By Ahnica Almanzor and Lauren Bayani | The Paulinian
Photos by Ahnica Almanzor and Rae Sablaon | The Paulinian
“Ephphatha” is a word which is translated in English as “Be Opened.” At the University Week Day Five, a liturgy, led by Ms. Yoti Dizon and Enrico Cabalfin, discussed the passage in which Jesus healed a deaf-mute man. Belief played a pivotal role in the passage, as well as the phrase “Be Opened.”
The simple phrase marked the opening of the booths and the events of the day. The Paulinian Innovation was held in the Artificial Intelligence and Immersive Laboratory by Dr. Maynard Corenjo. He discussed the objectives of the laboratory, along with the equipment that can be used for educational purposes, considering the factors of entertainment and purpose. The laboratory has different sections: the Tamaraw Project, Virtual Reality Headset, Drones, and 3D Printer. The Tamaraw project as explained by Cyril Jimenez and Chloe Caday, promotes sustainability in farming, climate resilience, and efficiency, as well as commitment to Philippine agriculture. With the digital culture the world is in now, Mr. Clarence Jimenez used that system, explaining that, through Minecraft, teaching children about animals in a virtual zoo is interactive, entertaining, and educational. He addressed this as a “Digital Zoo” which shows animal biology, how they interact with their surroundings, and their types. For clarity, Dr. Cornejo explained how the 3D printing machine works. He said “3d Printer is utilized for prototypes. For example, in the last Robothon International in Jakarta, Indonesia, our prototype used 3d printed equipment.
In the second part of the day, the booths were managed by the Senior High School and College students. All booths were entertaining and interactive. The Human Slot Machine, wherein three people per stall needed luck to end up with two or three patterns to win. Jail Booth plays in different ways, either with a theme or with a random person chosen by their friends, each lasting within 15 minutes. A game titled “Who is the Impostor” was also featured, in which everyone needed to determine who was lying and who was not. The final booth was the Interactive Art Wall: letting everyone express their freedom in art through their drawn faces, with prizes for excellent output.
After lunch, the third event, Palarong Paulino, was held, with games at different stations. The First Station revolved around a game called Sack Race. The Second Station introduced Luksong Baka, a traditional Filipino game. The Third Station was the typical Ice, Ice, Water game, while the Fourth Station was Catch the Flag. The final and Fifth Station was a Korean game called Gonggi. Each game had its respective winners:
1st Station (Sack Race): College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences
2nd Station (Luksong Baka): College of Education and Liberal Arts
3rd Station (Ice, Ice, Water): College of Education and Liberal Arts and Senior High
4th Station (Catch the Flag): College of Business Management and Senior High Department
5th Station (Gonggi): College of Music and the Performing Arts.
After the winners were declared, the event proceeded with the Volleyball Exhibition Match: St. Paul University Manila versus Far Eastern University. It was a close fight, but St. Paul University Manila won by a few points.
As the evening progressed, the Paulifeast was the finale of SPUM’s University Week. The event symbolized the Catholic Community. The stage echoed with different songs performed by The Feast. “Sa Bawat Sandali” by Amiel Sol was performed to open the hearts of the Paulinian Community. Up next was “Who’s with Me” by Feast Worship – a song with significant meaning, more than just a song of praise, rather a gathering of people from different communities. “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire”: a quote taken from St. Catherine of Sienna. The host, Brother J Paul, remarked on the importance of being at your own pace and on how redirection is a significant part of life. There are questions in different journeys, one answered after every encounter. His book, Talker, tackles life as more than one body, but through Catholicism. To end the event, The Feast perform “Nothing Less” and “Who’s with Me” again. The evening ended in bliss after the pictorial with the Paulinian Community, signifying the start of the 114th year and the end of University Week 2026.
