By Ry Dolor

By Lia Atienza and AJ Alarcon

On Monday, January 26, the Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) kicked off “Gonzavaganza: Gonzaga Week 2026,” through the blessing of the Batan-on Exhibit and the offering of alternative classes by formators and experts to the student body.

The opening of Gonzaga Week began with the blessing of the Batan-on (Visayan term for “young”) Exhibit, headed by school chaplain Fr. Noel Bava, SJ, at the Gonzaga Chapel foyer in the Formation and Learning Center (FLC).

The exhibit included images of young saints, blessed individuals, and models of holiness, celebrating St. Aloysius Gonzaga as the patron saint of the youth. 

Additionally, the offered alternative classes featured various activities, workshops, and field trips, allowing students to engage in non-academic pursuits to start the week. 

“It’s a way to express ourselves, and [at the same time], we get to have a few hours off academics and enjoy our own interests and hobbies with other people,” said Luis Sevilla of 11-Angelis, a participant of the “Making Sense of Scents: Fragrance Appreciation and Collection” alternative class.

The in-school activities offered to both Grade 11 and 12 students covered various fields of recreational activities, workshops, and games, like bingo and trivia. 

One of the workshops offered to the Grade 12 students was “Create. Capture. Communicate,” headed by representatives from the GMA Network Post Production Team.

Students were taught the basics of photography, videography, and video editing, and were given the chance to apply these techniques in their own photo and video outputs. 

“As someone who’s always been intrigued by the art, this experience allowed me to properly learn more about the craft with the guidance of a group of people who are beyond well-skilled in it,”  said Dagny Daliva of 12-Geronimo, a participant in the class.

Booths and concessionaires organized by the Faith Formation District (FFD) and Business District (BD) were also stationed at the first-floor foyer of the Main Building.

Among these booths are Hey! Chicken, Dairy Queen, The Philippine Jesuit Prison Service (PJPS) Ex-preso, Ate Rica’s Bacsilog, and FFD’s Prayer Dropbox. 

Beyond Ateneo

Field trips were also offered to Grade 12 students as alternative classes, including visits to various tourist attractions and food spots within Metro Manila, with one held in Cainta.

One of the class offerings was the “Sa Loob ng Pader: An Experiential History Class in Intramuros,” in which Sir Lord Mc Will Perucho and Sir Marvin Luna guided the participants throughout the trip.

The class toured Plaza Roma, San Agustin Church, the Old Ateneo Municipal Site, Baluarte de San Diego, and Fort Santiago.

“Kung matatanong ako kung ano ba yung pinakana-pick up ko on this, it’s that everyone should go to Intramuros,” said class participant Zy Domingo of 12-Gonzales.

He added, “Everyone should experience it. Everyone should take some time to learn about it since it’s our history and it’s important that we get to know about it.”

Domingo also noted that the field trip allowed him to not only learn about Philippine history, but also to experience the lesson firsthand on site.

The following days of Gonzaga Week include school-wide Mass, opening program, class salu-salo, and interstrand activities on Tuesday, January 27.

The celebration will be capped off with the annual ASHS Fair ‘Siklo’ on Friday, January 30, and Saturday, January 31.