Vice Principal for Student Affairs Christian Anthony Valino paused mid-sentence. What began as a conversation about MDSF’s character formation program turned into a significant moment of reflection.
“One of our Grade 6 students this year started Grade 1 in 2019,” he said.
“That means… they’ve gone through the Sagradan Virtues Project from the very beginning. All six years.”
The realization was more than personal—it was proof of something schools rarely get in values education: consistency, continuity, and intention.
A Culture Built to Last
What began in 2019 as a quiet question has, six years later, become a daily rhythm—a living culture. The Sagradan Virtues Project (SVP) now reaches a milestone: its first full cycle, completed by this year’s graduating class.
SVP was never designed as a one-off activity. It was envisioned as a long-term formation initiative. Today, it stands out as one of the rare values education programs that has sustained its original promise: visible culture-building and clear structural reinforcement.
In 2019, Valino—then a young Student Well-Being Officer—noticed a gap. While teachers spoke fluently about 21st-century skills in the classroom, there was no common language when it came to character formation.
“I remember asking myself: If a parent asks what our approach is to values formation, what do I say?”
A conversation with then-School Principal Maria Cristina Silamor led Valino to The Virtues Project by Linda Kavelin-Popov—a global framework for character development. Its principles were clearly defined, age-appropriate, and designed for school settings, aligning seamlessly with the needs of the institution.
“We wanted students to understand the virtues with their heads, feel them with their hearts, and express them with their hands.”
This became the DNA of SVP: knowledge of it, emotional connection to it, and behavioral expression—all seamlessly built into school life.
“We aim to build students who pay it forward because it feels good to do so.”
When Crisis Tested Culture
The SVP officially launched with classroom discussions and posters. Then the pandemic struck.
Instead of pausing the program, the SVP adapted. A dedicated page on the school’s learning management system became a virtual hub for character formation. Videos, reflections, and activity sheets modeled virtues like empathy, respect, and perseverance—not just as definitions, but as actions students could practice at home.
Post-pandemic, the program didn’t just resume. It evolved.
SVP 2.0: Virtues Made Visible
When students returned to campus, the school introduced a much needed SVP 2.0—a refreshed, interactive version. The first floor of the Grade School building became the Virtue Hallway, filled with visual reminders of each month’s highlighted virtue.
The program also rolled out two tools for behavior reflection: the Green Slip, issued for student actions needing guidance, and the Virtue Voucher, awarded to affirm positive behavior.
Valino recalls that the idea of introducing Virtue Vouchers—a crucial moment in SVP’s history—was sparked by a Sagradan student.
“Sir,” the student said, “when I do something wrong, I get a Green Slip. But when I do something right, I do not have anything in my hands.”
That observation prompted Valino himself to re-evaluate how the department recognized students.
“The Virtue Voucher was our way to change that thinking—to say, yes, we see the good, too.”
Now, students collect vouchers that lead to end-of-quarter recognition in the form of certificates and badges. More importantly, teachers are encouraged to identify and acknowledge quiet acts of character values within their students.
Empathy in the Classroom
For long-time educator and current Student Well-Being Officer Mr. Melchor Cruz, the project is proof that firm discipline and compassion need not be opposites.
In introducing July’s virtue of the month, he turned to the parable of the Good Samaritan, urging students to place themselves in the story’s shoes—those who walked past, the one who stopped, and the one who was hurt.
“In teaching values,” he said, “it’s not just about giving rules. It’s about creating room for students to reflect on their place in the lives of others.”
Reinforcing Goodness, Not Policing Behavior
Ms. Ana Jessele Vivar, also a Student Well-Being Officer, is clear about what SVP is—and what it’s not.
“We’re not here to fix misbehavior,” Vivar said.
“We’re building a culture of positive reinforcement, where good is visible, expected, and recognized.”
For her, the question is not what happens when a student makes a mistake, but rather, what happens after they’ve grown?
“After they improve, do we just wait for the next slip? Or do we celebrate the change? SVP chooses the latter,” the SWBO added.
This year, the school introduced a Virtues Wall—a living collage of names and stories of students who embodied specific values. A mirror of the culture the school has nurtured.
Six Years in the Making
Now, as the first full batch of SVP students prepares to graduate, the milestone isn’t marked by banners or big ceremonies—but by the quiet way these children move through the world.
“From their earliest years, they’ve heard the virtues, spoken the language, and lived the practice.”
The results can’t be captured in a test score, but they echo in everyday moments: A student helping another without being asked. A quiet voice diffuses tension. A class lining up without reminders.
Since 2019, Valino has often said that the root of all virtues is love—a quiet but powerful belief that has shaped how the program was built and how it continues to grow.
“They obey not because they fear their teachers, but because they love their teachers.”
Never built to impress but to last.
And six years later, it has.
Now, as one cycle ends, another quietly begins—with the same head, heart, and hands shaping the next generation, one act of kindness at a time.