04/05/2026
๐จ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฃ-๐๐๐ข ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต-๐๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ, ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐
๐๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ดโPursuit for the academic year 2026โ2027 student leadership was amplified as aspiring candidates convened at the DRER Memorial Hall for the annual Miting de Avance (MDA). Hosted by the Trailblazer Publication in official partnership with the USTP-CDO Electoral Commission, the event served as the ultimate testing ground for aspiring student leaders from various unit and mother organizations to prove their commitment to serving the student body.
MDA 2026 began with TUG-ANI: A Fast Talk Segment, which placed candidates under a short amount of time in taking a stance on pressing issues within and beyond the university. Leaders were tasked with choosing only between โYes,โ โYes with reservations,โ or โNoโ on a series of polarizing school-based, local, and national issues.
Among the topics raised were the immediate suspension of classes during calamities, calls for a public audit of the universityโs ROTC budget, and the mandatory digital enforcement of CEMCOS policies. The segment further expanded into broader institutional and national concerns, including the proposed reallocation of school funds for a social advocacy department, restructuring the Board of Regents to include minority representation, and opposition to the โฑ8-billion Uptown City Hall project in favor of prioritizing basic services were raised. Candidates were also pressed to take positions on national issues such as the passage of an anti-political dynasty bill, the impeachment of both the president and vice president, the role of political blocs, and the repeal of the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998.
Subsequently, PANAGHISGUT took place, where esteemed panelists focusing on various expertise and fields involved Mr. John David Moncada, Engr. Christopher John Raagas and Mr. Ryan Rashed Dongiapon. They placed the running presidential candidates of mother organizations on different panel discussions, ranging from environmental initiatives, proposed actions within a one-year mandate, and concrete steps in protecting student journalists.
Eventually, TUBAGANAN made the candidates face a barrage of questions sourced from both the live audience and a curated Google Form. These inquiries delved deep into the internal issues of their respective organizations, fueled by the students' shared experiences and a collective demand for transparency and genuine change. The intensity of the segment forced emerging leaders to defend their coveted positions under heavy scrutiny, allowing the audience to evaluate whether their intentions were rooted in service or mere ambition and fame. The forum served as a final, crucial moment for candidates to prove that their advocacies were more than just rehearsed campaign rhetoric before the student body.
Ultimately, this year's Miting de Avance underscored its role as a bridge between platform and practice, offering candidates a final opportunity to demonstrate their competence and commitment in front of the student body they hope to represent.
As the event concluded, the focus shifted from the candidates' voices to the students' choices. The responsibilities now rest solely in the hands of every Trailblazerโto weigh what was heard with intention, to evaluate the answers with purpose, and to cast every vote with unwavering conviction.
๐๐ฆ๐ธ๐ด ๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ด
๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฐ๐ด ๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ, ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐จ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด, ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐๐ญ๐ท๐ช๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐จ๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฏ