The Sanggunian is the sole autonomous student government of the Ateneo de Manila University - Loyola Schools.

 

“Peace-building is about piece-building. From our own experiences, stories, and advocacies, we contribute one piece in the peace building process.”

 

Established around the years 1985-1988, the Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila is the official undergraduate student government of the Ateneo de Manila University. They give support services, proper representation, and a safe environment for the students. They aim to form servant-leaders and to contribute as a positive change maker in our society.

 

Their organization is anchored by their 7 core competencies: Unconditional Service, Cura Personalis (Care of the entire person), Critical and Creative Thinking, Collaborative Practice, Faith that Does Justice, Nation-building & Active Non-violence. A skill and a virtue to take a step back from our own minds and to listen to people with genuine openness

 

The organization focuses on collaboration with different sectors inside and outside their school to uplift the community’s collective interests towards a better Loyola Schools and Philippines. They welcome new members every year and aim to gain members of different backgrounds for a diverse set of minds to consult when planning activities for the school year.

 

Being a member of the Sanggunian means to advocate for amplifying the voices of people, for justice in society, and for equal opportunity especially for the marginalized. A member needs a different mindset to be able to respect the nuances of each unique community whilst still being able to forward their agenda. They should be able to encounter each person with a fresh, unprejudiced perspective.

 

“The key to sustaining and amplifying what we’ve been doing is to continue to collaborate with different advocacies. Synergizing with others enriches our shared advocacies.”

 

In the future, the members hope that advocacy will be concerns of all Filipinos– of all organizations.They aim to find new ways– better ways –to empathize with their partners and students.

 

“We should work with communities, and not for them. True peace and development can only come with collaborative practices that uplift and are championed by the communities themselves.”

 

“A guiding thought for all young peace builders is found in the way we say the word itself: peace, piece. Peace-building is about piece-building. From our own experiences, stories, and advocacies, we contribute one piece in the peace building process. Think of Peace as something we do one step at a time, a tangible goal that we can certainly work on together. Precisely, it is not something that will be done overnight, but something that we develop as a community of young leaders each contributing our own piece in Peace.”

 

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