THIS CHRISTMAS, THE most telling wishlists in San Beda University (SBU) are ones not wrapped in ribbon or hung on trees. They are spoken quietly during duty shifts, reflected between classes, and carried by students and staff who move through the campus every day.
These wishes are not born from excess but from lived experience—from people who secure the school, learn within it, and train for futures shaped by systems they did not create but must endure.
A wish for peace
For Joanne Magno, a security guard at SBU, corruption is “not a distant political issue.” It manifests as unrest, rallies, and a country perpetually unsettled. In her view, when leadership fails to bring order, ordinary citizens pay the price in the form of instability and anxiety.
What she longs for is not loud promises or dramatic change, but peace—”katahimikan”—a condition she believes can only exist when governance is firm, fair, and united. Disorder at the top, she says, inevitably filters down, disrupting communities and eroding peace of mind.
“If I could ask the country for one systemic change this Christmas, is the corruption. Para maiwasan ang mga rally, magkagulo ang Pilipinas. Dapat meron tayong peace of mind and a peaceful country.”
Her wish reflects a desire many quietly share: a nation where calm is no longer rare, and peace is not something people have to wait for.
Nurturing growth from home
Benjie Mendes, another security guard at SBU, sees the consequences of a broken system in the choices Filipinos are forced to make. For him, the country’s struggle is rooted in a “system that fails to create sustainable opportunities for its own people.”
Progress, he believes, should not require leaving loved ones behind. A nation that measures success by how many workers it sends abroad, rather than how many it supports at home, has lost its way.
“Pinaka-wish ko dito sa ating bansa, makauunlad sa industry natin dito, para ’yung mga kababayan hindi na lumalabas ng ibang bansa para maghanap ng mataas na sahod, saka malayo sa pamilya,” he said.
Competent leadership for the people
From within the classroom, Department of Political Science freshman Mary Marladess Gonzales offers a sharper critique. She believes that systems fail not because they lack structure, but because they “lack integrity.” For her, leadership—not design—is the heart of governance.
Mary emphasizes that transparency and accountability are not optional ideals, but obligations owed to the people who placed leaders in power. Without ethical grounding, even the most well-crafted reforms become hollow.
“My wish is not for perfection, just simply a system that is also ethically and morally grounded. Basically, a system na tunay na makatao.”
Her words reflect a call for public service rooted in responsibility rather than self-interest and governance that remembers who it exists to serve.
Strength that perseveres
For a senior from the Department of Psychology and San Beda Red Jin Gabrielle Salomon, the country’s most overlooked systemic failure lies in how it “treats mental health.” In schools and in sports, she has seen how constant performance is demanded, while support is often absent.
As a student-athlete, she navigates academic pressure alongside physical and emotional strain. Rest is rarely encouraged. Burnout is normalized. Strength is often defined as endurance at the cost of well-being.
“Being mentally tough, being a strong person, shouldn’t mean that you should just suffer in silence,” she said.
Her wish is for a Philippines where mental health care is accessible, affordable, and openly discussed—especially in institutions that demand excellence but fail to provide care. For Gabrielle, real strength includes the freedom to pause, heal, and ask for help.
The future they refuse to give up on
Taken together, these voices tell a unified story. The issue is not a lack of discipline, ambition, or love for the country. It is a system that demands sacrifice without support, obedience without accountability, and resilience without compassion.
This is the future they guard for, study for, and train for—a Philippines that values peace over noise, people over power, and humanity over hollow strength.
This Christmas, the Bedan wish is simple but urgent. Fix the system, and the future just might finally follow.
(with Catherine Botalon)