On August 12, 2025, the seminary hosted the Liwang Cultural Ensemble of Liwang Elementary School, Malibcong, Abra, for an evening of cultural exchange. The group is a nine-time grand winner of the prestigious National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) in the Traditional Music category.

The ensemble is the fruit of the school’s Project Pauliyan—literally meaning “to go back”—an initiative that seeks to immerse the younger generation in the richness of the Banao culture.

The evening’s program featured educational talks on the tribe’s various rituals, along with performances of traditional dances and songs. The group also showcased their musical talents through the gansa and different bamboo instruments.

In response, the seminarians shared their reflections on the ensemble’s cultural identity and performances. The seminary choir also rendered two salidummays, accompanied by the tongngatong ensemble from the Grade 9 class.

This cultural exchange is part of the seminary’s programs rooted in its core value of justice. It aims to form seminarians who can appreciate and respond to the cultural realities of the people of Abra.

The Environment and Natural Resources Office of the Provincial Government of Abra conducted a workshop on Solid Management as part of the seminary’s participation in the Season of Creation on September 12, 2025. Held at the school’s dining hall, the session focused on environmental laws, waste classification, waste management, and the use of Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and landfills. The facilitators also demonstrated proper segregation and disposal practices, aiming to form seminarians not only as future priests but also as stewards of the environment.

St. Joseph Seminary's volleyball team clinched victory against Holy Cross School in a friendly match on September 14, 2024, in Lagangilang, Abra. The game was part of the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross celebration.
 
The Josephites, started strong, claiming the first set with a commanding 25-16 score. However, Holy Cross bounced back in the second set, leveling the match with a convincing 25-13 win. In the decisive third set, St. Joseph regained control, securing a 15-10 win to claim the match.

The seminarians did not only display skills, but also excellent sportsmanship, reflecting the true spirit of the friendly competition.

The seminarians, formators, and faculty members of St. Joseph Seminary spent time for prayer and reflection during the Annual Lenten Recollection facilitated by Fr. Bryan H. Garibay. The recollection which began yesterday, April 3, 2023 and culminated in today’s mass, centered on the theme of “Coming Home” to God.

​Fr. Garibay is a priest from the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. He is currently taking up his Licentiate in Canon Law from the University of Santo Tomas.

SJS bagged the Overall Champion Award at the 42nd Hearts on Fire: Abra Gospel Festival themed “Heeding to the Cry of Creation” on February 25, 2023, held at the Divine Word College of Bangued Gymnasium.

Songwriting
Rev. Fr. Floro Bautista’s “Paginanaenkayo” won 2nd Place and Sem. Mark Rainniel M. Daguiomen’s “Dika Agbuten, Ipatpategka” won 3rd Place in the Songwriting Competition.

Poster-Making
Sem. Robert Lenroe A. Sierra placed 2nd in the poster-making competition with his entry entitled, “Heeding the Cry of Creation is rooted in the Care and Concern for Everyone”.

Photography
Seminarians swept all the places in the Photography Competition. For the second time around, Sem. Christian Gabriel B. Barbosa ranked first with his entry entitled “Irritatingly Beautiful”. Sem. Mark Rainniel M. Daguiomen’s  “Hope through the Smoke” ranked second, while Sem. Yossef V. Flores’s Ziplock Coffin ranked third.

Choral Competition
The SJS Choir’s interpretation of Paginanaenkayo was awarded first prize in the Choral Competition, making the SJS Choir record its fifth consecutive win in this particular competition.

Dance Drama
The Josephites’ portrayal of “The Parable of the Tenants” also won first place in the Dance Drama Competition.

Bible Quiz Bee
The SJS Bible Quiz Bee Team ranked 3rd among the competitors. The team included Genesis Ace Velasquez (G10), Jan Erol Monde Bisares (G10), Cymhere Jesuah M. Valencia (G9), Lourde Yuri A. Tarinay (G9) and Yeshua Marius C. Collo (G7).

The seminary's Senior High School Department held the First Philosophical Research Symposium on the " The State of the Truth in Socio-Politics", on February 17, 2023. Frt. Christian Plurad, the instructor for philosophical paper writing, delivered the keynote lecture on “Post-truth in Socio-Political Context”. The Grade 12 students who are taking up the course also presented their research papers. Seminarians Aron Jericho B. Cantil and Venice Jerdian T. Bringas talked about “Cronyism and Nepotism in Socio-Political Sphere in the Philippines”. Furthermore, seminarians Lil Ambrose Dimitri A. Badajos and Derick Nicola Babo M. Lumaang discussed “The Proliferation of fake news and Philippine Democracy.”

​The said symposium which was held at the Saint Joseph Seminary’s Social Hall was participated by five Diocesan Schools namely: the Little Flower High School of Peñarrubia, Our Lady of Guadalupe High School of Lacub, Queen of Peace High School of Canan,  Queen of Peace High School of La Paz, and the St. Mary High School of Pidigan.

