Junver Toledo’s final days, and his family’s pleas for reforms, compassion

EDITOR’S NOTE: A team from the Varsitarian was dispatched to cover the final day of the wake and the burial of UST physical therapy student Junver Toledo on May 25 and 26 in Nueva Vizcaya. Grieving family members who agreed to speak and share the circumstances of his death did so with heavy hearts, expressing hope that Junver’s passing would be the last such tragedy in UST — an institution where, they said, they had hoped for compassion.

Trigger warning: This article includes references to suicide.

SOLANO, Nueva Vizcaya — What was meant to be a joyful week for the Toledo family quickly turned into tragedy. Celebrating Mother’s Day and the birthdays of Junver Toledo’s mother and sister, the family had gone on a three-day getaway to Bataan from May 13 to 15, six hours away from home.

During that trip, there was excitement in the air. Junver, a physical therapy (PT) student at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CRS), was nearing graduation — a milestone that had already been pushed back by a year.

In Academic Year 2023-2024, he failed a core fourth-year course, Clinical Correlation and Team Approach, which was split across two terms. Instead of giving up, Junver embraced the setback and poured himself into his studies, determined to earn the PT degree he had pursued at UST, the university he chose to chase his dream of a medical program, despite being accepted at both Ateneo de Manila University and University of the Philippines-Manila.

His parents had marked June 27 on their calendar as their son’s graduation day. Junver had even sent his graduation photo to the family, who believed he was already in the clear. As far as they knew, Junver had redeemed himself and was set to graduate.

But unknown to them, Junver was still struggling with the same course that had set him back. On May 16, a day after returning from Bataan, Junver told his parents he needed to go to Manila to finalize graduation matters. His parents, Oliver and Olivia, escorted him to the highway where he boarded the bus to Manila at 8 p.m.

It was the last time they would see him alive.

May 17 marked Junver’s fifth “monthsary” with his girlfriend, but he couldn’t be with her in Nueva Vizcaya to celebrate. He told her he would head to UST by 2:45 p.m. But in reality, he joined a 27-minute Zoom call from his Eastwood condominium unit in Quezon City with the same faculty member who had failed him the previous year.

During the call, he was informed he had earned a 73.5% grade, just 1.5 points short of passing. The conversation shattered his long-delayed dream. Shortly afterward, Junver took his life. He was 22.

JUNVER left behind a one-page note expressing sorrow that he couldn’t endure another failure. Attached to his hand was another message — not addressed to loved ones, but to whoever found him after his fatal fall from the 21st floor. It listed his name, address, and the contact details of his parents.

His death deeply shocked his family, who described him as a determined hard worker. His parents had supported him even through setbacks. In his eulogy, Oliver recalled telling his son: “It’s better to spend five years in college — you’d learn more that way.”

Oliver considered Junver his junior — his name a blend of “Oliver Jr.” and “June,” the month he was born. Junver was his go-to person for planning trips. He knew his son handled his studies and personal affairs very well.

“Kampante ako sa kanya,” Oliver told the Varsitarian. “Alam niya ang lahat ng gagawin niya.”

Oliver added that the family would have supported another year of study if needed.

“Si Junver ang pinakamamahal naming anak, dahil siya ang nag-iisang lalaki… Ngayon, wala nang (magtutuloy ng) Toledo.”

Junver already had plans beyond graduation. He intended to move to the United States, where his sister Olive, a doctor of physical therapy (DPT), and her husband Marwin Pascua, a topnotcher in the 2013 Philippine PT board exams, are based.

They were not just family but mentors. Olive believed so much in Junver’s future that she purchased a condo unit for him in Eastwood, Quezon City. She had even encouraged him to skip the Philippine board exam and take up a DPT program in the U.S., just as she did at Utica University in New York.

Junver was a scholar at the Philippine Science High School (“Pisay”) in Cagayan Valley. Family and friends said he was never pressured to excel. 

Geo Daquioag, his friend throughout junior and senior high school, called him a “chill, lighthearted guy” who cruised through high school naturally.

“He’s the most unserious — basically the chillest guy na alam ko,” he told the Varsitarian. “So his death was really surprising and very difficult to accept.”

Meanwhile, his cousins described him as smart and witty — quiet, but quick with jokes.

POLICE said Junver died at 3:35 p.m. on May 17. His parents, whose contact details were written on his hand, were informed an hour later. His girlfriend and siblings received emails at about 4:15 p.m. The emails were scheduled for delivery about one hour after Junver wrote them.

In Junver’s condo unit, investigators found his one-page suicide note, where he expressed apologies and said he couldn’t handle failing the course again.

“Ang hirap pero ‘di ko na alam ano pa ang choice ko,” he wrote. “Masasayang lang ang oras ko. I love you.”

“Sorry kung nagsinungaling ako na pupunta (akong) Manila para ayusin mga kailangan ko. Hindi ko lang talaga kayang tingnan kayo. Sorry, 1.5% na lang papasa na sana ako. Sorry kung kulang pa rin. Pinilit and kinausap ko na sila and ayaw talaga.”

(It’s so difficult, but I don’t know what other choice I have. My time would just go to waste. I love you. Sorry for lying that I was going to Manila to take care of what I needed. I just couldn’t bring myself to face you. Sorry, I was only 1.5% away from passing. Sorry if it still wasn’t enough. I tried and spoke to them, but they really wouldn’t allow it.)

They also recovered Junver’s tablet, from which the family discovered he had a 27-minute call with his professor before he jumped to his death.

