27/08/2026
๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐จ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐
Unexpected things are beyond our control. But sometimes, an unexpected circumstance brings out an unexpected kind of kindness.
As the new students gathered outside for the Grand Entrance, loud cheers echoed from the right upper bleachers of the gymnasium. There sat the three-peat Champion for the Sitdown Yell competition every Intramurals, practicing their chant as they prepared to welcome their freshmen.
Amid the loud cheers and excitement that morning, the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (JPIA), known for having one of the loudest cheers in the gymnasium, was instead found sitting quietly during Pistang Sebastino.
At first, some thought nothing was unusual. Perhaps they were simply being JPIA, the organized, composed, and are just waiting for their officersโ instructions.
The Supreme Student Goverment (SSG) - College noticed that several JPIA members were still sitting and raised the concern to Reynaldo G. Geronimo, adviser of both the SSG and Association of Student Organizations President (ASOP).
Their food delivery was delayed.
What appeared to be an ordinary delay soon became a moment of unexpected solidarity.
Despite the hunger and the passing hours, no one from JPIA dared to leave. They did not make a scene or disrupt the celebration. They simply waited.
JPIA remained JPIA.
Then Geronimo spoke. ASOP heard. ASOP responded.
Sebastinian Nightingaleโs Association (SNA) was the first to step forward, being the organization nearest to JPIAโs table. They gave their untouched tub of menudo, together with the still-packed utensils that came with it.
โWe didnโt want to give them what was left. Since the food was still untouched, we thought it would be better to share it with them. It was simply our way of making sure they had something to eat too,โ said Miel Margarette Castro, SNA Level 4 Representative.
What followed was not a single act of generosity, but a collective one.
The Sebastinian Psychology Society (SPS) shared five bento boxes, coffee jelly, and a pack of bottled water. Junior Marketing Association (JMA) brought juices with plates and utensils. Junior Financial Executives (JFINEX) handed over beef in creamy mushroom, while the Computer Group of Active Engineering Students (CGATES) and Junior Philippine Computer Society (JPCS) shared tubs of rice.
The Junior Institute of Electronics Engineers of the Philippines (JIECEP) contributed pancit palabok with a whole chicken, while the Junior Philippines Institute of Industrial Engineering (JPIIE) shared pansit, maja blanca, and plastic cups.
For the Junior Tourism and Hospitality Management Association (JTHMA), the situation was difficult to ignore.
โ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฌ๐ช๐ต ๐บ๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ช๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ข๐ด๐ข ๐ต๐ข๐ข๐ด ๐ฑ๐ข ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข-๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฐ. ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ด๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐ข ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ด๐ช ๐๐ช๐ณ ๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐จ๐ข๐บ ๐บ๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ข๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐บ ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ด๐ช ๐ฏ๐ข๐ช๐ด๐ช๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ด ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ฑ๐ข๐ด๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ช๐ญ๐ข ๐ฏ๐จ ๐จ๐ถ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฎ,โ said Elwina P. Mota, President of JTHMA.
Even the smallest organization, Sebastinian Communicators (SEBCOM), found something to give. They brought utensils, cups, and bottled waters.
โWe give not because we have plenty, but because we know what it means to share,โ said Gwyneth Elise D. Menor, SEBCOM President.
One by one, organizations approached the table. What started with a delayed food delivery turned into a table filled not only with food, but with gestures of care from organizations that simply chose to share what they had.
No one was asked to give more than they could. No one was promised anything in return.
They simply saw a needโand responded.
As the community celebrates 60 years of being Sebastinians, moments like this become part of the legacy. Not because they were grand or carefully planned, but because they showed what can happen when people choose to look beyond their own tables.
For JPIA, it may have started with an empty table.
For ASOP and the organizations that responded, it became a reminder that being a community means making sure no one is left waiting alone.
The miracle was never magic.
The miracle was within the Sebastinian Community. The people who heard, people who cared, and people who share.
Because sometimes, the most unexpected moments become the stories we remember most.
Written by Mikaela Ryanne Reyes
Photo by Yra Mari Artajo
