23/09/2026
๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ
A school is supposed to be a place of learning. However, before a lesson begins inside a classroom, another condition that must come first: people must feel safe enough to learn. Perhaps that is why a school is one of the clearest places where peace can be seen.
Not because it is free from disagreement, noise, or conflict, but because every day, hundreds of people with different personalities, problems, backgrounds, and responsibilities are brought together in one placeโand somehow, the campus continues to move.
Capiz State University (CAPSU) is one of the institutions that upholds this peace in every corner of its learning spaces.
Beneath all these ordinary movements is a quiet system of people making sure that everyone can do what they came to campus to do. Among them are the security guards.
They are often the first faces students see when they arrive and among the last people still standing when the campus begins to empty.
At Capiz State University, SG1 Rodulfo O. Verdadero has spent 18 years doing exactly that. He first entered the university in 2008. Since then, he has witnessed the campus change, students come and go, and countless school days unfold while he kept watch from the same post.
But after nearly two decades of standing at the gate, what does peace actually look like to someone whose job is to protect it?
For Verdadero, peace is not necessarily a silent campus or a day without problems. It can be as simple as students following the rules, people respecting one another, and difficult situations ending without becoming something bigger.
โ๐๐ด ๐ข ๐จ๐ถ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ, ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ข๐น๐ช๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐จ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ,โ he said.
His words reveal something easily missed about peace: sometimes, maintaining it means absorbing the tension before it reaches everyone else.
The work requires vigilance, but it also demands restraint. It means knowing when to intervene, when to remind, and when to remain calm.
For 18 years, Verdadero has learned that keeping watch is not only about what happens at the gate, but also about what happens when people are brought together within it. While Verdadero has spent nearly two decades serving the university, another guard has spent years carrying the same responsibility from a different corner of the campus.
SG Albert D. Lorenzo has been stationed at the College of Education Building for nine years. From checking school bags to reminding students of the universityโs rules, Lorenzoโs post is filled with small encounters that keep the day moving.
โ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐จ๐ถ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ,โ he explained.
These may appear to be menial ordinary tasks, but in a place where thousands of students share the same space, ordinary tasks can carry extraordinary importance.
The responsibility, however, does not end with enforcing rules.
He and his fellow guards are also among the first to respond when emergencies arise, including instances when students suddenly faint and need to be carried to the clinic. In such moments, the uniform becomes more than a symbol of authority; it becomes a sign that someone is there to assist when help is needed.
โ๐๐ข๐บ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ด๐ต๐ถ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐บ๐จ๐ข๐บ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฌ๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ข-๐ข๐ด๐ฌ ๐ด๐ช๐ญ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ญ๐ช๐จ. ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐บ๐จ๐ข๐บ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ด๐ช๐ญ๐ข ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ข๐บ๐ฐ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข ๐ด๐ข ๐ช๐ญ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ,โ Lorenzo shared, revealing a side of security work that extends beyond enforcing rules.
For him, the role does not end at keeping order. It also involves guiding students, offering assistance, and reminding them that the rules they follow help create a safer community. In their own quiet ways, the guards become part of the everyday support system of the university.
Their work may seem routine, yet it is through these routines that peace is sustained.
As the world observes the International Day of Peace, the idea of peace often brings to mind the end of conflict. Within the Capiz State University community, peace can also be found in quieter and more ordinary acts. It is practiced through discipline, patience, and serviceโand the security guards of the university help sustain it every single day.
For Verdadero and Lorenzo, following the university rules is not simply a matter of enforcement but a shared responsibility. As they carry out the directives of the university, they also ask students to do their part in maintaining the order and safety of the campus.
โ๐๐ฆ๐ตโ๐ด ๐ฎ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ. ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ณ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฌ๐ข๐บ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข-๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ด๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ,โ said Lorenzo as he adjusted the metal detector in his hands.
The afternoon continues, and so do the steady movements of students, faculty, and staff through the campus gates. The metal detector beeps, IDs and bags are checked, and familiar greetings are exchanged between students and the guards standing at their posts.
For most students, these moments are part of an ordinary school day. Yet behind these routine encounters are people who quietly make that ordinary day possible.
Verdadero and Lorenzo may stand on different corners of the university, but their work speaks to the same idea: peace is built with patience, discipline, vigilance, and care.
On the International Day of Peace, their stories remind the CAPSU community that sometimes, peace does not announce itself.
Sometimes, it simply stands at the gate, wearing a uniform.
