Tomorrow, November 26, 2025, we join the Catholic Church in observing Red Wednesday, a day that invites us not only to remember those persecuted for their faith, but also to look honestly at the wounds carried within our own communities. Though we live in a predominantly Christian nation, the Philippines has known its share of conflict, displacement, and quiet forms of discrimination; stories of families uprooted, places of worship threatened, and individuals whose dignity is diminished simply because of what they believe. These realities remind us that suffering is not abstract; it has names, faces, and beating hearts.

We ask all employees and students to wear red, following the university’s dress code, as a sign that we refuse indifference. Red is the color of both sacrifice and love; a reminder that hope is not passive, but something we choose to live out, especially when it is difficult.

We will gather for a Eucharistic Celebration at 4:00 PM, followed by a simple prayer outside the University Chapel. In these moments of quiet togetherness, may we allow ourselves to feel the weight of others’ pain and the depth of their courage.

May living hope amidst suffering become more than a theme; may it become a way of seeing one another. A way of standing with the wounded, listening before judging, and choosing compassion over silence. And as we remember those who suffer for their faith, may we also become instruments of peace in our own land, carrying forward a hope that is humble, human, and steadfast.