OVCSA-OSA holds first Face-to-Face Organization Orientation in Three Years

The UPLB Office of Student Activities (OSA) held the first face-to-face Organization Orientation since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last 16 October 2023, discussing various topics of interest to representatives from 187 student organizations.

OSA held the Organization Orientation, or OO as it is commonly known, in two sessions to accommodate the student representatives. Asst. Prof. JM Embate, Director for UPLB Learning Resource Center and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Assoc. Prof. Janette H. Malata-Silva’s representative, welcomed the student leaders, emphasizing the 3 P’s - Pagpupugay for the student organizations and their activities, Pagpapaalala for the values and principles not only of the organizations but also of the University, and Pagtataguyod for the continued establishment of the organizations, their values, and principles not only within the University but also throughout the country.

Safety and Security Office Director Atty. Eric Paul D. Peralta and SO II Rizal Huelgas lead the discussion on creating safe spaces in UPLB with SSO, a timely and relevant issue given the concerns on the safety of students within the campus. SSO assured representatives that despite the limited number of personnel, the office is doing its best to ensure the safety and well-being of students on campus.

Mr. Karl Mario M. Tan, Junior ICT Associate from the UPLB Research, Information, and Technology (RECOMMIT), guided representatives in the use of the OVCSA Spaces Reservation System through OSAM, the online system used exclusively for operations of the office. 

Meanwhile, OSA Junior Office Associates Kimbert Adlaon and Carmel Cayaon gave refreshers on OSA transactions, emphasizing the need for the culture of “cascading” information from the point person to the other organization members.

The winners of LIKAS 2023, OSA's recently concluded online photo essay contest, were also announced through the event. The UPLB University Student Council, led by its Chairperson Mark Gio Olivar, also invited the representatives to University-wide meetings and discussions centered on student welfare.

Tote bags donated by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) containing blue books and fans were given to the OO’s participants, and the UP Pabulum Scientia Sodalitas (UP PSS), an academic organization, donated VCuts which were served along with coffee and sandwiches. 

The two-session event was concluded as, OSA’s Officer-In-Charge Asst. Prof. Moses O. Villanueva emphasized the importance of student organizations in UPLB and in the growth of students that goes beyond the four corners of the classroom.

The organization orientation is a semestral activity conducted by UPLB OSA for all student organizations, especially new organizations, to discuss relevant matters such as guidelines for processes, transactions, and issues student organizations face.