RULES

OF

INTERNAL
AND ADOPTED
ARTICLE I: GENERAL

GOVERNANCE
MAY 2012

APPROVED

PROVISIONS

SECTION 1. These rules shall be known and hereby referred to as the Rules of Internal Governance (RIG) of the 34th UP Manila University Student Council. SECTION 2. These rules are based on the provisions of the Constitution of the UP Manila University Student Council. SECTION 3. As used in this Rules of Internal Governance, the following terms, unless otherwise defined, shall mean: a. University refers to the University of the Philippines b. UP Manila refers to the University of the Philippines Manila c. Students refers to bona fide students of UP Manila d. University Student Council (USC), USC Manila, UP Manila USC, UPM USC, Student Council, Council refer to the University Student Council of UP Manila e. USC Constitution, Constitution refers to the Constitution of the University Student Council f. Rules refers to these Rules of Internal Governance (RIG) of the University Student Council g. USC Office refers to the following postal address: 4/F UP Manila Student Center, Padre Faura cor. Ma. Orosa Street, Ermita, Manila 1000 h. GA refers to the USC General Assembly, the councils highest policy-making body composed of its duly elected members i. Member, Officer refers to any member of the USC Manila General Assembly. They are duly elected officers who maintain their status as bona fide student UP Manila. j. College Student Council (CSC) refers to the local student council of a particular college within UP Manila ARTICLE II: IDENTITY, BRAND AND LOGOS

SECTION 1. The UP Manila University Student Council elected for the academic year 2012-2013 shall be referred to as the 34th University of the Philippines Manila University Student Council or as an abbreviation, the council can be referred to as the USC34. SECTION 2: To streamline the campaigns and projects, the brand of USC34.U (pronounced U-S-C Thirty Four You) shall be adopted and it shall be used all throughout the academic year. Campaigns and projects shall be aimed to realize this brand or theme. SECTION 3: The USC shall maintain the use of its official logo, along with an adoption of a logo that depicts its brand of USC34.U. These logos shall be used in all the official documents and publicity strategy of the council. ARTICLE III: MEMBERS

SECTION 1. The members of the council are bona fide UP Manila students, duly elected by the student body during the March 2012 student council elections, and declared by the UP Manila University Electoral Board (UEB). It includes the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, the University Councilors, and the College Representatives. ARTICLE IV: COMMITTEES

SECTION 1. Types of Committees, defined: a. Executive Committee is specifically provided for in Article VI Section 3 of the USC Constitution: 1. Chairperson performs functions related to, but not limited to, executive leadership and management, good governance, and policy engagement

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3. 4.

5.

6.

Vice-Chairperson performs functions related to, but not limited to, replacing/representing the Chairperson when he/she is not available; convening and presiding over local networks, and maintaining external relations Secretary performs functions related to, but not limited to, document-handling and minutetaking, and good governance along with the Chairperson Treasurer performs functions related to, but not limited to, financial and property management, semestral financial report release, and implementation of income-generating projects with the Business Manager Business Manager performs functions related to, but not limited to, logistical tasks, collection of student fund from the College Student Councils, and implementation of income-generating projects with the Treasurer Public Information Officer performs functions related to, but not limited to, multi-media publicity of USC activities (e.g. online, print, personal, SMS messaging, room-to-room campaigns, etc.), student and press relations

b.

Standing Committees are created by the Council to perform functions in the entire course of the Councils term. USC Committees shall be selected from the previous USCs committees. The committees can be modified, retained, or discarded as deliberated by the Council and approved through a simple majority vote. 1. 2. 3. Academics and Research committee which will implement projects, campaigns, and/or services related to academic welfare and research. Culture and Sports committee which will implement projects, campaigns, and/or services related to culture, sports, and wellness. Issues, Student Rights and Welfare (ISTRAW), and Gender committee which will implement projects, campaigns, and/or services related to national issues, local university issues, student rights and welfare, basic services, gender equality, and empowerment. Health committee which will implement projects, campaigns, and/or services related to health.

4. c.

Ad Hoc Committees are created by the Council Chairperson, at any time during the course of the Councils term, to perform specific functions for a limited period of time [Art. VIII, Sec 1(ad)]. Any member of the council can raise a suggestion for the creation of an ad hoc committee.

