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A Letter from Fr. Harvey Mateo, SJ

Top 6 lumad scholars- consistent honor students

Dear Friends of SIHS:

I wish to share with you some updates regarding our mission.

This is certainly not complete but it’s just to give you an idea about some of the things going on in Zamboanguita:

1. Parish- a new chapel is being constructed for the community in Purok 6, Silae- one of our most vibrant and active parish communities. They have taken turns to assist the paid laborers and feed them. They have raised a substantial amount to supplement what was raised for the construction. The foundations and walls have been laid down, the next step is to put the roofing so that they could now have their services there instead of the makeshift structure they have been using for the past two years.

IMG_9232-300x225 A Letter from Fr. Harvey Mateo, SJ
Chapel construction, Purok 6

Meanwhile, the rest of the parish is preparing for the beginning of Lent on Wednesday (March 6, 2019). There is a proposal to initiate a Sunday school for the little children in the parish. We could mobilize the older youth and share with them Fr. Martin Licup’s new book Sunday Gospel for Kids as a resource. This would be a good Year of the Youth activity.

A donor has donated a new bell for the parish. We have reinforced our bell tower to accommodate this wonderful addition to our church. We are hoping to hear it ring for the first time soon.

2. St. Isidore HS- The school will be celebrating its 28th foundation day on March 12 by holding alternative classes on that day. We have invited several speakers to give talks on topics such as Disaster Risk Reduction, Barangay Governance, What Really Happens at Mass, HIV/AIDS awareness, and many more, including a showing of Ditsi Carolino’s Bunso (with no less than the director leading the discussion afterwards). During the Mass on that day, we will specifically praying for all our benefactors.

SIHS recently participated in two inter-school sports competitions. The G12 students completed their required 80 hour work immersion in Xavier University as student assistants in the various offices and feedback has been very good from both ends.

The G10 students completed the retreat in the Jesuit Retreat House in Malaybalay. Both G10 and G12 students are excited for the coming Junior Senior Promenade, with prom gowns flown-in from donors from Manila. Barangay Zamboanguita has asked the school to represent it in the coming street dance competition for Malaybalay’s Charter Day celebration on March 16. We also held our Parents Day on the same day as our Third Convocation. Instead of inviting a guest speaker, we showed the film Magnifico which everyone enjoyed. We also held a Family Got Talent competition.

Graduation and Completion ceremonies will be held on March 29. Our guest speaker will be Jason Menaling, an alumnus who has had the good fortune of meeting Pope Francis in Rome because of this work in Environmental Science for Social Change.

IMG_9212-300x225 A Letter from Fr. Harvey Mateo, SJ
School wall nearing completion

We are finally close to completing the cementing of the school walls, thanks to the PTA funds. We got inspected by the fire department and some violations were pointed out. We shall be working on them within the month. Meanwhile, the book collection of SIHS is growing fast with donations of old and new books. Usage has also been very encouraging. We will have to create a new space for our library soon and look for more training opportunities for our lone paraprofessional librarian.

We are hoping to do some major renovation projects in the school during the summer.

3. Lumad Scholars- During the last convocation period, 16 out of 28 scholars received some academic recognition. As a reward, our top 6 awardees received hand-painted bags made by a child being treated for cancer in PGH while the 10 with honorable mention received a blanket each donated by MTQ parish.

53220382_2525952310765784_7770400242888867840_n-300x225 A Letter from Fr. Harvey Mateo, SJ
Top 6 lumad scholars- consistent honor students

This summer we hope to begin construction of the lumad dormitory that will help address key formation and management issues. Plans are also on the way to have a gathering of dorm managers and prefects from the other mission areas- a sharing of best practices and an aligning of formation goals and admin policies.

One of our live-out scholars qualified for the Xavier University ALGCIT tech-voc program. It is 100% free quality education and the qualifying exam was highly competitive. We are proud of JM Luranza for being the third Isidorian in the program (two made it last year).

IMG_9256-300x225 A Letter from Fr. Harvey Mateo, SJ
January birthday celebrants at the lumad dorm

Thank you again for all that you have done and continue to do to support the mission here in Zamboanguita.
God bless you all.

