CABANATUAN CITY, PHILIPPINES — In a timely and thought-provoking response to the growing repercussions of global conflict, more than 500 employees and student leaders of Wesleyan University-Philippines gathered at the Ecumenical Chapel on March 20, 2026 for “CHASE-ing HOPE: WUP’s Response to the Escalating War,” a panel discussion and forum led by the John Wesley Academy and Critical Thinking Center that sought to ground the University community in facts, critical reflection, and concrete action amid rising uncertainty.Hosted by Gladys P. Mangiduyos, the forum opened with a rationale that emphasized how war does not remain confined to battlefields, but reaches nations, communities, institutions, and homes through rising fuel prices, increasing transportation costs, higher prices of basic commodities, disrupted food supply chains, and growing uncertainty in social and economic life. Anchored on the University’s core values of Compassion, Harmony, Accountability, Spirituality, and Excellence, Mangiduyos underscored that the gathering aimed to move the conversation from anxiety to action by identifying grounded, practical, and compassionate responses in the face of crisis. She also stressed that WUP is called not only to inform minds, but also to shape character grounded in reason, clarity, peace, resilience, and justice.

Mangiduyos likewise laid down the guiding protocols for the panel discussion and forum, reminding participants to remain aligned with the purpose of the gathering, keep the conversation respectful and constructive, avoid hate attacks, personal attacks, and divisive arguments, and use calm, grounded, and factual statements throughout the discussion. She said the forum was designed to promote informed, sober, and hope-filled dialogue and to keep the conversation focused on the repercussions of war and the practical responses that may be undertaken within the University and the community.

The first panelist, Dr. Marietta B. Agustin, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, discussed the geopolitical reality of the 2026 Middle East crisis and explained how what may appear to be a distant conflict has direct local consequences. She traced the historical escalation from shadow wars to direct military confrontation and highlighted the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to the United States and its allies as a major driver behind soaring oil and gas prices. She also pointed to the ripple effect on the Philippines, including rising LPG, transport, and food costs, as well as threats to Overseas Filipino Workers.
“The world is currently in a state of epic fury, but our response should be one of quiet strength,” Agustin said.

Prof. Kristoffer Ban L. Cabiles, Social Studies teacher, presented the economic blueprint for navigating the oil shock, warning that the Strait of Hormuz crisis threatens 98 percent of the Philippines’ oil supply and transforms a foreign war into a domestic cost-of-living crisis. Drawing lessons from previous oil shocks, he outlined measures rooted in conservation, substitution, and solidarity, including energy-saving practices, blended work arrangements, and transportation consolidation.

“Our response is built on three pillars: Conservation of what we have, Substitution with what is sustainable, and Solidarity with the nation,” Cabiles said.
On the psychological front, Dr. Henry Cocoy D. Nacpil, Guidance and Placement Office Director, emphasized the need for mental resilience amid what he described as a digital war on the mind. He warned against doomscrolling, emotional contagion, and vicarious trauma, and urged the WUP community to practice self-awareness, digital boundaries, and the PAUSE strategy – Pause, Slow Down, and Reflect – before reacting to distressing content online. He also highlighted the University’s own spaces and support systems as tools for connection and healing.

“We may not control the world, but we can control how we care, connect, and respond. By living out CHASE, we don’t just cope – we become sources of hope,” Nacpil said.

Providing the biblical and historical context, Rev. Dr. Francis V. Fajardo, University Chaplain, situated the present conflict within a broader 4,000-year narrative of exile, return, and contested history. He called on the WUP community to respond not with political bias, but with scriptural discernment, universal empathy, and a commitment to peace. He underscored the Christian mandate to pray and to stand for justice and peace for all people affected by war.
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile… for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Blessed are the peacemakers,” Fajardo said.

During the open forum, a question was directed to the President, Dr. Irineo G. Alvaro, Jr., regarding the plan of the university for the Wesleyan community in the midst of escalating war.

Alvaro said,
“The war is bigger than us. We gathered for a forum grounded in facts, reflection, and responsibility. Through a simple yet factual presentation of the ongoing conflict, we are able to identify concrete measures to address its repercussions.”

Alvaro continued by saying that this is only the beginning.

“More dialogues and conversations like this will follow, as we continue to cultivate calm, clarity, and responsible decision-making in a world shaken by conflict. This is our shared quest to respond to the escalating war, whose tremors have now reached not only nations but our everyday life, minds, and hearts, stirring fear and anxiety. Today, with a simple yet factual presentation of the ongoing conflict, we were able to identify concrete measures to address its repercussions.”
Serving as rapporteur, Dr. Carissa Juliana R. Balaria, dean of the College of Nursing, synthesized the discussions into a unified institutional response, describing the forum as a necessary gathering in a time of “epic fury” that has already reached the country’s economy, families, and peace of mind. She stressed that the war is not distant, but a direct threat to food security, transport costs, and the welfare of OFWs, and outlined immediate actions such as economic discipline, intellectual resilience, the PAUSE technique, and spiritual intercession.

Balaria also presented WUP’s future strategy, including an “Economic Bayanihan,” peer support safe spaces, and the use of the CHASE values not as mere slogans, but as a survival kit.

“We may not control the world, but we control how we care, connect, and respond. Let us move forward with sanity, stability, and a shared commitment to peace. We are Wesleyan. We are CHASE-ing Hope,” Balaria said.

In closing, Mangiduyos said that the initiative affirmed the importance of creating spaces where people can pause, reflect, and think critically amid global uncertainty.

“We are fully aware of the complexity of this issue. We cannot claim to exhaust its full depth and breadth. But we can choose how to respond. We can choose critical thinking over panic, discernment over noise, and informed action over helplessness,” Mangiduyos said.

She concluded by reminding the participants of PAT: Preparedness, heightened Awareness, and Tenacity, a persistent discipline to remain calm in the midst of chaos.

Through CHASE-ing HOPE, Wesleyan University-Philippines affirmed its role as a community of learning and service that stands for life, dignity, and hope in a troubled world, translating global crisis into local discernment, campus action, and a renewed commitment to peace.

The forum was moderated by Prof. Emmanuel R. Pangan and Prof. Mildred G. Abiva.
Article by OVPAP and CON
Photos by John Carlo Dauz (PIO)