SECTION 2. Members of the different committees shall follow these rules: a. General Rules 1. The Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson of the Council shall sit as ex-officio members of all the Committees. They are not required to attend all the meetings of all the Committees but should still be informed about the set meetings and agenda. The Committee Members must inform the Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson of the progress of their Committees workings. 2. All councilors and college representatives shall be a member of exactly one (1) standing committee and maximum of two (2) sub-committees/offices in the Executive Committee. 3. A councilor may handle one (1) standing committee and at the same time be elected as an officer in the Executive Committee. b. Executive Committee 1. Members of the Executive Committee shall be appointed by the Council Chairperson at the beginning of the term or be revamped as necessary, and present it to the General Assembly for approval. 2. Only councilors can be appointed to the Executive Committee. 3. In special situations, such as the absence of a qualified councilor, a college representative can be elected as a member of the Executive Committee. 4. Each officer in the Executive Committee may create his/her own sub-committee or office. Members of these offices can be anyone from the council who volunteers as long as other rules are not violated. Non-council members may volunteer to be part of these committees/offices. c. Standing Committee 1. Each Standing Committee shall have two to four members composed of either councilors or college representatives, with prior consideration of the load of projects, campaigns or services in the specific committee.

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3. 4.

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Each committee shall have at least one councilor among its members. The councilor/s shall be the Head/Co-heads while the College Representatives shall act as the Deputy Heads of the committee. All members of the committee shall exercise shared responsibility, as a team, in implementing the functions of their committee. Membership shall be expressed voluntarily. In cases of excess members per committee, deliberation by the General Assembly shall commence, and voting through secret balloting shall be done. The officers who get the most numbers of votes shall be a member of the concerned committee. Members of the committees not duly elected by the student body shall come from the members of the UPM Oblation Corps which will be the volunteer corps of the 34th UPM USC.

SECTION 3. General Functions of the Committees are the following: a. Committees shall decide on what activities or projects to undertake. They shall be responsible for the planning, execution, and evaluation of their activities; their actions are subject to the approval of the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson. b. Committees may adopt their own rules and structures provided that the said rules are consistent with the Constitution and these Rules of Internal Governance, and will not expand nor in any way alter their jurisdictions as provided herein. c. Each committee may create subcommittees and assign heads to them as may be necessary for the efficient and effective discharge of its functions. ARTICLE V: NETWORK AND LINKAGES

SECTION 1. The Office of the Vice-Chairperson shall be primarily responsible in coordinating the external linkages and networks of the USC. SECTION 2. Sa USC Kasama Ka Network. Following the brand of the council of inclusivity with its constituent students, the USC34.U.nited Network shall be a major platform of coordination for the council. The networks will include formations/institutions which shall serve as parallel-coordinating bodies, and not as subordinates to the USC. They shall include the following, but not limited to the: a. League of College Student Councils (LCSC) link to College Student Councils and their respective Colleges b. United Network of Organizations (UNO) link to organizations c. Inter-Fraternity and Sorority League (IFSL) link to fraternities and sororities d. Freshie Student Council link to the Freshie Assembly (FA) and to all UP Manila freshie blocks e. League of College Student Publications (LCSP) link to college publications SECTION 3. External Linkages. The USC shall endeavor to become part of national alliances or external links outside the university to broaden its projects and campaigns, as well as to fulfill its mandate of not only serving the students but also the Filipino people. The Council may be a member of any external group, subject to the approval of the General Assembly. ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS AND SESSIONS

SECTION 1. Public Nature. All meetings of the council shall be open to the public, unless considered to be an Executive Session as decided otherwise by a majority vote of those in attendance. SECTION 2. Kinds of Meeting a. Regular meetings are meetings that shall be referred as the General Assembly. b. Special meetings are those meetings, other than the regular meetings, which may be set upon the discretion of the Chairperson, and the approval of the majority of the present members. This can also be conducted when the Council fails to have a quorum for the General Assembly. So as not to waste time, it shall be convened as a special meeting. c. Emergency meetings are those meetings, other than regular and special meetings, which shall be called by the Chairperson to consider interim matters which require immediate consideration by the Council; such consideration being impracticable if the same were to be done in a regular or special meeting. Emergency meetings, being limited to interim concerns, shall not be conducted for the following purposes:

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constitutional amendments; review, revision, amendment, and repeal of adopted rules, legislation, and policies; discussion and adjustment of plans for pre-agreed projects, less than a month prior to their implementation; proposition, deliberation, and adoption of new projects; deliberations on appointments, unless for ad hoc functions, and designation of officers to such fiscal allocations; deliberation and decision on proposals and/or invitations for common endeavors by nonUniversity entities; hearing, trial, and judgment on Council members disciplinary cases; any other concern that may be practicably tackled in a regular or special meeting.

