Salubong 2026: MYXkolar Channel welcomes new Atenean scholars
KulitoBy Divine Polido · September 8, 2026
With the theme MYXkolar Channel, Salubong 2026 welcomed over a hundred of new Atenean scholar freshies and transferees in the Leong Hall auditorium this Saturday, August 15, 2026, from 10 AM until 4 PM. This year’s event was spearheaded by the devoted project heads, Mikayla Magistrado (3 BS PSY) and Ayesa Panghulan (3 BS PSY), along with the collaborative effort of the core team and volunteers that made the event possible.
The scholars were welcomed by the event hosts, TJ Picana (3 BS PSY) and Carlo Magcalas (4 AB POL SCI) as the scholars jammed to the start of the event with a quick karaoke session. As scholars vibed to the tune, the program officially kicked off when Ms. Raine Cinco, an alumna scholar and representative of the OAA, welcomed the scholars with the opening remarks. Ms. Cinco shared her gratitude to those who attended the event and introduced the scholars to the Atenean community that welcomes everyone with open arms.
A short and witty music video by the puso executive committee of Gabay introduced the organization and its core purposes. Different initiatives offered by the community were highlighted by Jabez Rey Cruz and Ehren Bacani (4 BS MIS), initiatives such as: Gabby the Scholar, StudyBuddy, Scholar’s Card, and Scholar’s Week. This was followed by another creative music video from the Scholars’ Sectoral Board organization, the official representative of scholars in the Sanggunian Central Assembly. Afterwards, the introduction by Kaitlyn Silva (4 BS MIS) highlighted the organization’s services such as Food Stubs SCHOpport, SCHOCheck, DiSCHOurse, and diSCHOssions on the GO.
A short Quizizz activity followed thereafter on the Gabay and SSB presentation, participated by all the scholars with 5 successful winners. This portion of the event concluded with a Q&A for the OAA, Gabay, and SSB dedicated to address any concerns from the new scholars.
The first game of the event, “Lights, Camera, Act Song”, commenced where the students were divided into different teams based on their genre. The groups were tasked to act out the song on stage with the winner determined by audience impact.
The morning portion of the event concluded with Andriana Nepacina, a recent graduate and former scholar, sharing her story and advice. Andriana gave a backstory behind her trending graduation dedication post. She shared her journey on how she became an Atenean, starting from being an Ateneo fan and dreaming to be an Atenean, to the challenges she faced during her stay as a scholar, and the three biggest lessons she had learned: embrace the challenges, embrace every opportunity, and give back. She also left a reminder for the scholars, stating that: “You don't have to know the whole song yet. Just press play.”
The scholars were then ushered to the Leong Hall roofdeck for the lunch break, where the scholars once again got to socialize and build connections with each other along with a game of bingo. Giveaways from the program sponsors were also given to lucky winners during lunch.
After the break, the event proceeded with the continuation of the first game, keeping the energy high for the afternoon segment of the program. The SCHOtalk 2 followed thereafter, with Jesther Resuello, another recent graduate and former scholar, sharing his experience and providing advice on navigating being a scholar in a very engaging and humorous talk. He highlighted hardships that he encountered throughout his Atenean journey yet he noted that in spite of the obstacles, he remained steadfast with his goal by learning to balance his time without losing himself in the process. He shared a total of 7 rules as advice for the new scholars, with one of the most notable ones stating that choosing the right friends and sharing the journey with them is key to having the best 4 to 5 years in college life. Throughout his talk, he reminded the scholars that all of them belong in the community and that they should not doubt themselves, noting that the institution saw each scholar’s potential, believed in them, and gave them the opportunity for a reason.
An intermission round followed after which featured a serenade from GaBand, part of the member formation committee. Alexandra Sevilla and Dean Siman harmoniously sang for the scholar crowd with solos and a duet. The second game of the program followed with the title “Jumbled Lyrics”. With the same groups as before, the scholars were challenged to unjumble song lyrics. After a lively and energy-induced game, the winning team got their very own Gabay lanyards. Aligned with the program theme, the third and final game “Guess the Intro” was played with a representative from each genre group guessing the song based on the intro of the songs.
A socializing event followed with the scholars asked to regroup and answer prompts dedicated to building rapport and engaging in conversations. Ending the program at a high note and with high spirits, officially concluding the event were the closing remarks shared by the project heads Mikayla and Ayesa. Both project heads shared the strong friendship they have fostered throughout their stay in Ateneo; they wished the scholars to also find the same friendships and connections in their own respective journeys.
For Sean Caguiwa (1 BS CS), Salubong 2026 served as an avenue for him to meet fellow scholars and foster relationships. Although he admits that at first it seemed daunting, Salubong turned out to be an enjoyable program that allowed for a much-needed socializing opportunity.
Meanwhile, Sam Dela Cruz (1 BS LEARN) described having met many scholars with whom she shared the same humor and how the event served as a reminder for her that it is possible to find a community in Ateneo that can help through the journey in college. She added that the talk from Jesther was the most memorable moment because of the relatable journey that he shared.
Meanwhile, Claine Franco (1 BS MIS) expressed how she looked forward to the event as she was eager to create new connections with fellow scholars and how it successfully lived up to her expectation describing the event as fun, welcoming, and informative.
All three shared the same sentiments of having enjoyed the program in its entirety, not only for the fun and interactive activities it offered, but also for the informative presentations about the organization and the talks shared by the invited alumni speakers.
