Just when the ordinary hustle-bustle of an academic morning starts to unfold, you see…

• a teenage boy in a neatly-pressed uniform huddled in a corner with his chums reviewing for the day’s oral exams

• a more subdued boy seated on a chair with his calculating looks all set for a challenging day of scholastic tasks

• a cheerful grader busily engaging himself to a banter with a group of equally active and talented boys

• a shy but content grader absorbed in his little world of fantasy revolving around just about anything from Spiderman, to Avatar to Phineas and Ferb.

All these happened in different times at different places… four spirited boys, four distinct personalities, one loyalty. Let the spotlight focus on – the Abril siblings!

DENNIS ARAN T. ABRIL  (2002-2004)

When asked about the thing that stands out the most in his STEFTI experience, Dennis, the eldest of the four, has this to say:

“STEFTI taught me about deep faith in God.  Whenever I find myself in difficult situations, I cling on to that faith – that He is merciful, loving, and kind. And I aspire to wear that faith where everyone can see it. I’d say that STEFTI let us experience Daddy God in ways, small and big, that significantly strengthened our faith in Him. Every Friday morning, we would go to the Prayer Room and pray the Rosary and sing the St. Therese Hymn right after. Oh, how we looked forward to those times when we could enjoy the coolness of the airconditioned room. Simple joys. “

Dennis Aran

I remember how our teachers would let us read parables of Jesus and weave the teachings in said parables with real-life situations  in Religion/GMRC class.  There I got to know St. Therese, the only saint whose life I am most familiar with.  I also consider Ma’am Didits’ SURVIVOR Spelling Drill the most fun and memorable class activity.

As an elementary pupil, he was not only inclined to do well in his studies but also motivated to participate in non-academic endeavors. He joined the STEFTI Chorale, the STEFTI Braves Soccer Team (believe it or not), and represented the school in the Tacloban City Meet Sports Competition for badminton and won his first Silver medal in sports!  The stress that came along with balancing his studies and non-academic activities was unimaginable but later on it prepared him to be relentless and faithful amid adversities. For him, STEFTI education is a benevolent and transformative education.

At present he wears several hats — that of a lawyer, a law professor, a student, and a good governance and human rights advocate.  He is a full-fledged member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and, recently, has become a member of the International Bar Association, the foremost organization for international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies.

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He is also into the private law practice, a partner at the Eastern Visayas Law Center. Concurrently, he works at the Office of the Majority Leader, Philippine House of Representatives, as a legal consultant. 

As an educator, he handles Public International Law, Private International Law, and Human Rights Law at the Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation, Inc. (DVOREFI) College of Law. 

As a student, he is in his first year of Master of Laws in Public International Law studies at the University of London (UCL/QMUL).

As an advocate for good governance, in 2020, he is a member of the Legal Affairs team of GoodGovPH, Inc., a youth-led movement for good governance in the Philippines. 

As a human rights advocate, he volunteers for Amnesty International Philippines (AI) and has been an active member thereof for two years now.

And earlier this year, he became a member of the Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU)– Board of Regents. Absolutely, Dennis has achieved what he could dream for and even more! As a student he embodied patience, hard work and intelligence and these got him to where he is now.  To future STEFTI graduates who might want to follow in his footsteps, he shares with you these tips get by in college and in life:

DEREK ARAN T. ABRIL  (2002-2005)

Derek, the second child, is the critical thinker. Back in high school he enjoyed the exclusivity of his own company and was very observant. Yet he could give any of the well-thought of answers to difficult questions in just a blink of an eye. 

He recalled that STEFTI has always provided a warm and nurturing environment. For him, the school was, and even until now, definitely a home away from home. He felt that sense of family bond that each student felt. 

“From a once shy and aloof boy, I think I have become exactly the person I needed to be. With the brand of nurturing STEFTI has, I gained just the right amount of self-confidence to help me get through high school and college and into what I have become at present especially during the years that I worked on foreign soil. The school puts an effort as a community to really develop responsibility, sensitivity, and resourcefulness in the students”

“If I could describe the STEFTI brand of education in one sentence, it would be a School that Enriches, Fosters, Teaches, and Inspires, because that is the reason why I became what I am today.  Its inspiration for me is responsible in propelling me into greater heights.”