SECTION 3. Quorum. A simple majority (fifty percent plus one, 50%+1) of all the members of the body holding office at the time the meeting is called shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business. In cases of failure of achieving quorum due to unexpected attendance cancellations of officers within 24 hours before the scheduled meeting, the Chairperson may call a special meeting as if quorum is achieved. SECTION 4. Representatives. In their absence, council members may send representatives on their behalf provided that he/she has informed the Secretary; provided, that said representatives are bona fide students of UP Manila not guilty of any disciplinary violations, and that they are not to be counted for purposes of determining a quorum; that they can participate in the discussion following the points endorsed in print by the officer that he/she is representing; and provided further, that they cannot vote on any matter; provided finally, that in no case shall a representative preside over a meeting. SECTION 5. Venue. The venue for all meetings shall be the UPM USC Office, unless otherwise agreed upon by the body seeking to meet. The business manager shall coordinate the reservation and scheduling of venues to avoid conflicts of usage. SECTION 6. Schedule and Length. Regular sessions shall be scheduled at a common day and time fairly convenient to the council members. Its frequency shall be at least twice a month, with equal chronological spacing in between. Special sessions may be called by the Chairperson from time to time, upon request of at least onefourth (1/4) of the entire council membership. Each session shall only last for two (2) hours; however, the presiding officer or any council member may move to extend the meeting upon agreement of a simple majority of the council. SECTION 7. Notices of Meetings a. For regular meetings, announcement through text messaging shall be made at least three (3) nights before the meeting day. Another announcement through text messaging shall be made on the day prior to the scheduled meeting. b. For emergency meetings, announcement through text messaging shall be made as soon as possible. Another announcement through text messaging shall be made the day before the scheduled meeting, as applicable. c. Only the USC Chairperson or the Secretary can forward the meeting announcements to the council. SECTION 8. Cancellation of Meetings. Regular sessions can only be cancelled when there are unforeseen events conflicting with the schedule, those that are deemed threats to the physical safety of council members, or when non-working public holidays are declared. SECTION 9. Conduct and Decorum a. Members of the council shall observe parliamentary procedure in the conduct of meetings. Formalities such as the use of titles to address any member are not necessary, provided that due courtesy and respect are afforded. b. The Chairperson shall be the presiding officer. He/She shall preside over all meetings of the Council, provided that in case he/she desires to take part in the debate, he/she may name the Vice Chairperson, or, in the absence of the latter, any member of the Council upon his/her acceptance of the duty to take the chair. c. When two or more members raise their hands at once, the presiding officer shall name the member who is to speak first and the order of the subsequent speakers.

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e. f.

g. h.

If any member, in any speech or otherwise, shall transgress the Rules of the Council, the Presiding Officer shall, on his own initiative, or at the request of any member, call him to order. The Council shall, if appealed to, decide on the case. If the Councils decision is in favor of the member who is called to order, he/she shall be at liberty to proceed. Council members engaging in any disruptive behavior while the presiding officer is addressing the body or is posing a question shall be reprimanded. Council members who wish to leave the session room during the session must inform the Secretary, in the least disruptive manner possible, and give his reason for his request to leave the session. The Secretary shall record the time of Council members departure from and return to the session hall , and the reason thereof. Use of cellular phones or any gadget shall be minimized so as not to cause disruption of the counc ils meeting. The presiding officer or any council member may raise a behavior as disruptive.