At his necrological service on May 26 at Heritage Memorial Park in Nueva Vizcaya, friends recalled how Junver kept burdens to himself until he could turn them into jokes. No one — not even his family — knew he was failing again.

The Toledo family criticized the University’s response.

Some relatives found UST’s statement — posted on Facebook on May 22 at 1:02 p.m. — premature and insufficient. It claimed that “the University’s services have been delivered to those closest to Junver and all those in need,” even before an administrator visited on May 23.

READ: UST issues a statement following the passing of BS physical therapy student Junver Toledo, expressing its condolences to the bereaved family and emphasizing the University’s commitment to providing in-house mental health services to Thomasians.

“We acknowledge the grief… pic.twitter.com/2LcGvFZYuv

— The Varsitarian (@varsitarianust) May 22, 2025

While UST and CRS sent flowers, the only official present at Junver’s funeral was Fr. Pablo Tiong, O.P., vice rector for religious affairs, relatives said.

According to Oliver, they received no assistance, no explanation from CRS, nor any outreach from the professor, not even a simple apology.

Some relatives, speaking anonymously to the Varsitarian, described UST’s statement as reactive and lacking a forward-looking approach to prevent similar tragedies.

“Alam nila na may suicidal thought, pero [walang kumausap] sa magulang,” one said.

“Nauna pa ‘yung statement bago sila pumunta dito personally,” added another.

The only gesture from UST that brought any comfort to the family came from former vice rector Fr. Virgilio Ojoy, O.P., who spoke to the Varsitarian following Junver’s death, saying educators “exist for the student, not for any standard, not for any percentage in board passers or whatever.”

“In matters where the good of the student is at stake, ‘yong interest of the student should be given more importance than all other considerations,” Ojoy told the Varsitarian on May 22, shortly after UST released a statement on Toledo’s passing.

READ: Ex-UST vice rector urges reforms after BS physical therapy senior’s death

Oliver was especially hurt upon knowing the fact that his son had already had his graduation photos taken.

In UST, thousands of students take photos at DMD Photography on V. Concepcion Street as early as the “-ber” months, regardless of graduation certainty.

“Pinagsuot na siya ng toga,” Oliver said. “Kaya sobra ang sakit talaga na naramdaman ng anak ko, dahil bigla-bigla, sinabi ng propesor niya na hindi siya makaka-graduate.”

Does Oliver hold a grudge against UST?

“Alangan namang galit kami sa UST, e ang propesor do’n ang may kasalanan? Imposible naman na ‘di mo kayang mapagbigyan ang estudyante sa 1.5% lang.”

UST IS known for its top-notch PT program, with recent board examination passing rates above 90%, compared with a national average of 60 to 70%.

Near the top of the program’s website are the Thomasian core values, including “compassion” — which Junver’s family and former teacher said was not shown to the fallen student.

“Sinabi na lang sana niya kung ano ang kailangang gawin ng bata,” Oliver said. “Dapat pinayagang magmartsa na lang, kahit inipit na lang ang transcript of records kung hindi pa siya nakapasa.”

Alice Manuel, Junver’s Grade 7 adviser at Pisay, told the Varsitarian:

“As a teacher, a student isn’t just a number in a class record. We have principles, we set standards. But you can’t remove the heart. Compassion must be there — I strongly believe there’s always an intervention that could be done.”

“Nagkulang sa puso, nagkulang sa compassion. Hindi holistic ang pag-evaluate sa bata.”

Marwin, Junver’s brother-in-law, said CRS failed to act on clear warning signs.

“You failed to recognize your student expressing about hurting himself,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “Now a life is lost, and the blood is on your hands. There was time to act — time that was wasted.”

Despite the UST PT program webpage’s promise to support students’ wellness, Oliver said the family was never informed of Junver’s academic or emotional struggles — even after he expressed suicidal thoughts (or in academic psychology jargon, “suicidal ideation”) to his professor.

The Varsitarian reached out to CRS Dean Anne Marie Aseron on May 23 to ask how the college plans to improve its mental health policies and address course failure protocols. As of posting time, no response has been received.

FRIENDS say Junver only opened up when he could talk about his struggles with humor. Neither family nor girlfriend had seen signs of self-harm in the past. They believe the decision was triggered only instantaneously by intense feelings of helplessness, isolation in his condominium unit, and the fear of failure after that fateful Zoom call.

Geo said Junver had a strong support system, including Pisay friends who were also facing academic delays in college.

In interviews with the Varsitarian, the Toledo family expressed one hope: that what happened to Junver will not happen again to another student. Whether through reforms or more compassion, they want change.

Student groups at UST echoed that call. UST Hiraya said, “Compassion and care must be at the heart of all educational practices — not just as a slogan, but as a standard.”

THE TOLEDOS were a close-knit family. Sundays were often spent with cousins in their ancestral home for celebrations and get-togethers.

Oliver shared how surprised he was to discover the depth of love Junver received beyond their circle — and that while he was reserved at home, he was warm, funny, and lively around his friends.

“Nakikita ko, marami ang nagmamahal sa kaniya,” he said in his eulogy.

Above Junver’s casket at his wake were two versions of his graduation photo — one in a barong, one in a toga — alongside a board of messages from his Pisay friends and a sketch of him. One message read:

“Physical therapy is meant to heal broken bodies, not break a soul. You deserved compassion.”

Junver was laid to rest on May 26 at Heritage Memorial Park in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya, only days ahead of the May 30 Baccalaureate Mass and a month before the June 27 graduation of UST CRS students.

Funeral of BS Physical Therapy senior Junver Toledo.

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