LEGAL MANAGEMENT FRESHMAN Zhandreah Mitzy Dognidon of the San Bigkis Party (SBP) is set to assume the first-year representative post after winning the 2025 First-Year Level Representative special elections via majority, as declared by the San Beda Electoral Board during her proclamation last November 14.
The official tally, released on election day, showed that of the 749 registered first-year student voters, 96 selected “none of the above,” while 331 abstained from voting. This left Dognidon with a count of 322 votes, giving her a majority in a procured 55.54% voter turnout.
The special election exceeded both the required amount as mandated by the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) and the turnout of the previous election cycle.
In an interview with The Bedan, newly elected first-year level representative Dognidon received the results with gratitude, finding success in standing up as “the kind of leader that they want.”
More than a result of a demand for representation, Dognidon saw the victory as a “shared success” built on inclusivity and a proactive response to the voices of the first-year students throughout her campaign.
“We poured our heart, our soul, and everything para po magkaroon po tayo ng successful and peaceful elections, wherein we included everyone in the process,” she said.
Looking forward to her tenure, Dognidon affirms her commitment to a student-centered approach, highlighting the importance of addressing pressing concerns faced by the student body.
“We need to prioritize kung ano po ‘yung madalas na binabanggit or nire-raise na concern ng ating mga estudyante. But before that, we have to collect the consensus po ng ating students. But I’d like to make it always inclusive, student-centered, ‘yung ating decision…” said Dognidon.
Following the proclamation, the ELBO affirmed its role in assuring fair and transparent elections, emphasizing that “power remains in the voices of the students and that the Electoral Board is only here to provide a fair and transparent election.”
Commissioner Francine Erika Gumpal found the result to be a major difference from the previous election cycle, stemming from the electorate body’s demand for “the need for this position to be filled up,” considering the unprecedented implications had the election resulted in another vacancy.
Meanwhile, fellow Commissioner Erin Supan expressed the Board’s satisfaction with how the second election cycle for the first-year level representative not only resulted in a successful election but also with a candidate favorably filling the vacant seat.
“The first election was successful, but we [still had] a vacant position. In this case, the election is successful with…the representation of the…first-year students,” she said.
With the result of the special election leading to a decisive victory for the new first-year level representative, SBP Chairperson John Francis Guangcangco expressed his confidence in Dognidon’s performance as an elected officer.
“I believe that Zhandreah will do well in the student council in terms of hearing the voices of the students and going forward with her platforms.”
Dognidon will serve the remainder of the first-year term from the second semester through the end of academic year 2025–2026.
(with Uriel Andrada)