SECTION 10. Agenda of the Meeting a. The agenda of the general assembly shall be crafted in the Executive Committee meeting prior to the next general assembly as per recommendation of the Council Chairperson. But, if there are urgent conditions and/or when the Executive Committee fails to meet before the GA, the Chairperson may inform the Secretary of the agenda and the latter shall inform the body. b. Any member who desires any matter be included in the agenda must inform the Chairperson and the Secretary at least three days before the scheduled meeting, either personally or by written communication, unless there are meritorious circumstances deemed by the Chairperson; in which case, the member shall inform the Chairperson and the Secretary before the scheduled meeting. If either the Secretary or the Chairperson desires to have any matter included in the agenda, they shall also inform each other in the method described above. c. The agenda shall be posted and distributed among the Council Members by the Secretary not less than a day preceding the session SECTION 11. Order of Business. The Order of Business for all meetings shall be as follows: a. Call to order b. Roll call with detailing of reason/s for absence c. Reading, correction, and approval of minutes of previous meeting d. Reading and referral of correspondence to the USC e. Report of the Chairperson f. Report of Committees g. Unfinished or old business h. New business i. Announcements j. Open forum for students and other matters k. Adjournment SECTION 12. Voting. Voting on motions and divisions shall be performed as follows: a. General Conduct 1. The Council will strive to endeavor consensus-building in deliberating an issue. However, as such time as the discussion takes too long (i.e. at least 15 minutes), any Council member may make a motion to divide the house. 2. Voting shall be conducted by viva voce vote or by show of hands. A member who wishes to explain his/her vote may do so in not more than two (2) minutes. In sensitive circumstances (e.g. sanctions, etc.), a secret ballot (i.e. a vote written and given directly to the presiding chair) may be done. 3. No motion, except one regarding the presence of a quorum, shall be entertained during voting. 4. Any member who arrives after a motion has been deliberated cannot participate in the voting. 5. Voting by proxy can be allowed if a 2/3 majority of the present voting council members would allow it. 6. All votes shall be properly documented by the Secretary. b. Majority vote. Unless otherwise stated, any issue shall be subject to a majority vote, equivalent to fifty percent plus one (50%+1) of all members present who cast their votes. In the event that fifty percent is not a whole number, this shall be interpreted as the succeeding higher whole number.

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e.

Abstention. A vote of abstain must be formally cast for it to be considered. If a majority of the votes are abstentions, the Chairperson shall decide on the issue. Run-off voting. In the event that voting is conducted between three or more options and no option acquires a majority vote, the options that garner the two highest numbers of votes shall again be subjected to voting. The option that shall gains the majority vote shall be adopted. Tie vote. The presiding officer may cast his/her vote in the event of a tie. ARTICLE VII: ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCES

SECTION 1. Confirmation of Attendance a. Confirming attendance is a responsibility of every member of the USC. b. Confirmation should be done only through text messaging/Facebook message within 24 hours upon receiving the textpass announcement regarding the meeting. The text/Facebook message shall serve as the written documentation of a members confirmation and shall only be deleted after the meeting. c. For emergency meetings, attendance shall be confirmed within an hour after the textpass is sent. d. Failure to confirm will waive the officers right to participate in the discussion (i.e. to observe), and vote in the meeting if he/she presents himself/herself. e. This will automatically mean an unexcused absence if the officer is absent during the meeting. SECTION 2. Cancellation of Attendance a. An officer can only cancel his attendance on or before 24 hours before the set meeting schedule. b. If in case quorum is not achieved due to cancellations of attendance not covered by Section 2.a, the meeting can proceed as if quorum is reached upon the discretion of the Chairperson and approval of the present members; referred to as a special meeting. SECTION 3. Absences a. The concerned council members shall inform the Secretary of their excuse in text format, not later than three days after the session, in cases of absences. Excuses which are submitted late will not be honored. b. The Chairperson shall determine the validity of an excuse. Valid excuses may include but not limited to the following: health reasons, important and/or mandatory family occasions, greater need in cases of conflicting schedules with activities in line with USC duties, if the General Assembly is one day before an exam of any council member and fortuitous events. c. Three accumulated Excused Absences shall be counted as one Unexcused Absence. d. One unexcused absence from regular Council sessions shall be given a written warning from the Secretary. e. Two unexcused absences can be a ground for automatic suspension upon the approval of the GA. f. Three unexcused absences within the term will subject the concerned Council member for automatic dropping from the council as approved by a simple majority of the council. 1. The Secretary shall inform the dropped Council member of his status and the reason thereof. 2. The Secretary shall include, in the notice, a statement that if the Council member wishes to be reinstated, he/she should explain his justification to the General Assembly following the receipt of the notice. 3. The dropped Council member shall be reinstated if he/she receives an affirmative vote from 2/3 of the Council members. SECTION 4. Late Policy a. Every member is required to be on time. Any Council member who arrives after 15 minutes from the start of the meeting shall be marked late. b. Any member who arrives after 30 minutes from the start of the session shall be marked absent. c. Two cases of unexcused tardiness or three excused tardiness shall be counted as one unexcused absence. d. Council members who will arrive late must inform the Secretary of their excuse before, during, or immediately after the session, for consideration by the same. SECTION 5. Leaving a Meeting a. Anyone who will leave after two hours of the supposed start of meeting shall be considered legal since it exceeds the predetermined meeting length; however, if an officer leaves and the meeting is extended, he/she should have the primary responsibility of updating himself/herself though the minutes.