Story by: Mary Queen Tortogo and James Carlo Santiago | The Quest Publication - CAPSU Main Campus
Photos by Vanessa Argaรฑosa | The Quest Publication - CAPSU Main Campus
๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ
A school is supposed to be a place of learning. However, before a lesson begins inside a classroom, another condition that must come first: people must feel safe enough to learn. Perhaps that is why a school is one of the clearest places where peace can be seen.
Not because it is free from disagreement, noise, or conflict, but because every day, hundreds of people with different personalities, problems, backgrounds, and responsibilities are brought together in one placeโand somehow, the campus continues to move.
Capiz State University (CAPSU) is one of the institutions that upholds this peace in every corner of its learning spaces.
Beneath all these ordinary movements is a quiet system of people making sure that everyone can do what they came to campus to do. Among them are the security guards.
They are often the first faces students see when they arrive and among the last people still standing when the campus begins to empty.
At Capiz State University, SG1 Rodulfo O. Verdadero has spent 18 years doing exactly that. He first entered the university in 2008. Since then, he has witnessed the campus change, students come and go, and countless school days unfold while he kept watch from the same post.
But after nearly two decades of standing at the gate, what does peace actually look like to someone whose job is to protect it?
For Verdadero, peace is not necessarily a silent campus or a day without problems. It can be as simple as students following the rules, people respecting one another, and difficult situations ending without becoming something bigger.
โ๐๐ด ๐ข ๐จ๐ถ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ, ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ข๐น๐ช๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐จ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ,โ he said.
His words reveal something easily missed about peace: sometimes, maintaining it means absorbing the tension before it reaches everyone else.
The work requires vigilance, but it also demands restraint. It means knowing when to intervene, when to remind, and when to remain calm.
For 18 years, Verdadero has learned that keeping watch is not only about what happens at the gate, but also about what happens when people are brought together within it. While Verdadero has spent nearly two decades serving the university, another guard has spent years carrying the same responsibility from a different corner of the campus.
SG Albert D. Lorenzo has been stationed at the College of Education Building for nine years. From checking school bags to reminding students of the universityโs rules, Lorenzoโs post is filled with small encounters that keep the day moving.
โ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐จ๐ถ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ,โ he explained.
These may appear to be menial ordinary tasks, but in a place where thousands of students share the same space, ordinary tasks can carry extraordinary importance.
The responsibility, however, does not end with enforcing rules.
He and his fellow guards are also among the first to respond when emergencies arise, including instances when students suddenly faint and need to be carried to the clinic. In such moments, the uniform becomes more than a symbol of authority; it becomes a sign that someone is there to assist when help is needed.
โ๐๐ข๐บ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ด๐ต๐ถ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐บ๐จ๐ข๐บ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฌ๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ข-๐ข๐ด๐ฌ ๐ด๐ช๐ญ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ญ๐ช๐จ. ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐บ๐จ๐ข๐บ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ด๐ช๐ญ๐ข ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ข๐บ๐ฐ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข ๐ด๐ข ๐ช๐ญ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ,โ Lorenzo shared, revealing a side of security work that extends beyond enforcing rules.
For him, the role does not end at keeping order. It also involves guiding students, offering assistance, and reminding them that the rules they follow help create a safer community. In their own quiet ways, the guards become part of the everyday support system of the university.
Their work may seem routine, yet it is through these routines that peace is sustained.
As the world observes the International Day of Peace, the idea of peace often brings to mind the end of conflict. Within the Capiz State University community, peace can also be found in quieter and more ordinary acts. It is practiced through discipline, patience, and serviceโand the security guards of the university help sustain it every single day.
For Verdadero and Lorenzo, following the university rules is not simply a matter of enforcement but a shared responsibility. As they carry out the directives of the university, they also ask students to do their part in maintaining the order and safety of the campus.
โ๐๐ฆ๐ตโ๐ด ๐ฎ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ. ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ณ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฌ๐ข๐บ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข-๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ด๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ,โ said Lorenzo as he adjusted the metal detector in his hands.
The afternoon continues, and so do the steady movements of students, faculty, and staff through the campus gates. The metal detector beeps, IDs and bags are checked, and familiar greetings are exchanged between students and the guards standing at their posts.
For most students, these moments are part of an ordinary school day. Yet behind these routine encounters are people who quietly make that ordinary day possible.
Verdadero and Lorenzo may stand on different corners of the university, but their work speaks to the same idea: peace is built with patience, discipline, vigilance, and care.
On the International Day of Peace, their stories remind the CAPSU community that sometimes, peace does not announce itself.
Sometimes, it simply stands at the gate, wearing a uniform.
Story by: Mary Queen Tortogo and James Carlo Santiago | The Quest Publication - CAPSU Main Campus
Photos by Vanessa Argaรฑosa | The Quest Publication - CAPSU Main Campus
