Head of the Volunteer Corps and Secretariat Committee	SAMASA PUP	OUS
Suharto Buleg	Treasuer and Councilor Head of the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee	SAMASA PUP	CAF
Noriko Wade Alsisto	Councilor Head of the Athletes' Welfare and Sports Development Committee	SAMASA PUP	CHK
Frank Araneta	Councilor Head of the Legal, Parliamentary, and Ethics Committee	Independent	COC
Trejvor Dayao	Councilor Head of the People's Advocacy and Campaign Committee	SAMASA PUP	ITech
Christian Lloyd "Jandrik" Delante	Councilor Head of the Organization and Press Relations Committee	N/A	CPSPA
Kimberly Akisha "Kim" Eugenio	Councilor Head of the External Affairs and Network Committee	SAMASA PUP	CSSD
John Joshua "JJ" Evangelista	Councilor Head of the Educational Affairs and Research Committee	SAMASA PUP	CTHTM
Leif Josef Hizon	Councilor Head of the Students' Rights and Welfare Committee	SAMASA PUP	CoEd
Von Plicerda	Councilor Head of the Gender Diversity, Inclusivity, and Safe Spaces Committee	SAMASA PUP	CoEd
Enzo Salvador	Councilor Head of the Academic Affairs and Student Services Committee	SAMASA PUP	CSSD
Jelaine Tupaz	Councilor Head of the Mass Media and Culture Committee	SAMASA PUP	CAF

Name	Position	Party	College
Tiffany Faith Brillante	President	SAMASA PUP	CPSPA
Lance Casuyon	Vice President	SAMASA PUP	COC
Neilvin John "Neil" Aventurado	Secretary-General Councilor Head of the Legal, Parliamentary, and Ethics Committee	N/A	COC
Gean Matthew Rebulado	Treasuer Councilor Head of the Gender Diversity, Inclusivity, and Safe Spaces Committee	N/A	CPSPA
Maria Zoinah Lappay	Councilor Head of the Academic Affairs and Student Services Committee	SAMASA PUP	CSSD
Noriko Wade Alsisto	Councilor Head of the Athletes' Welfare and Sports Development Committee	SAMASA PUP	CHK
Neriza Janelle Ignacio	Councilor Head of the Organization and Press Relations Committee	SAMASA PUP	OUS
CJ Diaz	Councilor Head of the People's Advocacy and Campaign Committee	SAMASA PUP	CAL
Rya Halabi	Councilor Head of the Students' Rights and Welfare Committee	SAMASA PUP	CTHTM
Bryan Amlane Alonzo	Councilor Head of the Educational Affairs and Research Committee	N/A	CAF
Alfonso Bernard De Leon	Councilor Head of the External Affairs and Network Committee	N/A	CPSPA
Sharnonn Aaire Echevarria Guinto	Councilor Head of the Mass Media and Culture Committee	N/A	CSSD
Reynalyn Layones	Resigned Secretary-General and Councilor Head of the Volunteer Corps and Secretariat Committee	SAMASA PUP	CE
Shaine Althea Ocampo	Resigned Secretary-General and Councilor Head of the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee	SAMASA PUP	OUS