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Leaving earlier than two hours after a meeting is allowed provided that permission is obtained from the presiding officer; reasons shall be subject to the discretion of the latter. Leaving within the first 30 minutes shall be counted as an Excused Absence.

SECTION 6. Attendance to USC Activities. An activity may be declared as a mandatory USC activity (i.e. all members of the Council should attend) by a 2/3 majority vote of the members present during session. Rules for meeting attendance shall be applied to this section. ARTICLE VIII: RESOLUTIONS AND STATEMENTS

SECTION 1. No resolutions or statements on any matter shall be considered by the council until it has been considered by the GA. SECTION 2. Kinds. Official USC statements or resolutions shall be of two kinds: urgent and non-urgent. a. Urgent statements/resolutions are those which should be released within 24 hours. b. Non-urgent statements/resolutions are those which need not be released within 24 hours. SECTION 3. Non-urgent Statements/Resolutions. The committee concerned and the Public Information Officer shall be primarily responsible for drafting the statement by forming a drafting committee. a. The committee concerned and the PIO shall call for volunteers for the drafting committee to be formed. Any interested council member may be part of the drafting committee. b. After a drafting committee has been formed, it shall set a special meeting wherein members will draft the statement. The draft statement formed shall be presented to the General Assembly for approval, along with a summary of the minutes of the meeting which transpired for the drafting of the statement. c. Online discussion could be an alternative to drafting committee as long as every member is informed about the online discussion. The General Assembly, through a simple majority vote, would still give its final approval of the statement before releasing. SECTION 4. Urgent Statement/Resolutions. The PIO shall contact the members of the concerned committee within the next two hours. If no response is received, the PIO shall ask the council for any member who would like to draft the statement. The draft statement shall contain the general call and principles. Upon approval of the chairperson, the secretary shall inform the council that such a statement is being drafted. After the draft has been made, a soft copy shall be posted in the online group by the proponent. Comments, recommendations and objections may be done by any Council member within 24 hours. No objection shall be entertained unless it is accompanied by concrete alternatives or recommendations. Silence of a Council member shall be taken as his/her approval. a. If within 24 hours after posting, the draft has been approved by at least 2/3 of the Council members, it may be published, upon informing the chairperson. The PIO shall inform the Council members that the statement has been approved and will be published. b. If within 24 hours after posting, the approval of 2/3 of the council members has not been reached, but at least 1/2 of the council members approved, the proponent shall meet with the dissenting parties in order to reconcile their positions. This shall be done within 24 hours. Once their positions have been reconciled, the statement may be published, upon the approval of the chairperson. The PIO shall inform the USC that the statement has been approved and will be published. c. If within 24 hours after posting, less than 1/2 of the council members have approved, the proponent may draft another statement, in light of accommodating the objections, in accordance to the aforementioned rules. If within after 24 hours, less than 1/2 of the Council members approved the statement/resolutions an emergency meeting shall be set within three working days. SECTION 5. Publication or Archiving. If the statement/resolution is approved by the GA, it is then assigned a resolution/statement number (i.e. chronologically, according to the secretarys records) and reprinted into a clean copy, certified by the Secretary and signed by the Chairperson. It is then published. If the statement/resolution is disapproved by the GA, it is marked disapproved and then sent back to the Secretary for archiving. ARTICLE IX: PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING

SECTION 1. Project Proposal a. Only the recommended project proposal format/matrix shall be used.

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Each project proposal should be undersigned by all the committee head/co-heads. It would be first submitted to the Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible in forwarding the documents to the Treasurer for Budget Proposal Review. After which, the documents would be forwarded to the Chairperson for final approval. The original approved project proposal, both hard and soft copies, shall be filed appropriately by the Secretary. All USC projects must be approved by a simple majority of all the USC members present. Projects not approved will not be recognized by the USC.

