The Benildean Star

20/02/2025

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." — Martin Luther King Jr.

On World Day of Social Justice, as Benildeans, let us acknowledge the social injustices in the Philippines and reaffirm our commitment to fairness, equality, and human rights for all.

Words by Alyssa Pamilaran
Layout by Margaret Tesoro

18/02/2025

BRAT students, study hard!? 💚

May you not brain rot this Midterm week 😵‍💫 Don’t forget to rest and take it easy ;)) You got this, 365 studious diva!

Xo, TBS

Disclaimer: This content is in reference to CHARLI XCX’s BRAT album.

Content by Emman Cabasbas
Layout by Sebastian Vibar

17/02/2025

Benildeans, take note!

Midterm week is happening from February 17-22, 2025. It’s time to put your knowledge to the test, meet deadlines, and push yourself to do your best.

Let’s stay focused and give it our all. Break a leg, Benildeans!

16/02/2025

IN PHOTOS | S***K 9 Dance Crews Set the Stage Ablaze

Nine dance troupes from Rizal and nearby cities competed at S***K 9: Unleash Your Style, the annual dance battle held on February 12 at Siena College of Taytay as part of Siena Fair 2025.

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Antipolo’s A’blaze Dance Crew secured first place with their Raining in Manila performance. Eastage Pups (NU East Ortigas) and Wave Guide Crew (TUP-Taguig) placed second and third, respectively.

The Siena College of Taytay Dance Team also shared an exhibition performance, while Wave Guide Crew claimed victory in the freestyle battle.

Words by Ven Diaz Sales
Photos and edit by Mark Azuela

***K9UnleashYourStyle

16/02/2025

HIGHLIGHT | First Try, First Triumph: A'Blaze Dominates S***K 9

Benilde Antipolo’s A'blaze Dance Crew made a remarkable debut at S***K 9: Unleash Your Style, clinching the championship title in their first attempt. Held on February 12, 2025, the competition featured over nine dance crews battling for the top spot, but A’blaze stole the show with their precision and passion.

Despite having just a month to prepare, the 20-member team balanced rigorous training with academics, guided by their coach, Dale Isiah Cruz, and moderator Aldrich Ron Sembrano. Their performance, a suave rendition of Raining in Manila by Lola Amour, captivated both judges and the audience with its clean ex*****on and compelling storytelling.

Entering the competition with no expectations, A’blaze aimed only to outperform their previous showing in an external contest last year. Their dedication paid off, as cheers from the Benilde Antipolo community filled the venue, culminating in their victorious announcement before the night ended.

Their win marks a significant milestone for the team, proving that passion, discipline, and teamwork can turn any stage into their own.

Words by Ven Diaz Sales
Photos and Edit by Mark Azuela

***K9UnleashYourStyle

14/02/2025

𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐑 | "Dum Dum" But In Love With You

𝑻𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆,
If love were a class, you’d be my thesis partner—the one who actually does the work while I pretend to be productive. But let’s be real, we both know I’d stay up with you, editing slides and hyping you up, because that’s what we do.

If love were a trek up the Antipolo, you’d be the reason the uphill walk doesn’t feel so exhausting (even if we both pretend it’s just the “cold breeze” making us breathless).

If love were a break between classes, you’d be my go-to coffee run at Bean Crate, my extra rice with noodles at Eski, my 'let’s eat first before we stress' partner.

But love, I’ve realized, isn’t just about the grand, cinematic moments. It’s the little things—the inside jokes we share when a prof makes us do group work again. The way you nudge me awake when I doze off in class (and vice versa). The last-minute 'tara, kain?' after a long day, just to de-stress and watch the sunset from the campus view. The way you make even the most mundane school days feel like something worth remembering.

It’s laughing at our own awkwardness, holding hands even when we’re both carrying too many things, and waiting for each other at the jeepney stop—even when it means you’ll get home late.

So this Valentine’s Day, I don’t need grand gestures (though I won’t say no to free food).
I don’t need expensive gifts (but if you surprise me with milk tea, I’ll love you extra).
All I need is you—your presence, your warmth, your “good morning” texts before early classes, and your company on this crazy, beautiful ride called life.

Let’s keep writing our love story—one late-night study session, one shared meal, and one “sabay tayo umuwi?” at a time.

Yours, always and forever. 💚✨

Words by Gerriz Galvan
Photo by Marivic Busilan of Animo Lucere

14/02/2025

𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐑 | You (What would you do for love?)

Somewhere between deadlines and daily commutes, and debating whether to reply with “haha” or “LOL” in a dry conversation, you forget something. Not your ID, not your charger — something bigger.

Yourself.

