University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Arts and Letters - Arts and Letters Student Council

Arts and Letters Student Council

The Faculty of Arts and Letters Student Council (referred to as ABSC for brevity) - is the primary student governing body of all bonafide students of the Faculty of Arts and Letters. It is currently divided into two bodies, namely, the Executive Board, and the Board of Majors. The Executive Board is composed of the seven faculty-wide elective officers (President, Vice President for External Affairs, Vice President for Internal Affairs, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor, and Public Relations Officer), and the Board of Majors, colloquially referred to as "Bom", which exercises quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial powers, is composed of the highest executive officer of each existing academic society in the faculty. The ABSC Constitution provides for a need to have a Speaker in the Board of Majors. Current initiatives of the Board of Majors include the de facto Deputy Speaker and Secretary.

The ABSC can trace its roots from the Pax Romana which exercises the functions of a student forum in the university during the Martial Law period in the Philippines under the dictatorship of President Ferdinand E. Marcos. It was even before 1980 when the students of the faculty are longing to have a student council which shall put their idealism into realization in the context of academic and social liberty as students of the premiere liberal arts college of the University of Santo Tomas. It was a reason why during the 1970s, academic societies are being founded and are still existing today and are older than the student councils. However, no academic society, held the term "Student Council" and there was no unifying student council for all students of Arts and Letters back then.

Malacañang heard of the students' initiative to create a faculty-wide AB Student Council and summoned its supposed founder into the Palace, Reynaldo Lopez, then President of the Pax Romana, to defend the rationale behind the creation of the student council in front of President Marcos himself. Creation of such organization is something which was not allowed during the era of dictatorship for it might trigger radical ideas and initiate revolt against the idea of a "new society" which Marcos forcefully inculcates the nation with. Through the efforts of this new breed of student leaders, the ABSC was founded as the first student council of its kind in the country, in the year 1980, exercising autonomy and executive powers from the mandate vested upon the council officers by the students of the faculty. The founder, Reynaldo Lopez, became the first vice president, and Ronald Llamas, a member of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino's cabinet, served as the first president of the student council.

The ABSC President, along with other presidents of college and faculty student councils create the legislative branch of the university-wide Central Student Council (which was also instituted by ABSC founder Reynaldo Lopez). They are known as the UST CSC Central Board and they are the counterpart of the more popular exectuory branch of the Central Student Council, UST CSC Executive Board, who are elected via university-wide voting. Student council elections are held during the last few weeks of the school year. However, it was not until 1991, under the presidency of Angelito Villanueva, that this practice came into surface. Villanueva was the first ABSC President to serve for two academic years (1990-1992). Aside from contributing to university-wide changes, the ABSC is known to lead the portion of Thomasian students who are serving as the front liners in rallies, events of national essence and socio-political gatherings whether inside or outside the university.

Aside from Atty. Reynaldo Lopez, Sec. Ronald Llamas, Lito Villanueva, Chito Maniago and Jeffrey Espiritu, many alumni of the AB Student Council - both members of the Executive Board and the Board of Majors, are now successful names in their chosen profession. More than the positions ascribed unto them by their respective offices, the experience acquired in the highest governing body of the most active studentry in the campus helps in educating themselves as they graduate.