!

!
TO: The Law School Community

FROM: Dean Jose Maria G. Hofileña

DATE: August 29, 2018

SUBJECT: GUIDELINES ON THE REGISTRATION OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND

INITIATION RITES APPLICATIONS OF ENROLLED ORGANIZATIONS

REF. NO.: 2018-007-G

The recently enacted Anti-Hazing Act of 2018, or Republic Act No. 11053, requires schools to adopt
certain measures applicable to all forms of student organizations in general. Among other things, it
requires that within 60 days from the approval of the Act, the relevant schools promulgate guidelines
regarding the registration of such organizations as well as procedures for applications for approval of
initiation rites by these groups. “Initiation rites” is broadly defined by the Act as “ceremonies,
practices, rituals, or other acts, whether formal or informal, that a person must perform or take part in
order to be accepted into a fraternity, sorority, or organization as a full-fledged member. It includes
ceremonies, practices, rituals, and other acts in all stages of membership in a fraternity, sorority, or
organization.”

In compliance with the Act, attached for your information and guidance are the Ateneo Law School’s
Guidelines on the Registration of Fraternities, Sororities and Student Organizations (Annex “A”) and
Guidelines for Initiation Rites Applications of Enrolled Organizations (Annex “B”).

(Original signed)
Jose Maria G. Hofileña

3/F!Ateneo!Professional!Schools!Bldg,!20!Rockwell!Dr,!Rockwell!Center,!1200!Makati!City,!Philippines!
Tel!+63!2!899!7691!to!96!ext!2302!•!+63!2!899!4373!•!Fax!+63!2!729!6609!•!dean.law@ateneo.edu!
 ANNEX “A”