It’s easy to forget when you’re surrounded by people, trying to live up to expectations, trying to fit into the perfect mold that everyone else seems to fill. It’s easy to get caught up in how everyone else’s love stories look, how everyone else seems to be “doing better,” even though they probably aren’t. Between last-minute deadlines, the upcoming midterm, and the constant stream of 'What’s your plan for Valentine’s Day?', we forget to slow down and ask, “What do I need today?”

You realize something important; you’ve always been enough! You don’t need validation from anyone else. You are worthy of your own love, your own care. Your story doesn’t have to mirror anyone else’s. It’s yours to write and it’s okay if it looks a little different.

So, here’s a challenge: This Valentine’s Day, be your own date. Take yourself out for coffee, order something ridiculously overpriced just because it makes your soul happy. Buy yourself flowers (because waiting for someone else to do it is so 2010). Take shameless selfies, even if you look 50% awkward and 50% iconic.

Spend the day treating yourself the way you wish someone would treat you. Because, spoiler alert: You deserve it! Always have. Always will.

And if love ever knocks on your door in the form of a romantic partner? Great. But if it doesn’t, that’s fine too. Look in the mirror, because love is already staring right back at you.

Happy Valentine’s Day to the most important person in your life: You.

Words by Alexandria Roque
Photo by Ehljei Escalicas of Animo Lucere

14/02/2025

𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 | No Classes and Work in Benilde Antipolo, Benilde Manila, Benilde Deaf School, and Benilde Senior High School on Feb. 25 for EDSA People Power Anniversary.

Benilde Antipolo will observe an Institutional Holiday on February 25, 2025, in commemoration of the 39th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution. While Proclamation No. 727, s. 2024 designates this day as a Special (Working) Day, the College recognizes its historical significance and encourages the Benildean community to reflect on its impact.

As a result, all onsite and online classes, as well as work operations, will be suspended on this day.

The announcement was made via Office of the Chancellor today.

14/02/2025

Love is in the air, and so are your heartfelt stories! ❤️✨

Join us for Dear Feb-ibig: A Benildean Love Read, where our VJs will bring your letters to life in a heart-to-heart session like no other. Tune in at 7 PM on The Benildean Star's official page and let love take center stage!

📌 GForms are now closed — it's time to listen, feel, and celebrate love together!

Pubmat by Yujin Rana

14/02/2025

𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐑 | More Than Words, Less Than Lovers

Cielo and Rafa were an enigma to those who watched them from afar. In a world that constantly demanded labels, they refused to be defined. Their love was not romantic, nor was it fleeting. It was something deeper, something that could not be captured in love songs or Valentine’s cards.

They met in a spin organization, where Cielo had argued passionately about the erasure of aromantic identities, and Rafa had countered with a well-reasoned defense of love’s infinite forms. Their words clashed, collided, and in the end, neither won. But what they found that day was something far more important than victory.

Their bond formed in the quiet moments between classes, in the way Cielo always saved a seat for Rafa in the library, in the way Rafa instinctively knew when Cielo needed silence more than words. They exchanged notes scribbled in the margins of borrowed books, debated philosophy over cheap coffee, and traversed the labyrinth of life with a connection so profound that people often mistook them for lovers.

They laughed at the assumptions, at the way the world could not fathom that love could exist outside romance. "You two are perfect for each other," their blockmates would say. "When will you finally admit it?" But Cielo and Rafa knew better. Their love did not need to fit inside a heart-shaped box, it did not need to be adorned with kisses and candlelit dinners. It was in the way Rafa showed up for Cielo during tough times, in the way Cielo always texted, "Get home safe," after a long day.

One Valentine’s Day, Rafa handed Cielo a small, hand-woven bracelet. "For you," they said, a little nervous.

Cielo smiled, slipping it onto their wrist. "You know, people are going to think this means something."

Rafa shrugged. "It does. Just not in the way they expect."

And that was enough.

Their love was a whispered echo in the spaces between words, a force that did not need validation. It was friendship, it was devotion, it was home. And while the world struggled to define them, they simply existed—two souls intertwined, not as lovers, but as something equally powerful, equally beautiful.

Something infinite.

Words by Nyah Raganit
Photo by Beulah Laurente of Animo Lucere

14/02/2025

Love isn’t just in the air—it’s in everything we do.

Today, February 14, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Valentine. May we be reminded that love isn’t just about romance but also kindness, compassion, and selflessness. Love surrounds us in both big and small ways. No matter how you celebrate today, know that you are valued and appreciated.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Benildeans! 💘

Words by Sophia Vasquez
Layout by Emman Cabasbas

13/02/2025

UPDATE | Fire Out in Brgy. San Isidro, Antipolo City

After more than an hour of joint efforts, firefighters and fire volunteers from across Rizal have successfully extinguished the fire on Sto. Niño St., Brgy. San Isidro.

Authorities are now assessing the extent of the damage. Meanwhile, response clusters, led by health and social workers, have been mobilized to assist the affected residents.