SECTION 2. Project Implementation Proper a. Publicity of each project should start at least two (2) weeks before the project. b. Holding committee meetings shall be the responsibility of the members. It is also their responsibility to inform the Chairperson about committee activities. c. All council members shall be informed about the project from publicity to actual implementation. It is the responsibility of the Committee Members, in coordination with the Chairperson, to initiate information dissemination. d. Proper photo and/or video documentation shall be done for all USC activities. SECTION 3. Post-Project Implementation a. A Project Completion Report shall be submitted to the Secretary within four (4) weeks after the implementation of the project. Photo documentation (soft copies only) and other related files must also be submitted. b. A Project Financial Report shall be submitted within four (4) weeks after the implementation of the project. All receipts and other related financial documents should also be submitted to the Finance Officer. The Finance Officer will forward the documents to the Secretary once noted. c. The Secretary shall forward both documents, Project Completion Report and Project Financial Report, to the Chairperson for final approval. d. Original copies of the Project Completion Report and Project Financial Report, both soft and hard copies, shall be filed appropriately by the Secretary. e. Relevant projects files (e.g. photos, videos, etc) shall be appropriately archived and be endorsed to the Secretary within four (4) weeks after completion. SECTION 4. Project Evaluation a. Project evaluation shall be done through an evaluation by the General Assembly. 1. Standard evaluation forms shall be filled up and appropriately tallied. 2. Optional oral deliberation shall be done following the SWOT framework. b. Summary of recommendations shall be appropriately documented. ARTICLE X: DOCUMENTATION

SECTION 1. Official USC Communications a. All incoming, outgoing, internal and external communications, transactions, official businesses and functions, projects and the like must be signed by the Chairperson. As such, those that are not duly signed shall be considered invalid and the Council Member causing such invalidity will be sanctioned, as decided upon by a simple majority of the body. b. The Vice-Chairperson could sign on behalf of the Chairperson in emergency cases or absence of the latter. The Vice-Chairperson should sign his/her signature above the name of the Chairperson and indicate in handwriting the word for before the name of the latter. c. In the absence of both the Chairperson and his/her Vice-Chairperson, the Secretary can sign on their behalf. The Secretary should sign his/her signature above the name of the Chairperson and indicate in handwriting the word for before the name of the latter. d. Electronic signatures can only be used for electronic document transactions. All documents bearing electronic signatures should be in .pdf format. For non-.pdf documents, the notation (sgd) shall be used to replace actual signature. Only the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary shall have the full authority in the use of electronic signatures of USC officers. Unauthorized users of such shall be subjected to disciplinary action.

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SECTION 2. Minute-Taking. Minutes are a record of what is done and not of what is said. It is important that a thorough and accurate summary of all organization meetings be maintained. Minutes should contain, but not limited to, the following information: a. Name of organization b. Nature of the meeting (regular, special, or emergency) c. Date and place of meeting, list of those present d. Presiding officer and secretary e. Approval of minutes of previous meeting f. All reports and actions taken g. All major motions carried or lost with the vote count, where needed h. All other motions carried which contain information necessary to subsequent meetings i. Adjournment Minutes shall be released online no later than Sunday (11:59 PM) of the meeting week. It shall be open for review and/or comments of members of the USC34 from Monday to Saturday. Necessary revisions shall be made within the previously allotted period. On the immediately following Sunday, taking account all revisions/comments raised, the Minutes shall be finally approved. Any member may wish to extend the review period, subject to majority vote of the body. SECTION 3. Documentation of Proceedings. Personal opinion of members and other discussion are documented and released as proceedings. For the purposes of the council, excerpts of important discussions or opinions can be included in the minutes of the meeting instead of releasing separate transcription of proceedings. To facilitate better documentation, an audio recording of proceedings shall be done unless the facility is unavailable. SECTION 4. Project Documentation. Proper photo and/or video documentation shall be done for all USC activities and this shall be ensured by the Secretary through the project/activity head/s. Properly labeled soft copy of files (photo, video, document, and other files) shall be forwarded to the Secretary no later than 2 weeks after the project is finished for archiving purposes. SECTION 5. Public Nature. All USC documentations are considered public in nature and these should be made readily available to the bona fide UP Manila students. The USC shall devise mechanisms of publicizing these documentations. ARTICLE XI: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