!
!
GUIDELINES)
ON)THE)REGISTRATION)OF)FRATERNITIES,)SORORITIES)
AND)STUDENT)ORGANIZATIONS)
)
!
Background:)
!
1.! Republic!Act!No.!8049!as!amended!by!Republic!Act!No.!11053!(the!“Anti?Hazing!Act!of!
2018”)! requires! all! existing! fraternities,! sororities,! and! other! organizations! otherwise! not!
created!or!organized!by!the!school!but!which!has!existing!members!who!are!students!or!plans!
to! recruit! students! to! be! its! members! to! register! with! the! proper! school! authorities! before! it!
conducts!activities!whether!on!or!off?campus,!including!recruitment!of!members.!
!
2.! The! Anti?Hazing! Act! of! 2018! likewise! requires! all! new! fraternities,! sororities,! or!
organizations!in!a!school!to!immediately!register!with!the!proper!school!authorities!during!the!
semester!or!trimester!in!which!they!are!established!or!organized.!
!
3.! The!Ateneo!de!Manila!University!School!of!Law!(the!“Ateneo!Law!School”)!is!required!by!
the! Anti?Hazing! Act! of! 2018! to! promulgate! these! Guidelines! for! the! registration! of!
Organizations!(as!defined!below)!falling!within!its!jurisdiction.!
!
Coverage:)
!
4.! For! purposes! of! these! Guidelines,! consistent! with! the! Anti?Hazing! Act! of! 2018,! an!
“Organization”!shall!refer!to!an!organized!body!of!people!which!includes,!but!is!not!limited!to,!
any! club,! association,! group,! fraternity,! and! sorority! not! created! or! organized! by! the! Ateneo!
Law!School!but!has!existing!members!who!are!students!of!the!Ateneo!Law!School!or!plans!to!
recruit!students!of!the!Ateneo!Law!School!to!be!its!members.!
)
Procedure)for)Registration:)
!
5.! All!Organizations!existing!as!of!the!date!of!the!promulgation!of!these!Guidelines!shall,!
on!or!before!September!15,!2018,!apply!for!registration!with!the!Office!of!the!Associate!Dean!
for!Student!Affairs!by!filing!a!certificate!sworn!to!by!the!head!of!the!Organization,!containing!
the!following:!
!
i. the!name!of!the!Organization,!
ii. the!month!and!year!of!its!establishment,!
iii. a!list!of!all!of!its!current!members,!indicating!year!level!and!block,!
 iv. the!name!of!its!Faculty!Adviser/s,!and!
v. the!written!consent!of!the!Faculty!Adviser/s,!annexed!to!the!certificate.!
!
As! provided! by! the! Anti?Hazing! Act! of! 2018,! a! “Faculty! Adviser”! must! be! a! duly! recognized!
active!member,!in!good!standing,!of!the!faculty!at!the!Ateneo!Law!School!and!must!not!be!a!
member!of!the!Organization!applying!for!registration.!
!
6.! All! Organizations! established! after! the! date! of! promulgation! of! these! Guidelines! shall!
apply! for! registration! with! the! Office! of! the! Associate! Dean! for! Student! Affairs! by! filing! the!
certificate!required!in!paragraph!5!above!within!7!days!of!the!date!on!which!they!are!formally!
established.!
!
7.! Upon! receipt! of! any! application! for! registration,! the! Associate! Dean! of! Student! Affairs!
shall! evaluate! the! certificate! submitted.! ! If! the! Associate! Dean! of! Student! Affairs! determines!
that!the!information!submitted!is!insufficient!or!lacking,!the!Organization!may!be!required!to!
complete!any!such!information!found!to!be!insufficient!or!lacking.!
!
8.! If!the!registration!of!the!Organization!is!found!to!be!complete,!the!Organization!shall!be!
classified! as! either! (i)! a! Registered! Organization! or! (ii)! an! Accredited! Organization.! ! All!
organizations!which!are!currently!in!the!roster!of!officially!recognized!student!organizations!of!
the!Ateneo!Law!School!shall,!upon!registration,!be!classified!as!Accredited!Organizations.!
!
“Accredited!Organizations”!shall!refer!to!Organizations!that!have!the!official!recognition!of!the!
Ateneo! Law! School! and! shall! thus! enjoy! all! benefits! extended! by! the! Ateneo! Law! School! to!
officially!recognized!Organizations!pursuant!to!its!relevant!rules!and!policies.!
!
“Registered!Organizations”!shall!refer!to!Organizations!that!have!been!registered!pursuant!to!
these! Guidelines! but! are! not! considered! officially! recognized! under! the! relevant! rules! and!
policies!of!the!Ateneo!Law!School.!
!
Applications! of! Registered! Organizations! to! become! Accredited! Organizations! shall! be!
processed!in!accordance!with!the!existing!rules!and!policies!of!the!Ateneo!Law!School.!
!
9.! Each! Organization! must! comply! with! all! requirements! of! The! Anti?Hazing! Act! of! 2018,!
including! those! that! relate! to! the! registration! requirements! set! out! in! these! Guidelines!
including,!without!limitation,!the!requirement!for!updating!of!its!list!of!members!not!later!than!
thirty!(30)!days!from!the!start!of!every!semester.!
!
) )
Continuing)Effectiveness)of)Student)Handbook)
!
10.! These!Guidelines!are!promulgated!pursuant!to!the!requirements!of!The!Anti?Hazing!Act!
of! 2018! on! the! subject! matter! covered! by! these! Guidelines! and! shall! supplement! rather! than!
supersede!any!relevant!provisions!of!the!Ateneo!Law!School!Student!Handbook!(the!“Student!
Handbook”)! governing! student! activities! and! organizations.! Non?compliance! with! the!
requirements!of!these!Guidelines,!the!relevant!provisions!of!The!Anti?Hazing!Law!on!the!subject!
matter!covered!by!these!Guidelines,!as!well!as!the!Student!Handbook!may!be!sanctioned!under!
the!provisions!of!The!Anti?Hazing!Act!of!2018!and!the!Student!Handbook!as!applicable.!!!
!
11.!! Nothing! in! these! Guidelines! modify! the! Ateneo! Law! School’s! policy! that! under! no!
circumstance!shall!the!Administration!recognize!or!approve!of!any!organization!which!resorts!
to! any! practice,! including! initiation! rites,! which! involve! violence! and! acts! not! in! consonance!
with!human!dignity!or!unworthy!of!the!mature!conduct!or!deportment!expected!of!a!student!of!
law.!!!
!
!
Date)of)Promulgation:))August)29,)2018)
!
!
 ANNEX “B”

