FOSTERING camaraderie and community spirit within the Legal Management community, the Junior Bedan Law Circle (JBLC) launched its first-ever sportsfest titled “Lex Play: JBLC Sportsfest 2026” on Feb. 21 at the Fr. Baltazar Gymnasium. The sportsfest was organized to strengthen unity across year levels within the department and to provide students with a well-deserved academic break, featuring sports such as Palarong Pinoy, chess, basketball, and volleyball.

The event commenced with opening remarks delivered by Ashley Udani (IV-BSLM), JBLC President, who expressed her gratitude to everyone in attendance and highlighted that “Lex Play” was organized not only to encourage friendly competition but also to strengthen bonds and foster enjoyment within the Legal Management department.

Following the opening remarks, the oath of sportsmanship was led by Edward Arriba (IV-BSLM), wherein participants of the games raised their right hands and pledged to observe fairness, integrity, and respect throughout the games.

Lex Start

Various sporting events took place throughout the day, giving the LegMa community a chance to showcase their athletic skills while fostering camaraderie. The event saw notable attendance from law professors, including Atty. Charles Baculi, JBLC Moderator, Atty. Christian Arbiol, and Atty. William Santos, as well as students and alumni of the department.

The games kicked off with Palarong Pinoy, which included the sack race and patintero, where students eagerly participated and showcased their competitive spirit. Divided into foure groups, participants in the sack race had to wear the sacks on their heads instead of the usual way on their feet, adding an extra challenge as they hopped toward the finish line. This twist drew enjoyment not only from the participants themselves but also from the crowd.

In Patintero, students faced a twist within the game itself: incorporating Block 123, in which one player from the opposing team had to reach the opponents’ base to secure a win. In the end, Group 1 emerged victorious, winning both games.

Lex Compete

The event also featured basketball and mixed volleyball, with the participants from different year levels showing off their skills, teamwork, and competitive spirit. These matches not only tested athletic ability but also strengthened togetherness within the community, keeping the crowd cheering throughout the day.

On the other hand, mixed chess was also part of the event, highlighting the tactical and strategic skills of the participants. The intense matches ended in a draw after seven minutes, resulting in two players being declared as champions.

Lex Initiative

In an interview with THE BEDAN HERALD, Melizza Magno (II-BSLM), second-year representative of JBLC, highlighted that the sportsfest was the first time that the organization organized such an event. She emphasized that the sportsfest was not a top-down initiative coming from the officers themselves, but was genuinely driven by the students.

“For us, being a student organization means being responsive to what the community actually wants, not just what we think they need, and the sports fest is a product of that,” she said.

Magno also stressed the importance and objective of the event as something to give the Legal Management students a different space to connect with each other, which sets it apart from their previous projects, which revolved around academic and professional pursuits, stating that it is not the whole picture of what a community should look like.

“We wanted to create an environment where Legal Management students, regardless of what year they are in or who they already know, can interact more freely and just enjoy being part of the same community. Sports, by nature, bring people together in a way that few other settings can,” she shared.

She also added that the goal of the event was to build a stronger sense of belonging within the LegMa community, one that goes beyond academics and encourages genuine connections among students. Magno further stated that the organization hopes to continue the said event in future academic years after seeing the success of its first sportsfest.