Ateneo Law welcomes Dean Joey home

On the solemn evening of 2 March 2026, at the St Thomas More Chapel, the Ateneo Law School welcomed home its beloved Dean, Jose Maria “Joey” G. Hofileña — teacher, leader, companion, and man for others.

In his homily, Fr Beinvenido "Ben" Nebres, SJ, former president of Ateneo de Manila University, reminded the community that Joey believed legal education was never merely about passing the Bar or topping examinations. A law school, he emphasized, exists to form character — to shape the kind of human beings its students will become. Fr Ben reflected on Joey’s conviction that Ateneo Law must offer legal education at the highest academic standards while remaining deeply committed to value formation. The measure of success, Joey believed, was not prestige but integrity.

In a tribute that followed the Mass, Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and co-founder and CEO of Rappler, recalled Joey as the calm center in their moments of chaos. In the most uncertain and turbulent times, he was the one who listened fully before speaking, patiently untangling complexity, and offering clear and grounded counsel. She reflected that we often search for heroes in extraordinary places, when many are already among us — quiet, steadfast, and unwavering in their values. Joey, she said, was one such hero. She urged us to recognize and affirm the heroes in our midst while they are still with us, before they are gone too soon.

Representing the students, Ryan Gorospe remembered a Dean who knew how to make space — not just in classrooms, but in people’s lives. In recitations, they were addressed formally as “Mr” or “Ms” followed by their surnames, as law school custom dictates. But on the last day of class, Dean Joey surprised them all by calling each one by their nickname — a small gesture that carried enormous meaning after a semester of rigorous questioning and exacting standards. Even while recovering from illness, he made it a point to attend oath-taking so he could be present for his students in their moment of triumph. Time and again, he chose to show up. For Dean Joey, students were never mere names on an index card or faces in a seating chart; they were persons to be known, accompanied, and remembered.

Associate Dean Maita Chan-Gonzaga reflected on Dean Joey’s final months, which he devoted with characteristic energy to preparing for Ateneo Law’s 90th anniversary. He was determined that the milestone would not be mere celebration, but meaningfully anchored in mission. The theme he ultimately chose — Accompaniment — captured what he believed the law school truly was: a community of companions walking with one another. For him, Ateneo Law accompanied not only its students, but also its faculty, staff, alumni, and the larger society it was called to serve. He spoke of accompaniment not as sentiment, but as responsibility — to form lawyers of competence and conscience and to journey with them beyond the classroom.

She recalled how this spirit animated his leadership. He made the difficult decision to reduce class sizes, despite resistance, because he believed smaller classes would foster deeper engagement and more meaningful formation. He was attentive to the collective needs of the faculty, yet equally mindful of their individual struggles. His office door was almost always open; tissues were ready because students would come not only with academic concerns, but with personal burdens. When scholarship funds fell short, he quietly bridged the gap himself, preferring anonymity to recognition. He led the school through the upheaval of the pandemic, through institutional challenges, and through difficult moments — always steady, consultative, and hopeful. “We are diminished,” Associate Dean Maita said, voicing the community’s grief. “But he would want us to carry on” — as companions, just as he had taught them to be.

His brother, Jun Hofileña, offered a story that seemed almost prophetic. In nursery school, Joey had not spoken for weeks, worrying his teachers — until one day, when asked the name of their family dog, he answered in a loud, clear voice: “Fearless.” This attribute, his brother reflected, would become the thread running through his life. Joey was fearless in crossing continents to pursue his studies abroad, fearless in stepping away from established firm life to chart his own path in private practice, and fearless in accepting the deanship of Ateneo Law with all its burdens and expectations. Even in his final days, facing illness with clarity and resolve, he remained composed and unafraid.

Yet his fearlessness was not bravado, but rooted in mission. He lived with urgency and intention — always in motion, always engaged, yet somehow always present. His social media posts made it seem as though he was everywhere at once: traveling, teaching, mentoring, celebrating milestones. But beneath that energy was a deep commitment to relationships — to family, friends, colleagues, and students — for whom he always made time. “Joey,” his brother said, “you have caused innumerable ripples in this world.” And in the lives he touched, those ripples continue to widen.

Chay Hofileña, Dean Joey’s wife, spoke last, offering a tribute both intimate and resolute. Listening to the outpouring of stories from students, colleagues, and friends, she said she could not help but see in these stories a quiet affirmation of the life he had lived. In journalism, she noted, corroboration matters — and the countless testimonies of kindness, generosity, and integrity were more than enough to confirm who Joey was.

She shared how deeply he had immersed himself in preparations for Ateneo Law’s 90th anniversary. He saw it not merely as a celebration but as an opportunity to raise substantial funds for scholarships, mindful that legal education remains beyond the reach of many deserving students. On his desk were plans for naming rights, adopt-a-scholar programs, and fundraising targets. Even from the ICU, he sent instructions — still thinking of responsibilities, still thinking of others. True to form, he did not want to inconvenience anyone, even in his final days. He fought as long as he could, and when it became too much, he faced that moment with characteristic clarity and quiet resolve. “Please help make sure the scholarship targets are met,” she urged — a line that was at once tribute and charge. She closed by echoing Joey’s enduring commitment: that the scholarship targets be met, and that more students be given the opportunity he had worked so tirelessly to secure for them.

And so, on the evening of 2 March 2026, the chapel was filled — with faculty and staff, students and alumni, friends and family, and many more joining virtually, united in gratitude and grief. Ateneo Law is diminished; that is undeniable. Yet it is also strengthened by the life and example Dean Joey leaves behind — a leadership rooted in character, a courage grounded in compassion, and an excellence anchored firmly in service.

A man for others.
A companion.
Fearless.

Welcome home, Dean Joey.