Polytechnic University of the Philippines Student Council Konseho ng Mag-aaral ng Politeknikong Unibersidad ng Pilipinas | |
|---|---|
| Academic Year 2025-2026 | |
| PUP SKM Official Logo | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Established | 1969 |
| Leadership | |
President | John Paul "JP" Azusano,SAMASA PUP since November 7, 2025 |
Vice President | Tracy Althea Ramos,SAMASA PUP since November 7, 2025 |
Secretary-General | TBD |
Treasurer | TBD |
| Structure | |
Length of term | One academic year |
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Next election | Fourth week of September 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
| Charlie del Rosario Building, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Santa Mesa, Manila | |
| Constitution | |
| 2013 PUP Student Council Constitution | |
The Polytechnic University of the Philippines Student Council (PUP SC) (Filipino: Konseho ng Mag-aaral ng Politeknikong Unibersidad ng Pilipinas), formerly known as Philippine College of Commerce Supreme Student Council (PCC SSC) before 1972, is the official undergraduate student union and prime representative of the student body of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Manila Campuses. [1] 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 Sentral na Konseho ng Mag-aaral (SKM), also known as the PUP Central Student Council (CSC), the local student councils of all existing colleges, including Open University System (OUS) and Institute of Technology (ITech); and four (4) independent bodies namely: Student Council Commission on Audit (SC COA), Student Council Commission on Elections (SC COMELEC), Student Council Commission on Student Organizations and Accreditation (SC COSOA), and Student Council Student Tribunal (SC ST). [2]
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 PUP Student Council Assembly (SCA), the highest decision and policy-making body of student councils at the PUP Main Campus, undergraduate level.
In contrast, the Alyansa ng Nagkakaisang Konseho (ANAK) PUP serves as the unified alliance and official federation of all student councils across the entire PUP System, including satellite campuses outside the Main Campus.
In 1969, then-Philippine College of Commerce (PCC) President Nemesio Prudente included the student council in the board of trustees of the college. [3]
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 (PUP), the student council was eventually revived in 1983 with its constitution and by-laws being drafted and ratified. [4]
In 1990, Prudente, who was reappointed as PUP president, assigned the student union hall (now called Charlie del Rosario Building) and certain rooms in the main academic building to the PUP SKM, accredited student organizations, cultural groups, and major student publications. [5]
From 2016 to 2021, the Students' Party for Equality and Advancement of Knowledge (SPEAK) had been the ruling political party of the PUP Student Council. [6]
In July 2019, ahead of the fourth State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte, the College of Communication Student Council (COC SC) 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. [7]
In February 2020, the PUP SKM, together with various organization under the leadership of PUP Office of the Student Regent (OSR) 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. [8]
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". [9] [10]
In April 2021, the College of Accountancy and Finance Student Council (CAF SC) 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. [11]
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.” [12]
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 (SAMASA) became the ruling political party of the PUP Student Council once again after five years. [13]
A day after the International Human Rights Day in 2021, the PUP SKM declared the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and Hands Off Our Children Movement (HOOCM) 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." [14]
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. [15]
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 (ROTC) 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." [16]
| Name | Position | Party | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiffany Faith Brillante | President | SAMASA PUP | CPSPA |
| Lance Casuyon | Vice President | SAMASA PUP | COC |
| Neilvin John "Neil" Aventurado | Secretary-General (July to November 2025) Councilor Head of the Legal, Parliamentary, and Ethics Committee | N/A [a] | COC |
| Gean Matthew Rebulado | Treasuer (July to November 2025) 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 [b] | CPSPA |
| Sharnonn Aaire Echevarria Guinto | Councilor Head of the Mass Media and Culture Committee | N/A [c] | CSSD |
| Reynalyn Layones | Resigned Secretary-General and Councilor Head of the Volunteer Corps and Secretariat Committee (September 2024 to July 2025) | SAMASA PUP | CE |
| Shaine Althea Ocampo | Resigned Secretary-General and Councilor Head of the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee (September 2024 to July 2025) | SAMASA PUP | OUS |
The Student Council Assembly (SCA) is the highest policy-making body of the PUP Student Council. It is composed of the president, vice-president, secretary-general, and treasurer of the PUP SKM and presidents of the student councils of various colleges in the university.
| Name | Party | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Tiffany Faith Brillante | SAMASA PUP | SKM President |
| Lance Casuyon | SAMASA PUP | SKM Vice President |
| Neilvin John Aventurado | N/A | SKM Secretary-General |
| Gean Matthew Rebulado | N/A | SKM Treasurer |
| Pearl Micah Arceo | SAMASA PUP | CADBE Student Council President |
| Maria Margareth L. Felix | SAMASA PUP | CAF Student Council President |
| Christian Ancheta | SAMASA PUP | CAL Student Council President |
| Andre John Dumayag | SAMASA PUP | CBA Student Council President |
| John Paul "JP" Azusano | SAMASA PUP | CCIS Student Council |
| Chancy Valerio | SAMASA PUP | CE Student Council President |
| Elmer Christian Dela Merced | Independent | CHK Student Council President |
| Tracy Althea Ramos | SAMASA PUP | COC Student Council President SCA Deputy Secretary-General |
| Marissa Santiago | SAMASA PUP | COED Student Council President |
| Troy Cabangon | SAMASA PUP | CPSPA Student Council President |
| Vince Bingayan | SAMASA PUP | CS Student Council President |
| Barbara Duran | SAMASA PUP | CSSD Student Council President |
| Krystel Joy Forjes | SAMASA PUP | CTHTM Student Council President |
| John Ivan Nicolas | SAMASA PUP | ITech Student Council President |
| Michael Dave Bolima | SAMASA PUP | OUS Student Council President |
The president of the PUP Sentral na Konseho ng Mag-aaral (SKM) is the chief executive officer and overseer of the PUP Student Council and the presiding officer of the PUP Student Council Assembly (SCA).
| Term of Office | Name | Party | College | Remarks | Immediate previous post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 to 2006 | Henry Enaje | SAMASA PUP | CAL |
| |
| 2011 to 2012 | Fatima Villanueva | SAMASA PUP | CB | ||
| 2012 to 2013 | Raven Desposado | SAMASA PUP | CSSD | SKM Councilor | |
| 2013 to 2014 | Charley Urquiza | SAMASA PUP | CSSD |
| |
| 2014 to 2015 | Jessica Ferrera | SAMASA PUP | CBS |
| |
| 2015 to 2016 | Alyssa Manalo | SAMASA PUP | CoEd |
| |
| 2016 to 2017 | Jonald Bagasina | PUP SPEAK | CPSPA |
| |
| 2017 to 2018 | Elijah San Fernando | PUP SPEAK | CSSD |
| SKM Vice President |
| 2018 to 2019 | Ralyn Rodriguez | PUP SPEAK | CAL | ||
| 2019 to 2021 | Jonero Dacula | PUP SPEAK | CE |
| SKM Councilor |
| 2021 | Aubrey Garganera | PUP SPEAK | CPSPA |
| SKM Secretary-General |
| 2021 to 2022 | Albiean Revalde | SAMASA PUP | CE |
| |
| 2022 to 2023 | Kirchhoff Thomas Angala | SAMASA PUP | CAF |
| SKM Vice President |
| 2023 to 2024 | Miss Kim Modelo | SAMASA PUP | CAL |
| SKM Secretary-General |
| 2024 to 2025 | Tiffany Faith Brillante | SAMASA PUP | CPSPA |
| CPSPA SC Councilor |
| 2025 to present | John Paul "JP" Azusano | SAMASA PUP | CCIS |
| CCIS SC President |