SECTION 1. Sources of income for the USC Manila are the Student Welfare Fund (40% of the current Student Council Fund paid at enrollment) and fund-raising events, aside from sponsorships. SECTION 2. The fiscal year of the council shall extend from April 15 to April 14, and the collection of the Student Welfare Fund shall be divided into three (3) semi-annual periods corresponding to the three semesters Summer, First, and Second. SECTION 3. The treasurer shall deposit all funds of the council in a major commercial bank to be approved by the GA. All receipts should be deposited into the USC bank account at least once a week. They should never be deposited in an individuals bank account. SECTION 4. Budgeting is an important planning tool and an integral part of program planning. Budgets should maximize available resources, and should be prepared well in advance of the project/s requiring funding. At the beginning of each fiscal year the GA shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, a budget of estimated income and estimated expenditures for the year, which, having been agreed to by the GA, shall stand as the limit of expenditures for the respective purposes unless otherwise ordered by action of the GA. SECTION 5. All bills shall be paid only by checks signed by the treasurer upon vouchers signed by any two officers accompanied by authorization from the council. Cash payments shall be allowed only in the event that a checking account cannot be availed of. A thorough audit of all the councils financial transactions by the Business Manager shall be conducted every two months. SECTION 6. All disbursements must be made by voucher, only as authorized by the council.

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SECTION 7. Accounting. It is necessary to keep a financial journal to allow the treasurer to keep track of deposits and detail expenses, earnings, and interest. a. An original receipt from the vendor should substantiate all expenses paid. If this is not possible, the individual requesting reimbursement should be required to furnish a signed statement that explains the purpose of the expense. The officer/committee person responsible for the activity/event for which the expense was incurred should also approve such an expense. b. The treasurer should reconcile the books with the bank and, at least monthly, prepare a financial statement for reporting. c. The financial statements and records should be reviewed every two months by the Business Manager. d. Financial records should be retained for a minimum of five years. This can be accomplished by sealing all records in an envelope or box at the time of transfer to the new treasurer/bookkeeper. The date to destroy the information should be clearly identified on the container to ensure that future officers know the proper date. SECTION 8: Student Welfare Fund. Every semester and/or summer enrollment, the College Student Councils collect the student fund from the students. a. Collection. Collection shall be done in the enrollment/registration period of each academic semester including summer. No student shall be officially registered unless he/she has paid the Student Welfare Fund (SWF). The Business Manager of the USC shall collect the USCs share from the SWF collected by the College Student Councils within one month after enrollment. The Business Manager shall give a document acknowledging such transaction. Failure to forward funds to the USC within one month without valid excuse can be a subject of a formal report complaint. b. Appropriation. Forty percent (40%) of the SWF shall be appropriated for the USC, and the remaining sixty percent (60%) shall be appropriated for the CSC. CSC funds may be disbursed immediately, provided that an accounting of the total collections and disbursed funds shall be submitted by the CSC involved to the Treasurer. c. Amount. The basic amount to be collected as SWF shall be twenty pesos Philippine currency (PHP 20.00), except in colleges wherein their student bodies have agreed to pay a different amount, in which case such amount shall not be less than the aforementioned basic amount. ARTICLE XII: INFORMATION DISSEMINATION

SECTION 1. Transparency. All members of the UPM USC shall make it their personal commitment to the students to be accountable at all times for their words and actions in official council matters. At any reasonable time within office hours on regular school days, all records and documents of the council shall be made available for viewing or replication by students, provided that intention for such viewing and/or replication shall be properly expressed to the Secretary at least a day before. SECTION 2. Platforms of Dissemination. The council shall see to it that all means of information dissemination whether through the traditional means (i.e. by paper) or by information technology shall be maximized. Access to council records and updates shall be effected through internet facilities like websites, e-mail, weblogs, e-groups, online repositories, etc. SECTION 3. Use of Proper Reference for Projects or Activities. When referring to the organizers of a specific project, reference shall be made only to the USC with names specified in Article 1 of this RIG and to specific Standing Committees and Offices identified in Article 4 of this RIG. No USC Officer shall indicate his/her name in any of the projects advertising platforms (e.g. print, online, etc). This is done to ensure streamlined promotion of the councils projects and activities. SECTION 4. Rules on the Use of Online Communication a. Official USC34 pages and accounts are strictly for communication of USC and CSC related matters unless otherwise approved by the body. b. Each officer has the primary responsibility of maximizing online platform to promote projects, campaigns, and services. Every officer shall endeavor to repost online announcements to their networks (professional or personal) with proper reference to the UPM USC and/or the committees/offices involved. Proper reference (as indicated in Section 3 of this article) shall be strictly followed.

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c. d.

e. f.

g.