!
GUIDELINES)
FOR)INITIATION)RITES)APPLICATIONS)
OF)ENROLLED)ORGANIZATIONS)
)
!
Background:)
!
1.! Republic!Act!No.!8049!as!amended!by!Republic!Act!No.!11053!(the!“Anti?Hazing!Act!of!
2018”)! requires! all! existing! fraternities,! sororities,! and! other! organizations! otherwise! not!
created!or!organized!by!the!school!but!which!has!existing!members!who!are!students!or!plans!
to! recruit! students! to! be! its! members! to! register! with! the! proper! school! authorities! before! it!
conducts!activities!whether!on!or!off?campus,!including!recruitment!of!members.!
!
2.! The! Anti?Hazing! Act! of! 2018! likewise! requires! all! new! fraternities,! sororities,! or!
organizations!in!a!school!to!immediately!register!with!the!proper!school!authorities!during!the!
semester!or!trimester!in!which!they!are!established!or!organized.!
!
3.! The!Anti?Hazing!Act!of!2018!requires!Enrolled!Organizations!(as!defined!below)!to!apply!
for!the!approval!of!the!school!authorities!prior!to!conducting!any!initiation!rites.!
!
4.! The!Ateneo!de!Manila!University!School!of!Law!(the!“Ateneo!Law!School”)!is!required!by!
the!Anti?Hazing!Act!of!2018!to!promulgate!these!Guidelines!for!the!application!for!the!conduct!
of!initiation!rites!by!Enrolled!Organizations.!
!
Coverage:)
!
5.! For! purposes! of! these! Guidelines,! (i)! consistent! with! the! Anti?Hazing! Act! of! 2018,! an!
“Organization”!shall!refer!to!an!organized!body!of!people!which!includes,!but!is!not!limited!to,!
any! club,! association,! group,! fraternity,! and! sorority! not! created! or! organized! by! the! Ateneo!
Law!School!but!has!existing!members!who!are!students!of!the!Ateneo!Law!School!or!plans!to!
recruit! students! of! the! Ateneo! Law! School! to! be! its! members,! and! (ii)! an! “Enrolled!
Organization”!shall!refer!to!an!Organization!that!has!registered!with!the!Office!of!the!Associate!
Dean! for! Student! Affairs! in! accordance! with! the! Ateneo! Law! School’s! Guidelines! on! the!
Registration! of! Fraternities,! Sororities! and! Student! Organizations! (the! “Registration!
Guidelines”).!
!
6.! “Initiation! Rites”! shall! refer! to! ceremonies,! practices,! rituals,! or! other! acts,! whether!
formal! or! informal,! that! a! person! must! perform! or! take! part! in! order! to! be! accepted! into! a!
fraternity,!sorority,!or!organization!as!a!full?fledged!member.!It!includes!ceremonies,!practices,!
rituals,!and!other!acts!in!all!stages!of!membership!in!a!fraternity,!sorority,!or!organization.!!
)
Procedure)for)Application:)
!
7.! All!Enrolled!Organizations!intending!to!conduct!initiation!rites!shall,!within!a!period!of!at!
least!seven!(7)!days!before!the!intended!date!of!such!initiation!rites,!submit!to!the!Office!of!the!
Associate! Dean! for! Student! Affairs! a! letter! requesting! for! approval! for! the! conduct! of! such!
initiation! rites! signed! by! the! head! of! the! Enrolled! Organization! and! its! faculty! adviser.! ! Such!
letter?request! must! be! under! oath! and! shall! comply! with! and! contain! the! matters! required!
under! Section! 4! of! the! Anti?Hazing! Act! of! 2018! as! well! as! an! express! undertaking! that! the!
initiation! rites! shall! be! conducted! in! compliance! with! all! laws! of! the! Philippines! including! the!
Anti?Hazing!Act!of!2018.!
!
8.! The!letter?request!shall!be!promptly!evaluated!by!the!school!authorities.!!The!approval!
or!denial!of!the!application!shall!be!communicated!promptly!to!the!Enrolled!Organization.!
!
Continuing)Effectiveness)of)Student)Handbook)
!
9.! These!Guidelines!are!promulgated!pursuant!to!the!requirements!of!The!Anti?Hazing!Act!
of!2018!and!shall!supplement!rather!than!supersede!any!relevant!provisions!of!the!Ateneo!Law!
School! Student! Handbook! (the! “Student! Handbook”)! governing! student! activities! and!
organizations.! Non?compliance! with! the! requirements! of! these! Guidelines,! the! relevant!
provisions!of!The!Anti?Hazing!Law!on!the!subject!matter!covered!by!these!Guidelines,!as!well!as!
the!Student!Handbook!may!be!sanctioned!under!the!provisions!of!The!Anti?Hazing!Act!of!2018!
and!the!Student!Handbook!as!applicable.!!!
!
10.!! Nothing! in! these! Guidelines! modify! the! Ateneo! Law! School’s! policy! that! under! no!
circumstance!shall!the!Administration!recognize!or!approve!of!any!organization!which!resorts!
to!any!initiation!practice!involving!violence!and!acts!not!in!consonance!with!human!dignity!or!
unworthy!of!the!mature!conduct!or!deportment!expected!of!a!student!of!law.!!!
!
Date)of)Promulgation:))August)29,)2018)
!