Derek Aran

He finished the degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College in 2014. He worked as a software engineer at Advanced World Solutions in 2014. From 2016 up until last year, he was with the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) in Tokyo, Japan. Then just recently he was employed at IBM and Japan International Cooperation Agency.

GLENN ARAN T. ABRIL  (2002-2010)

Glenn, the third child, graduated from STEFTI along with the pioneering high school batch of students.  Upon graduating from elementary in 2006 he transferred to another school but went back to STEFTI the next year when it opened its doors for the first time to high school students.  Reminiscing his stay in STEFTI, he has much to thank the school for.  

“STEFTI did a great job in preparing us for the real world not only intellectually but also morally and spiritually. In addition, STEFTI’s brand of education to me means growing up holistically. They treat their students & their parents like family and I think that’s what separates STEFTI from other schools. The Foundation Day celebration in STEFTI for me is what I enjoy the most because it is during this time when we get to showcase our talents & skills and enjoy with other families in the fun and festivities during Family Days. They provided the much-needed breather from studies, too.”

Glenn Aran

Glenn is a medical doctor now. He recently passed the Physician Licensure Exams last November 2020.

He is currently working at Tacloban City Hospital and planning to start residency training next year.

As an advice to students who wish to venture into the medical world, he shares this:

ARNOLD ARAN T. ABRIL  (2002-2012)

Arnold, the fourth sibling, was formed and raised the STEFTI way. He was the fierce loyalist who never left STEFTI.  He stayed through — from elementary until high school. During high school, he was with the STEFTI Braves Volleyball Team and even was the lead guitarist of a band formed by also musically-inclined schoolmates. He also served as an acolyte since elementary up to high school.

“My 10 years in STEFTI allowed me to understand that faith in God alone will not get me anywhere. It has to be coupled with hard work and tireless efforts while praying to Him for guidance and strength to carry on.”

Arnold Aran

Looking back, I would say that the most compelling aspect of my STEFTI experience is the system of discipline that it instills in and imbibes upon the students. The youth tend to be rash or impulsive. It is but reasonable for STEFTI to be proactive in their approach to mold the young.

Secondly, who can ever forget the cumbersome and challenging AS’s mandatorily compiled neatly and orderly in Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Orange (name the colors in the Prang Wheel) Portfolios? And the Blank Sheets that shouldn’t be blank at the end of the period? How we hesitantly deposited our cellphones to the safekeeping of our advisers (but managed to sneak peak at messages when the teacher isn’t around)! The Dynamic Learning Program, the Battle of the Bands, winless streaks of Inter-school Volleyball Competitions but with congratulatory taps on our shoulders from our ever-supported coaches, the English Speaking Campaign, the monthly Confessions, First Friday Masses at the Auditorium, Orange Templars, Deo Gratias…. the list can go on and on.   How can STEFTI be without all these?

The students in STEFTI should count themselves lucky to have been educated in a school that is all-encompassing in the sense that the people who work there — the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, security, and utility — put in collective effort to make the institution the best place for pupils and students to grow personally, physically (for student-athletes), mentally, socially, and spiritually, all of which are the key to excellence.

He tells future STEFTI grads not to take everything, or even anything, for granted. Studying in a school like STEFTI is a privilege in itself. Students should be thankful to their parent/s or to the person/s who work round-the-clock just to send them to an institution that truly cares about its students. 

Arnold is a testimony that being chill and laid back, coupled with hard work and sheer determination to succeed can lead one to hit the mark.

After finishing the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences (BASS) Major in Political Science at the University of the Philippines – Tacloban College in 2016, he pursued Bachelor of Laws at the University of San Carlos, one of the best law schools in the country, and earned the title of Juris Doctor, in 2020. At present, he is waiting to take the Bar Examinations hopefully within this year.



There you have it: Boys of spirit, boys of will, boys of muscle, brain and power all having one loyalty. Only in STEFTI!