Saint Joseph Seminary (SJS) launched Math and Science month on November 22, 2020 at the dining hall of SJS leaving seminarians passion for Math and Science blazing.
“Science and math are important. It goes beyond the facts in a biology textbook or the questions on an algebra quiz.” Ms. Anthonette Gutierrez said as she started her opening speech. She stressed that Math and Science are equally important in the lives of all people as it also fortifies, just like other subjects, the abilities of all persons to efficiently solve problems and think critically which are both relevant to innovative skills that provide sustainable opportunities for every person.

The head of the Program Relation Committee, Sem. Aron Jericho Cantil, presented the schedule and activities during the Math and Science month that will enable seminarians to showcase their creativity, innovative skills, and proficiency in Math and Science.

These activities include Pool, 3-point shootout, Damath and Sci Damath which tests the ability of seminarians to perform operations on polynomials. The activities also include essay writing, geometric poster making, and extemporaneous speech. There will be collaborative activity between math, science, and programming called Amazing Race: Coding Edition. The highlight of the Math-Sci month is the TED+ (plus) where seminarians are to make investigatory projects that are supposed to address some issues in the seminary and provide possible solutions for them. Their TED+ presentations should be equally entertaining and educating. TED+ is originally TEDx which stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design and the X is an indication that the TED event is independently organized. TEDx was modified into TED+ in order to incorporate Christ into the TED event.
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“Technological Innovation is not more on gadgets, rather it is a mindset; it is discipline” Frt. Mark Louie Martes said as he closed the event reminding the seminarians that even the greatest of people had discipline, and it was their discipline that helped them become the great persons they are. He told the seminarians that as young as they are, they should practice a life fortified by discipline.

​Diocesan Schools (DSO) Supervisor, visits Saint Joseph Seminary (SJS) on November 6, 2020 at 3:00 in the afternoon.
 
PEAC (Private Education Assistance Contracting) has been contracted by the DepEd to provide the ESC program. PEAC uses the program, ESC, to provide assistance to private education in the country. It is the reason why Mr. Jetrix Tenebro, DSO Supervisor, aids and coaches the seminary’s faculty on Curriculum Instruction, and Assessment in preparation for the seminary’s ESC (Educational Service Contracting) recertification.  

​The St. Joseph Seminary (SJS) community culminated the month of the Holy Rosary on October 31, 2020 at the SJS volleyball court at six o’clock in the evening.
 
The seminarians prayed the Holy Rosary on the first month of October until it was culminated on the 31st. The culmination of the month of the Holy Rosary started with the living rosary whereby it was prayed in different languages namely: English, Filipino, Ilocano, and Latin. Chosen seminarians from each class formed a pattern of the rosary, where one seminarian corresponded to one bead in the rosary. A Marian hymn was interspersed every mystery.
 
A Marian quiz bee was prepared by the University of Santo Tomas (UST) major seminarians. It measured how knowledgeable were the seminarians when it comes to facts about Mary. The quiz bee was held at the Fr. Carmelo Gonzales Wellness Center and was participated seminarians who were divided into peer groups. The Peer group 6 dominated the competition.  
 
Every October, the Universal Church celebrates the month of the Holy Rosary. October is the chosen month of the rosary because the liturgical feast of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on October 7. The feast was introduced by Pope St. Pius in the year 1571 to commemorate the miraculous victory of the Christian forces in the battle of Lepanto in October 7, 1571. It is customary to pray the rosary every day in the month of October to honor and venerate the Holy Rosary which is a devotion to Mary and at the same time is centered in the very life of Jesus.

Despite being moved later than the usual due to the pandemic, the seminary pursued and celebrated the acquaintance party on October 31, 2020, at 7:00 in the evening. Themed “Iisang bangka”, Saint Joseph Seminary formally welcomed on board its new members. 

Sem. Grian Christopher Cabutaje, the general sacristan led the opening prayer. He highlighted God’s gift of friendship and prayed that all seminarians, after the party, may gain new friends and memories. The prayer was followed by a sumptuous dinner prepared by the Seminary’s kitchen.
The introduction of the new comers highlighted the event. Noteworthy were the mottos that they believe in. Their introduction led way for the community to know more about them.

Each class showcased their talents that made the night even more wonderful. Solo performances were from Nathaniel De Vera, a grade 7 seminarian, who sang the voice box defying Never Enough by Loren Allred, and Ms. Paula Valera, a new member of the faculty, with her rendition of Bakit Pa Ba?  by Sarah Geronimo. Carlo Ramos and Lil Badajos sang a duet and had their own take of A Whole New World from the hit-movie Aladdin. The Chorus Josephi, the seminary’s pride, also performed The Lion Sleeps Tonight that lulled the audience to speechlessness and then into a burst of applause. 

A Marian hymn and the final blessing which was given by Rev. Fr. Gary Rex A. Bugtong, the Prefect of Discipline, concluded the event.

​That night and the crew embarked on a new journey with laughter, friendship, and memories.