Harvey Mateo SJ
Director, SIHS
Asst. Parish Priest, Parish of Our Lady Mary Mediatrix

February 28, 2019

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Jesuit Conference Asia Pacific (JCAP)

Standing: Jorge Serrano SJ, Lim Hon-ok Gabriel SJ, Lorenzo Yom SJ, James Tan SJ, EJ Guerilla SJ . Seated; Jane Hellings (resource speaker), Rudianto Bambam SJ

Jesuit Asia Pacific Conference

As a background, the JCAP  is one of six Jesuit conferences around the world and covers Jesuit life and service in Asia Pacific.

Continue reading “Jesuit Conference Asia Pacific (JCAP)”

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Features Formation Fund

Stages in Jesuit Formation

Ordination of Jesuit priests 2018

The Sculpting Process

A Jesuit goes through a long and rigorous process prior to ordination.  Here is a repost of an article written by Fr. Venancio S. Calpotura, SJ.

Vow-Day-224x150 Stages in Jesuit Formation
Stages in Jesuit formation

 

Please click here to read the article stages-in-jesuit-formation

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Lord, Teach Us to Pray by Salvador Wee, S.J.

'We must speak to God as a friend speaks to his friend, servant to his master; now asking some favor, now acknowledging our faults, and communicating to Him all that concerns us, our thoughts, our fears, our projects, our desires, and in all things seeking His counsel.' --St. Ignatius of Loyola

Reprinted from Windhover, July 2011.  In the light of recent events; the bloody dispersal of farmers in Kidapawan, drought in Mindanao and the coming national elections, the article is worth a re-read.

Prayer is contact or communion with God. We reach out to God and slow down to review our deepest desires in life. Through prayer we tap into an infinite source of faith, hope, love and strength. We develop a sense of God and we communicate and dialogue with God.

Ignatius6-224x150 Lord, Teach Us to Pray by Salvador Wee, S.J.Prayer becomes a one-sided monologue when we always think of formulations, petitions or thanksgiving. True prayer is silencing the self to listen and learn from God. Our prayers are too scripted and wordy. We focus on our efforts rather than on God’s action. Anthony de Mello said, “The final barrier between us and God is our concept of God . . . Where the self is, God is not.”

For many, prayer is simply a pious practice or obligatory duty. After a while, these practices become a dry routine, a self-cultivating hobby or an opiate isolating us from reality. If the right fruits are not present, it means the spirit of God is not there, and what we consider as prayer may not be prayer at all.

  1. Burghardt described prayer as “a long, loving look at the real.” Prayer that is real should disturb us and make us aware of the presence or absence of God’s goodness in us. Prayer is contact with God. We are transformed and we reorient our lives when we encounter God. The more spiritual we are, the less materialistic we become. This is why true prayer is for adults only, those who are spiritually mature. It takes maturity to outgrow one’s selfishness and superficiality.

Jesus did not give us complicated instructions about prayer. He told his disciples not to be like the pagans who use too many words when praying (Mt 6:5-8). He taught his disciples to pray to a God who is not distant but who is a loving and compassionate Father.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus did not give us a formula to memorize and recite. The prayer is a preamble, synthesis or guiding life-principle that proclaims God’s goodness, providence, compassion and forgiveness in our lives. It is a call to do what is right and just and to treat others the way God treats us.

Part of the teaching of Jesus about prayer (Luke 11:1-13) says, “Ask and you will receive, seek and you shall find.” We focus on the asking and seeking part, but we ignore the concluding summary that says, “How much more, then, will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” The correct prayer attitude is to seek God’s guiding spirit.

More than teaching us how to pray, Jesus showed us what prayer is. His actions spoke more than his words. This is why “prayer is not something you do; prayer is something that happens to you.” Today we say prayer is not a noun; it is a verb, an action word. We also say God is a verb, not a noun.

PJPS-100x150 Lord, Teach Us to Pray by Salvador Wee, S.J.Many pray the way Jesus told us not to pray. We use plenty of words and make our practices indispensable. In the Beatitudes, Jesus said that the pure of heart will see God. We cloud the transparency of God’s goodness and truth when we clutter our prayer with too many beliefs and rituals. We distract and deceive ourselves with more form rather than substance. We focus on human tradition and ignore God’s spirit.

