Lideratos faces urgent budget decision after TO deadline change

Following discussions on the Tuition and Other Fees Increase (TOFI), Lideratos Treasurer Vincent Reis sought clarification on the proper procedures for adjusting the student government fee. He was initially informed by a budget manager that the deadline for submission was set for the second week of March, allowing time for consultation with the student body and review by the Student Congress.  

However, later reports from TO indicated that while there was no fixed deadline, submission was expected by the end of February. This development shortened the consultation period.  

“The budget review was completed by February 19. We originally planned to use the first week of March for student consultations, but we were later informed that the actual submission deadline was February 28,” Reis explained in an interview last 22 February.

The earlier deadline forced Lideratos to accelerate their decision-making process, reducing the time available for gathering student feedback.  

Fee proposal

Reis emphasized that the initial plan was not to implement an outright fee increase but to engage students in consultation before finalizing any figures.  

“We initially scheduled February 27 as a consultation session to discuss the fee adjustments. However, earlier this week, a budget officer asked me to finalize a figure,” Reis said.  

The amount agreed upon during the budget review was ₱150, but according to Reis, this was intended as a starting point for discussion rather than a fixed proposal. With the shortened timeline, Lideratos President Ianthe Rosanes had to decide within the options.  

Decision-making, administrative approval

In the same interview, Rosanes noted that the goal was to keep the proposal flexible, but given the deadline, they had to sign off on the ₱50 and ₱150 options.  

“The consultation was intended to explore possible adjustments, not just a choice between ₱50 or ₱150. We wanted to consider other figures, such as ₱100 or ₱120, based on student feedback,” she said.  

Rosanes explained that signing the documents was necessary to ensure the collection of Student Government Fees for the next academic year. 

“If no signature was provided, there would be no Student Government Fee next year, affecting student government operations. An officer from TO informed us that Father Aristotle Dy, the university president, would be unavailable to sign at a later date. If we did not finalize the documents by Wednesday morning, there would be no possibility of a fee adjustment,” Rosanes explained.  

To maintain some degree of student involvement, Rosanes sought confirmation from the budget officer that the final submitted amount would still be based on student feedback. 

“I signed both the ₱50 and ₱150 proposals under the condition that student consultation would still take place before final submission to CHED. The budget officer assured me that Lideratos’ final submission next week would be based on the student body's decision,” she added.  

Deadline communication concerns

Lideratos has expressed concern over the lack of clear and timely communication from TO regarding deadlines.  

“The entire process should have been scheduled properly. Had we known about the February 28 deadline earlier, we could have ensured more extensive student consultation,” Rosanes divulged.  

The revised timeline restricted student engagement, forcing Lideratos to work under tighter constraints. The urgency to comply with CHED’s memorandum limited the opportunity for broader discussions, raising concerns about the consultation process.  

Next Steps

Despite the challenges, Lideratos is moving forward with efforts to gather student feedback before finalizing the fee adjustment. The student body now faces two choices:  either maintain the Student Government Fee at ₱50, or approve an increase to ₱150.

Although the consultation period has been significantly reduced, Lideratos has urged students to participate in discussions before the final figure is submitted to TO. Rosanes acknowledged concerns regarding the expedited process.  

“We understand the concerns raised about the timeline. Given the situation, we are making every effort to ensure that student perspectives are considered before the final submission,” she stated.  

With the deadline approaching, the student body's decision will determine whether the Student Government Fee remains at ₱50 or increases to ₱150. The outcome will not only affect the current administration but will also impact the operational funding for future student governments.