HEAVY rains brought by the southwest monsoon, or habagat, left many Thomasians stranded inside the campus on Aug. 17, prompting seminarians and parish personnel to assist students seeking shelter near the UST Central Seminary and Santísimo Rosario Parish.
Bro. Samuel Jed Llorin, a vice chancellor at the seminary, said each dormitory was assigned specific areas of responsibility as floodwaters rose around the campus.
Llorin said the seminarians’ response was rooted in their formation as a community preparing for the priesthood.
Citing St. Thomas Aquinas, Llorin said love means to “will the good of the other,” which for the seminarians meant responding to the needs of those affected by the flooding.
Several students from the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management sought refuge at the Santísimo Rosario Parish and near the entrance of the seminary as floodwaters worsened.
The seminarians provided food and bottled water to stranded students while also attending to conditions inside the seminary.
Llorin said the response required members of the community to look beyond their own rooms and belongings.
He urged Thomasians to be united in prayer and to work toward social change after witnessing the cooperation that emerged during the flooding.
“Let us be like them who never failed to see Christ in each of their neighbors,” he said.
Bro. Kirwel Acebuche was among those who documented the flooding inside the seminary and helped assist stranded students.
“I see these experiences as a challenge to our faith,” Acebuche said.
For him, discipleship means following Christ by allowing one’s actions to reflect his teachings and example.
“Being a disciple is being a follower,” he added.
Acebuche said the flooding should also prompt the University to examine measures that could reduce flooding around the seminary, particularly in its outdoor courts, where floodwaters rise quickly.
‘We weren’t left alone’
For John, not his real name, a student stranded at the parish, the flooding was unexpected and frightening.
He said they arrived at about 11 a.m. to attend Mass for the feast of St. Hyacinth as heavy rain continued to fall. By 1:30 p.m., floodwaters had reached knee level at the entrance.
Many students remained at the parish until 8 p.m., while some stayed overnight because conditions outside remained unsafe.
“Honestly, it was a really scary and unexpected experience,” the student told the Varsitarian.
Despite the uncertainty, John said the presence of people willing to assist them made the situation easier to bear.
He cited college administrators, their student council, the Red Cross Youth Council, Pax Romana volunteers, seminarians and other rescuers who helped students during the flooding.
“Seeing everyone come together and help one another is something I’ll always remember,” he said.
The Santísimo Rosario Parish was among the places that sheltered stranded students as floodwaters made it unsafe for them to leave the campus. Bruce L. Buenaventura
