GRADE 12 students from Abellana National School extended assistance to evacuees affected by Typhoon Tino in Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City, on Nov. 11, 2025.
Students from Section Europa prepared and distributed champorado as part of their initiative to provide comfort and sustenance to families affected by the typhoon.
The evacuees, residents of Barangays Sambag 1 and Sambag 2, were temporarily housed at Southwestern University PHINMA after being displaced by the onslaught of Typhoon Tino.
Upon the students’ arrival at the campus, most evacuees had already been allowed to return to their homes. Despite this, the group continued their outreach by conducting a house-to-house food distribution in Sitio Lower Pailob and Upper Pailob, Barangay Sambag 2.
The flood destroyed and damaged evacuees’ homes, leaving many of their belongings either lost or no longer usable.
The activity was conducted in coordination with Barangay Captain Keith Noel Wenceslao and the Sambag 2 Sangguniang Kabataan Council, led by SK Chairperson Mary Rosyll Roncal.
The food distributed was personally funded by the students, who used money they had saved from their own allowances.
“As a student built and grounded in compassion and empathy for others, even though we were also affected by the calamities in Cebu, I am deeply saddened for the people who were extremely affected. As a HUMSS student, I wanted to initiate this ‘ChampEUrado Drive’ to show that even with limited resources, we can still do greater things — such as helping others in need,” said Carlix Navaja, a Grade 12 student from Abellana National School.
“It was my first time joining a feeding activity, yet it felt like something I’d been doing for a long time. The experience was filled with warmth and mixed emotions as we distributed food from house to house, seeing the children’s bright smiles and hearing their laughter. Visiting their homes and witnessing their resilience after the tragedy was truly touching — it reminded me how simple acts of kindness can bring so much hope and joy,” shared Maria Isabelle Juntong, one of the student volunteers.
Despite being affected themselves, the students chose empathy over hardship, extending compassion to those most devastated by Typhoon Tino. / Florie Therese L. Pasayloon / Junior Journo