Genuine spirituality focuses on the spirit of God rather than on what we do. Religiosity without true spirituality clings to plenty of externals. The more real the spirit, the more free we are to understand God‘s ways. Our comfortable practices can become obstacles blocking our conversion and renewal.

St. Ignatius of Loyola (patron of retreats) taught us to find God in all things and be active contemplatives. We find God not only in our piety but also in our daily lives, through ordinary and natural ways. All our contrived and artificial efforts may be in vain, because “God is above and beyond all our ways and means and methods.” We cannot control or manipulate God.

Because we do not understand what we do or say, we turn prayer into a recitation of meaningless words or a perpetuation of obsolete practices. We imagine the infinite creator of the universe at our beck and call, ready to listen to our petitions and grant our requests. We believe God listens to our prayers, and so we pray for safety or good health. When tragedies happen we say our faith is weak or it’s God’s will. We refuse to accept the truth and change our beliefs, and we never acknowledge our wrong ideas of God and prayer.

If God is truly everywhere, we do not need to rely on our contrived methods to be with God. All we have to do is drop our preconceived ideas of God and prayer. Prayer is a means, not an end. It is said that “we do not give ourselves to prayer. We give ourselves to God… We must pray the way we can, not the way we cannot.” The steps and methods help us to approach God, but they can also be obstacles to God.

There are paradoxes in prayer. There are those who always pray but are not really praying, and there are good and spiritual people who do not appear to pray. This is one reason why Jesus taught us not to judge by appearances.

Prayer should be like breathing, which is natural and effortless. The more we are conscious of our breathing and the more effort we exert, the more difficult it becomes. The more contrived prayer is, the more mechanical and unnatural it becomes. Ideally, our prayer should be as natural as breathing. This is contemplation in action. This is finding God in all things.

Prayer is also like marriage. Once past the honeymoon period of the novitiate or the retreat, real prayer involves our day-to-day attitudes, behavior and dealings with others. Faith and life are integrated in real prayer.

True prayer is selfless and realistic. Our behavior, lifestyle, priorities, attitudes and decisions reveal the kind of prayer we have. God’s correct spirit produces the right results. True prayer enables us to discern what is from God and what is not. Discernment helps us in deciding what is right and just.

There are pious and prayerful people who remain ungodly and self-centered. We can be praying outwardly but not spiritually. We may pray always and still remain insensitive to God and the rest of reality. This is false prayer. It fulfills some obligation or practice but has no real spirit in it. We do not always worship in spirit and in truth.

Real prayer produces the right fruits, because it has the right spirit – God’s spirit. The fruits of God’s spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22). Together with justice and mercy, they form the essence of true religion and real prayer. They show us that God is real and present in our daily lives – personally, institutionally, culturally and socially.

Windhover-March-2010-Cover-copy-116x150 Lord, Teach Us to Pray by Salvador Wee, S.J.

 

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Making Sense of Peace Amid Complexities in Western Mindanao: The Ateneo Peace and Culture Institute Experience

(Written by Ms. Cecile B. Simbajon and Fr. Antonio F. Moreno SJ, This article initially appeared in The Windhover, 2010)

The Promotion of Peace

We have heard it said time and again that peace is elusive.  Indeed it is not only elusive but can be perceived as divisive by others who have different notions of peace.  The promotion of peace is a campaign to address very complex issues often connected with poverty, marginalization and cultural profiling.  In several hotspots of Mindanao, conflict areas have deep historical roots spanning from the Spanish and American occupation down to the current marginalization of peoples by the national and local government.  The deep ethnic cleavages within and among the settlers, indigenous and the Bangsamoro peoples, and experiences of political, economic and social exclusion, weak and in some cases absence of governance, the prevalence of local bossism and warlordism in several areas have all contributed to the complexity of the problem.