Salubong 2026: MYXkolar Channel brought enthusiasm and optimism to the new scholars, forging connections and friendships throughout the event. The spirited games, upbeat activities, and encouraging talks all marked a positive start to the new journey of the scholars as they tune in to the start of their journey in Ateneo.
The scholars were welcomed by the event hosts, TJ Picana (3 BS PSY) and Carlo Magcalas (4 AB POL SCI) as the scholars jammed to the start of the event with a quick karaoke session. As scholars vibed to the tune, the program officially kicked off when Ms. Raine Cinco, an alumna scholar and representative of the OAA, welcomed the scholars with the opening remarks. Ms. Cinco shared her gratitude to those who attended the event and introduced the scholars to the Atenean community that welcomes everyone with open arms.
A short and witty music video by the puso executive committee of Gabay introduced the organization and its core purposes. Different initiatives offered by the community were highlighted by Jabez Rey Cruz and Ehren Bacani (4 BS MIS), initiatives such as: Gabby the Scholar, StudyBuddy, Scholar’s Card, and Scholar’s Week. This was followed by another creative music video from the Scholars’ Sectoral Board organization, the official representative of scholars in the Sanggunian Central Assembly. Afterwards, the introduction by Kaitlyn Silva (4 BS MIS) highlighted the organization’s services such as Food Stubs SCHOpport, SCHOCheck, DiSCHOurse, and diSCHOssions on the GO.
A short Quizizz activity followed thereafter on the Gabay and SSB presentation, participated by all the scholars with 5 successful winners. This portion of the event concluded with a Q&A for the OAA, Gabay, and SSB dedicated to address any concerns from the new scholars.
The first game of the event, “Lights, Camera, Act Song”, commenced where the students were divided into different teams based on their genre. The groups were tasked to act out the song on stage with the winner determined by audience impact.
The morning portion of the event concluded with Andriana Nepacina, a recent graduate and former scholar, sharing her story and advice. Andriana gave a backstory behind her trending graduation dedication post. She shared her journey on how she became an Atenean, starting from being an Ateneo fan and dreaming to be an Atenean, to the challenges she faced during her stay as a scholar, and the three biggest lessons she had learned: embrace the challenges, embrace every opportunity, and give back. She also left a reminder for the scholars, stating that: “You don't have to know the whole song yet. Just press play.”
The scholars were then ushered to the Leong Hall roofdeck for the lunch break, where the scholars once again got to socialize and build connections with each other along with a game of bingo. Giveaways from the program sponsors were also given to lucky winners during lunch.
After the break, the event proceeded with the continuation of the first game, keeping the energy high for the afternoon segment of the program. The SCHOtalk 2 followed thereafter, with Jesther Resuello, another recent graduate and former scholar, sharing his experience and providing advice on navigating being a scholar in a very engaging and humorous talk. He highlighted hardships that he encountered throughout his Atenean journey yet he noted that in spite of the obstacles, he remained steadfast with his goal by learning to balance his time without losing himself in the process. He shared a total of 7 rules as advice for the new scholars, with one of the most notable ones stating that choosing the right friends and sharing the journey with them is key to having the best 4 to 5 years in college life. Throughout his talk, he reminded the scholars that all of them belong in the community and that they should not doubt themselves, noting that the institution saw each scholar’s potential, believed in them, and gave them the opportunity for a reason.
An intermission round followed after which featured a serenade from GaBand, part of the member formation committee. Alexandra Sevilla and Dean Siman harmoniously sang for the scholar crowd with solos and a duet. The second game of the program followed with the title “Jumbled Lyrics”. With the same groups as before, the scholars were challenged to unjumble song lyrics. After a lively and energy-induced game, the winning team got their very own Gabay lanyards. Aligned with the program theme, the third and final game “Guess the Intro” was played with a representative from each genre group guessing the song based on the intro of the songs.
A socializing event followed with the scholars asked to regroup and answer prompts dedicated to building rapport and engaging in conversations. Ending the program at a high note and with high spirits, officially concluding the event were the closing remarks shared by the project heads Mikayla and Ayesa. Both project heads shared the strong friendship they have fostered throughout their stay in Ateneo; they wished the scholars to also find the same friendships and connections in their own respective journeys.
For Sean Caguiwa (1 BS CS), Salubong 2026 served as an avenue for him to meet fellow scholars and foster relationships. Although he admits that at first it seemed daunting, Salubong turned out to be an enjoyable program that allowed for a much-needed socializing opportunity.
Meanwhile, Sam Dela Cruz (1 BS LEARN) described having met many scholars with whom she shared the same humor and how the event served as a reminder for her that it is possible to find a community in Ateneo that can help through the journey in college. She added that the talk from Jesther was the most memorable moment because of the relatable journey that he shared.
Meanwhile, Claine Franco (1 BS MIS) expressed how she looked forward to the event as she was eager to create new connections with fellow scholars and how it successfully lived up to her expectation describing the event as fun, welcoming, and informative.
All three shared the same sentiments of having enjoyed the program in its entirety, not only for the fun and interactive activities it offered, but also for the informative presentations about the organization and the talks shared by the invited alumni speakers.
Salubong 2026: MYXkolar Channel brought enthusiasm and optimism to the new scholars, forging connections and friendships throughout the event. The spirited games, upbeat activities, and encouraging talks all marked a positive start to the new journey of the scholars as they tune in to the start of their journey in Ateneo.