13/02/2025

BREAKING NEWS | Fire Alert in Brgy. San Isidro, Antipolo City.

A fire broke out tonight along Brgy. Sto. Niño St., Brgy. San Isidro, prompting emergency response teams to the area. Authorities have raised the alarm to the second level as of 9:27 PM.

Residents and motorists are advised to avoid the area to allow firefighters and rescue teams to contain the situation.

Photos by: Mark Azuela

Let’s remain vigilant and pray for everyone’s safety. Stay safe, Benildeans!

13/02/2025

𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐑 | “Ang pagmamahal ay hindi mapaghangad, bagkus ay nakukuntento.”

MAKULAY at mahalimuyak ang aroma ng Pebrero at sa sulyap ng mga bulaklak ay tanaw ko ang banayad na kapayapaan — sa pusod ng Antipolo, sa puso ng magagarbo. Mainit ang haplos ng sinag ng araw gayong mga manok ng eskinita ay tumitilaok pa lamang, ngunit tila ba walang batbat itong ingay sa lamig ng di matukoy-tukoy na damdamin.

Sa bawat hakbang na tinatahak palapit sa pultada ng 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦, animo’y singlakas ng makina ng jeep ang kabog ng aking dibdib — kumakarera’t naglalagabog sa ideyang muli na naman tayong magdidikit. Ilang araw na ang nakalipas mula nang bumalik ka galing ibang bansa pero kung susulyapan ka ay para bang kahapon lang tayo nagkita. Sabi nila, kausapin kita. Sabi nila, ikumusta kita. Pero pano mangayayari ‘yon kung palaging urong sulong ang ating mga mata?

Unang araw pa lang naman ng linggo pero parang buwan na ang nakalipas, dahil papasok pa lang ng 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 nasisinagan na ang pagwawakas — ng pagkukunwaring wala lang pero ang pagsusumamo’y lumalabas. Akala ko ok na kung tuwing linggo ay sa Bayan ako magsisimba pero patawad kung araw-araw na akong nagnanakaw-tingin sa yong mga mata. Dahil nasa 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘳 ka naglalagi at sa sulok ako nakangiti; sa kanya ka nakangiti at sa 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 ako humihikbi.

Sana pala kinausap na kita. Sana pala kinumusta na kita. Sana pala lumapit na at binigkas ang mga salitang ‘mahal kita’. Sana pala naglakas-loob na maghangad ng konting higit pa. Sana pala hindi nakuntento sa paghangad lang ng mga sana.

Subalit hindi na maibabaling ang halimuyak ng pag-ibig na nakatuon sa ibang matang pantay ang pagtingin. Payapa nga sa Antipolo, rito sa puso ng magagarbo — ngunit sa sulok ng 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺, pumapantig ang aking kwento, na higit pa sa mga libro ang imahinasyon ko. At sa puso kong ito, tumutugma ang pagbabago: ang pagmamahal ay hindi mapaghangad, bagkus ay nakukuntento.

Isinulat ni Daffney Nudalo
Kuha ni Elaine Mendoza ng Animo Lucere

13/02/2025

12/02/2025

𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛 | The full performance of Benilde Antipolo’s A’Blaze Dance Crew, the S***K 9: Unleash Your Style 2025 Champions! Witness their winning moves that secured them the top spot!

Videos by: Ven Diaz Sales & Jean Simon Castillo
Music by: Warner Music Philippines, Lola Amour
Arrange by Coach Dale



***K9UnleashYourStyle

Send a message to learn more

12/02/2025

𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡 | Benilde Antipolo’s A’blaze Dance Crew Wins S***K 9: Unleash Your Style 2025

TAYTAY, RIZAL — In a fierce showdown of rhythm and creativity, Benilde Antipolo’s A’blaze Dance Crew emerged as the champion of S***K 9: Unleash Your Style, the electrifying dance battle that set the stage for the first day of Siena Fair 2025 at Siena College of Taytay’s St. Thomas Grounds on February 12, 2025.

A’blaze wowed the judges with their suave "Raining in Manila" performance, securing the top spot with an impressive 91% score. Their victory earned them a trophy and a cash prize of ₱30,000, solidifying their status as one of the top dance crews in the competition scene.

Coming in as 1st runner-up was Eastage Pups from National University East Ortigas, earning 89.17% and ₱20,000, while Wave Guide Crew from Technological University of the Philippines – Taguig landed in 3rd place with 87.3% and ₱10,000.

A’blaze Dance Crew, composed of 20 talented student dancers, was led by their moderator, Mr. Aldrich Ron Sembrano, and coach, Dale Isiah Cruz. Their win is a moment of pride for the entire Benildean community, who continue to celebrate their unstoppable passion and talent on the dance floor.

Words by: Ven Diaz Sales
Photos by: Mark Azuela
Special Thanks to: Siena College of Taytay (Official)



***K9UnleashYourStyle