Immaculate Concepcion Academy Class 1981 Outreach at CIW: An Encounter of Hope

“What makes you get up in the morning?”

Last Saturday, February 21, 2026, the Immaculate Concepcion Academy Class of 1981 spent their morning at the Correctional Institution for Women – Maximum Security Camp for an outreach activity in partnership with the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service Foundation, Inc. (PJPS).

What many initially thought would be a simple outreach activity became something far more meaningful. An encounter.

There were no grand gestures, no elaborate program, no photo opportunities. Instead, the morning unfolded through shared prayer, Zumba, light-hearted games, shared meals, and most importantly, honest conversations with women deprived of liberty. It was a gathering marked not by spectacle, but by presence.

The group arrived with understandable uncertainty, unsure of what to expect inside the Maximum Security Camp. Yet they left deeply moved and humbled.

They encountered women who, despite difficult circumstances, chose hope over bitterness. Women who spoke about their dreams beyond the prison walls. Women who shared their simple bento meals with dormmates. Women who continue to study, to serve, to pray, and to believe in the possibility of renewal.

The outreach became a powerful reminder that joy does not require extravagance. Sometimes, it only takes presence. Sometimes, it only takes someone willing to listen. Sometimes, it only takes being reminded that you matter.

No, the world was not changed that morning.

But for a few sacred hours, laughter echoed through the halls. Stories were exchanged. Grace was felt. And in seeking to bless others, ICA Class 1981 found themselves blessed in return.

Gratitude. Humility. No judgment. Hope.

Some Saturdays are worth waking up for.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.