Internal forms of communication are only meant for internal consumption among members of the UPM USC. No cross-posting to public sites or social media shall be done. Internal memorandums can be made public if an officer fails to respond with the said communication after exhausting various means of communication (e.g. personal, sms messaging, call, e-mail or through other online platforms, etc). Getting/storing screen caps of internal memorandum/conversation is strictly prohibited. This is immediately subject to second offense disciplinary action. Direct negative remarks (with specific mention of names and/or labels) to our institution that is the UPM USC or to fellow officers shall not be made in public, especially in the online platforms/social media. Resolutions of issues and concerns shall be dealt with internally. This is immediately subject to second offense disciplinary action. Only official USC and CSC Projects can be posted in the USC Online Platforms. Other announcements could be posted as long the simple majority approves it or nobody objects to it after 6 hours of posting/announcement through the internet, sms or other means of communication.

SECTION 5. USC Newsletter/Monthly Bulletin. A newsletter reporting council activities and positions shall be published at least twice every semester or at most every month, with the council as the publishing body. The Chairperson and the Public Information Officers shall be the Editors-in-Chief. The newsletter shall follow the norms of responsible journalism. SECTION 6. Monthly Public Report to the Students. Public announcements of monthly reports of USC projects and activities shall be posted on bulletin boards or streamer-posting areas regularly. ARTICLE XIII: DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS

SECTION 1. Any violation committed by any council officer can subject the latter to a disciplinary action as deemed necessary by the Chairperson. SECTION 2. Punishable actions may include the following, but not limited to: a. Gross or willful violations to rules indicated in the Rules of Internal Governance b. Accumulated unexcused absences within the semester as established by the Rules of Internal Governance c. Inability to implement planned projects due to neglect of duty d. Inability to reply to internal communication after being reached through various means (i.e. personal, sms messaging, call, e-mail or through other online platforms) e. Non-disclosure of status as a student (e.g. non-enrollment, filing a Leave of Absence, and the like) SECTION 3. Any officer shall have the power to recommend to the Chairperson anyone who can be subjected to any disciplinary action provided that it is in print and duly signed by the said officer. SECTION 4. In cases that the Chairperson shall be the subject of disciplinary action, the Vice-Chairperson shall decide on the matter. SECTION 5. The following are the levels of disciplinary action: a. First Offense: Issuance a written memo b. Second Offense: One month suspension with corresponding public memorandum c. Third Offense: Impeachment/permanent removal from his/her office/position with corresponding public memorandum SECTION 6. Suspension and impeachment shall follow the rules set by the constitution. ARTICLE XIV: USC OFFICE RULES

SECTION 1. Use of the office facilities shall be available to all students of the university provided that official council functions are prioritized. Students who wish to use such facilities may request permission from the Chairperson. The Chairperson will then inform the Business Manager to facilitate lending of the office key. SECTION 2. Proper decorum should be observed inside the USC Office. Disruptive/prohibited/illegal behaviors e.g. smoking, drinking alcohol, and littering are strictly prohibited.

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SECTION 3. The Business Manager shall act as custodian of all USC properties in the office. All equipment should be properly labeled and catalogued. SECTION 4. All officers shall have their own key for the USC Office. The numbered keys are to be distributed by the Business Manager; all officers shall return the keys before the academic year ends. SECTION 5. The Business Manager shall maintain a log sheet of USC Office use. ARTICLE XV EFFECTIVITY AND AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1. These rules take effect immediately upon their first approval by the GA in a regular session. SECTION 2. Specific sections of these Rules of Internal Governance may be temporarily suspended upon motion and approval by two-thirds (2/3) vote of all members of the GA; provided that sections directly derived from the USC Constitution can never be suspended. SECTION 3. These rules may be amended at any succeeding regular session of the GA, a quorum being present, by a two-thirds vote of all members present, provided that notice of the proposed amendment shall have been received by each member at least ten (10) days before such meeting. SECTION 4. No amendment, deletion or addition to these rules can be made, when such amendment/s is/are not in harmony with the USC Constitution. SECTION 5. Approved amendments shall take effect immediately.

Noted by:

MAUREEN JOY P. TURINGAN Secretary The 34th University Student Council University of the Philippines Manila

DENA MAE AMOR N. DESABILLE Assistant Secretary The 34th University Student Council University of the Philippines Manila

JASON V. ALACAPA Chairperson The 34th University Student Council University of the Philippines Manila

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