THE LOYOLA Mountaineers (LM) has shut down their application period and put their application processes under evaluations and revisions with the help of their alumni and the Office of Student Activities (OSA). These efforts are being undertaken to strengthen safety measures for future activities led by student-organizations in light of the unfortunate death of a Loyola Schools student during one of LM’s test runs.

Management senior Trisha Marie Yap passed away following a test run organized by the Loyola Mountaineers on September 19 as part of their application requirements. The test run’s mechanics were that applicants must run six kilometers within 45 minutes at their own pace.

According to LM’s statement posted on September 20, Trisha collapsed along Fr. Masterson Drive at around 6:23 PM, 44 minutes into the activity. The organization’s pacers and marshals at the scene quickly called for paramedics, which reportedly came within two minutes. She was rushed to the Office of Health Services (OHS) clinic for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

At 6:40 PM, she was rushed to the World Citi Medical Center in Anonas. The ambulance arrived at the hospital 6:52 PM. Despite continued attempts at resuscitation by ER personnel, she was declared dead at approximately 7:20 PM, said the statement.

Sherman Yap, Trisha’s father, said that the cause of death listed on her death certificate was fatal arrhythmia, a cardiovascular problem that involves irregular patterns of heartbeat, secondary to cardiomyopathy.

OHS Director Dr. Ma. Henrietta Teresa Dela Cruz expressed that the OHS is in mourning from Trisha’s loss, and that the OHS through the Ateneo Risk Management Unit (ARMU) exhausted all means they could during the incident to save her. However, she declined to discuss the matter further.

Strengthening prevention and coping

According to LM President Mark Comia, LM is currently formulating and proposing improvements for its application process. The organization has been consulting doctors, health experts, professional athletes, and professional runners in formulating safer processes.

Comia noted that they have shut down the application process in the meantime.

LM is in the process of incorporating how to make members become further informed about safety during applications. Comia stated that the organization is in close coordination with OSA for the improvement of plans and procedures.

“Hopefully, ‘yung babaguhin namin magiging effective and wala namang mangyayaring ganito in the future,” Comia said.

(Hopefully what we change will be effective and nothing like this will happen in the future.)

According to Mr. Yap, Ateneo had handled the incident “the best way they can.” However, he believed that the test run itself was “very poorly organized,” and said that there were “no effective emergency response” on standby.

He added that Trisha only knew about the test run two weeks prior to the event, while Comia told him personally that they notified applicants a month before.

“I am not sure what to believe. Things might have turned out differently if Trisha was given more time to prepare,” he said.

Neil Reyes, the OSA officer-in-charge at the time of the incident, said that OSA has formed an ad hoc fact-finding committee composed of members outside of OSA, who cannot be disclosed to preserve objectivity in the investigation. According to Reyes, the composition of the committee will only be revealed to “individuals or parties which the committee deems necessary to call on for input during its meetings.”

Although the family “doesn’t require it,” OSA will conduct the fact-finding formal investigation on the incident to determine what safety precautions can be put in place to prevent future incidents.

As of this writing, the committee is still planning its first meeting, according to Reyes.

Meanwhile, LM has also held post-processing sessions for their other applicants to help them cope with the incident. The organization has also offered applicants individual consultations, and coordinated with the Loyola Schools Office of Guidance and Counseling (LSOGC) to invite applicants and members to visit the office. Comia also said LM has also been checking up on those who are having a hard time coping by sending them private messages online every now and then.

Medical clearance

Comia stated that applicants are required to submit medical documents prior to the application proper. These included a medical certificate, an endorsement from an applicant’s doctor regarding their fitness, forms on an applicant’s history of medical conditions, and a parental notification form, which must be signed by the applicant, their doctor, and their parent or guardian.

Trisha had been cleared for the test run. Comia said that the only medical condition that was included in the document on her medical history was skin asthma.

According to Mr. Yap, however, the family has a history of being diagnosed with severe arrhythmia, including himself.

He also noted that Trisha was diagnosed with depression, but strongly maintains that this nor her medications for it had anything to do with her passing.

The application proper

According to Comia, the LM application is a process where they assess the fitness and physical conditions of the applicants before hiking and climbing. Comia stated that LM alumnus Charles Pe (BS MGT ‘17), who was one of the pacers at the scene, found Trisha and yelled for paramedics.

According to Comia, the test run is done in the “most controlled way possible.” He said that there were stationed marshals “at every turning point” and pacers running along with the applicants.

He noted that LM members “cannot push the applicant physically” to go on with the runs. He also said that the organization has a protocol which states that if an applicant falls down during the run, they are not allowed to continue to run and are to be accompanied to the finish line.

Comia said the application, which is a semester-long procedure, “has always been that way” for LM. However, he notes that there have been added safety precautions throughout the years, such as the coordination with ARMU.

According to Comia, LM also submitted letters to the Campus Safety and Mobility Office and the Office of Facilities and Sustainability to coordinate with them for the test run. Comia said these letters were not required by any office, but were still formed to heighten the safety of the event.

Reyes said that it has become “more difficult, over the years, to point out which applicant is fit and is capable of going through the application process.”

Reyes added that OSA’s role during student activities is more of an “advisory” one, rather than one that provides direct supervision. This includes providing consultations, checking up on the organization, and asking if the organization has informed other offices as needed.

Healing, remembering Trisha

It had been a painful incident for all involved, especially for Trisha’s family.

“Trisha is the sweetest kid. [She was] a very thoughtful daughter, a loving sister, and very loyal to her friends,” said Mr. Yap. He also shared that Trisha loved the outdoors, especially the beaches and the mountains, and was an advocate for the environment, revolving her career around it.

He also added that his family is still coping and struggling with her loss. “It feels like she is just in her apartment in Katipunan and waiting for a school break to come home to Cagayan de Oro City for a vacation,” he said.

Meanwhile, LM is also on a road to recovery, as they are still receiving counseling and aid regarding the incident. “[We’re] taking it one thing at a time,” Comia said.

Aside from being provided counseling by the LSOGC, he said that LM is being aided by their alumni in the reassessment and improvement of their application process. At the time of the matter, Comia said that they had even helped them on what to do, including “little things, like forming statements and contacting the school.”

“All of us were students. Honestly, when that happened, we were all rattled. [LM] alumni were there to comfort us,” said Comia.

For Reyes, the most difficult part after the incident was “[figuring] out how to comfort [Trisha’s] family, and how to boost LM’s morale once again.”

“I personally extend my sympathies to Trisha’s family for the loss. I also thank them for their patience and understanding that everything that could be done was done, and everything that still has to be done is ongoing,” Reyes added.

The Office of the Vice President for the Loyola Schools released a statement the day after her passing, saying that the Loyola Schools community “mourns the loss” of Trisha and that her passing came “as a shock to all of us.”

Meanwhile, the Ateneo Resident Students Association also expressed that they mourn Trisha’s loss, as she was a dormer in the Residence Halls for some time. They said that in Trisha’s passing, “the world [had] lost such a vibrant and amazing human being who radiated so much joy and love to those around her.”