As waning student engagement and critical Ateneo issues loom, the 42nd Buklod Atenista National Leaders Summit (BANLS) grappled with systemic issues plaguing the alliance and its member Ateneo higher education institutions.

Mandated to uphold the rights and welfare of approximately 33,000 Ateneo higher education students nationwide and engage in implementing student-centered policies, the alliance is composed of student governments from Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU), Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU), Ateneo de Naga University (AdNU), Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU), and Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan (XU). 

In her privilege speech, AdZU Buklod Ambassador Joanna Sardido highlighted the disruptions from the 41st session’s delays, caused by a vacancy in the national convener seat.

Before the incumbent 39th National Convener Janson Sudaria’s confirmation of appointment on November 30, 2025, XU – Central Student Government President Philip Talaba was appointed Officer-in-Charge National Convener on August 1, 2025.

“There was no formal meeting in identifying key issues to be addressed by the new congress … There was no progress updates on lobbying efforts in the different Member-Student Governments, and there was an acute difficulty for Ateneo de Zamboanga University, the host school for this year’s midyear and opening plenary sessions, to properly prepare, organize, and accommodate for the entire Alliance,” Sardido affirmed.

She called for the accountability of the whole assembly, emphasizing that their inability to fulfill the appointment led to the alliance’s lack of mobilization for 3 months.

“We all felt the ramifications that came with the lack of a National Convener, and together we possessed the ability and capacity to call for the seat to be filled, but no such initiative was set in motion. The prolonged bout of inactivity we experienced is thus, something all of us in the Alliance share blame for.”

Buklod Atenista National Convener Janson Sudaria admitted the shortcomings of XU – Ateneo de Cagayan in fulfilling its obligations as the convening school. 

“We acknowledge our shortcomings as the school that has the convening rights, and we acknowledge that there is more to do, especially to strengthen the core of our entire alliance… We know how hard it is to host a summit as large as this, especially with the very short time, with [a] limited budget, with problems of logistics, for example.”

Sudaria also underscored the efforts for ongoing reforms, including audits of member student governments, secretariat appointments, and coordination with other bodies as they vie for a better system in the alliance.

“We’ve already started making reforms, small and in pacings, but we’ve started from the full audit, for example, of our member student governments. We’ve also made necessary steps to fill in positions of the permanent secretariat which have never really been fully appointed previously. We’ve coordinated strongly with COA (Council of Organizations of the Ateneo) and Ateneo Publications Alliance (APA), and even started coordination with Ateneo de Davao University.”

Loss of historical archives exposed

Sardido also addressed AdZU’s mishandling of Buklod Atenista archives spanning 1984 to 2019, retrieved from AdMU’s  Rizal Library during its convening rights in the 36th National Assembly for an attempt to digitalize and scan the files. 

“It is with great regret that we must admit that AdZU failed to scan and digitalize these files, and moreover, lost such files. Investigations are still underway; however, the files should never have been misplaced in the very first place.”

Sardido, however, argued that this “internal issue” stemmed from their incompetence to properly function as a student-centered alliance, far from an obligation solely one member school should carry. 

“Pointing fingers when it comes to our inefficiency to run as a student-centered Alliance will not lead us anywhere; it will not bring back those documents. Those of us presently part of the Buklod Alliance must feel a level of culpability in the sense that this event reflects deeper issues within Buklod that have regretfully and shamefully affected and brought major loss to our alliance.”

She also emphasized the ongoing crafting of the Buklod Atenista roadmap’s importance to prevent the recurrence of the situation, pushing for mechanisms to change the current system for better efficiency. 

“The upcoming discussion for the development of the Buklod Atenista Roadmap is a matter all members of the Buklod Office under Ateneo de Zamboanga regard with tremendous gravity… As the member school in question with the most egregious fault, and as the current host school, we have the duty to push for such revisions in our current system, just to make sure we establish enough safeguards to reduce the chance of any similar event ever occurring again.” 

The 42nd session passed a total of 24 out of 28 crafted resolutions to the national assembly, with priorities ranging from internal Buklod strengthening mechanisms to collective institutional demands to better cater to student needs. 

The approved resolutions authored by Samahan ng Mga Mag-Aaral ng Pamantasang Ateneo de Davao (SAMAHAN) are comprised of institutionalizing caravan, creating a monitoring body for tuition and other fees increase, and requiring pork identification signages in food stalls.

Joined by its five member schools, the 42nd BANLS ran from February 26 to 28, 2026, at Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

The annual summit rotates venues among members, with XU – Ateneo de Cagayan as the next hosting school and AdDU as the succeeding national convener for the alliance’s 43rd session.