Session-with-the-Subanon-Women-discussing-Peace-and-Development_May-2008-200x150 Making Sense of Peace Amid Complexities in Western Mindanao: The Ateneo Peace and Culture Institute ExperienceOur work for peace is not simply oriented to promote and preserve tranquility, that is, the absence of war or armed conflict.  In persistently conflict-laden societies in Mindanao, however, the mere absence of war can be a great success.  Cessation of armed hostilities can save lives even when people continue to live in fear.  Nonetheless, our understanding of peace goes beyond simply the cessation of conflict.  Peace is comprehensive, development-oriented, culturally embedded and constructed by manifold sectors and communities within society.

In an effort to respond to the many challenges to promote peace and culture, in 1991, then Ateneo de Zamboanga (AdZ), under the leadership of Fr William H Kreutz SJ, established the Institute of Cultural Studies for Western Mindanao (ICSWM).  This was AdZ’s way of assisting the people of Western Mindanao to work for peace in a multicultural and multireligious society.  Peace promotion was geared toward cultural understanding and dialogue.  ICSWM aimed to bring about harmonious and peaceful relationships by helping people overcome the ignorance, prejudices and animosities of the past through cultural regeneration and intercultural dialogue.   We realized that the work of peace championed by ICSWM needed to be complemented with a task that focused on peace advocacy, peace education and interventions that address issues that breed violence and armed conflict.  Thus the Ateneo Peace Institute (API) was created in 1999.

API initially assumed the following goals:  1) to coordinate, develop, implement and monitor peace education programs in all levels of instruction and formation in the curricular and co-curricular areas; 2) to link with and assist other schools, both private and public, in similar or related peace education and formation efforts; 3)  to offer programs and activities related to developing a culture of peace in various government offices, non-government agencies, church and mosque communities, military and other non-school entities; 4) to engage in research activities related to the school’s peace  activities beyond the school; 5)  to develop persons to be peace advocates who will have the expertise to actively assist in conflict management and conflict resolution activities among those who seek such aid; and 5) to actively bring the Ateneo to linkages and network with other like-oriented organizations and groups.

Through the years, both ICSWM and API worked for peace in different streams, although many a time they would be working collaboratively.  Both institutes would be tapped to instill a culture of peace on campus, generate activities and programs around peace education, network with other organized groups in the city and the region to address burning issues on peace and development, convene major stakeholders and attempt to forge consensus on matters concerning peace, security and the peace process.

In 2009, ICSWM and API were merged to form the Ateneo Peace and Culture Institute (APCI) to make it clear that the work of peace cannot be dissociated from culture.  Under the engaging leadership of Ms Cecile B Simbajon, APCI has upscaled its operation and clarified its location in the task of peace building and conflict resolution.  APCI was a key player in the integration of peace in our curriculum from Grade One to Fourth year college.  This peace curriculum has been shared in different conferences for Catholic Schools in Mindanao and beyond.  APCI’s main focus is the generation of a culture of peace on campus and beyond.  To this end, a culture of peace survey is nearly completed to assess areas of success which we can celebrate and shortcomings which we can embrace and learn from.

APCI convened numerous fora and roundtable discussion sessions among key leaders of Zamboanga City to discuss a wide range of issues including the contentious Memo of Agreement on Ancestral Domain between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), kidnap-for-ransom (KFR) concerns, peace process in Mindanao, and the armed conflict in Basilan and Sulu.  APCI has been our lead group for fostering a consciousness of peace (e.g., Week of Peace, interfaith assemblies for peace).  Local and national peace groups and movements, the local church, local government units, business groups and civil society organizations have made sought the assistance of APCI on peace and development issues.  Many individuals, national and international agencies have likewise approached APCI for consultations and partnerships.  APCI at one point hosted the Mindanao Emergency Response Network (MERN) for relief operations in our region.

Zamboanga City-based Interreligious Solidarity Movement for Peace gave a “Special Peace Citation” to APCI on 20 November 2009 “(f)or offering meaning time and generous services to the cause of harmony and solidarity among the different multicultural peoples in Zamboanga City and Mindanao;  for its untiring support and outstanding advocacy for peace amidst the conflicts and violence in the region.”  The Philippine Star in its 20 December 2009 front page issue featured APCI along with the Center for Peace and Development of the Western Mindanao State Universities as “centers (that) help heal Mindanao.”  These citations do not simply appear to APCI as “recognitions” but more as challenges to translate its commitment to work for peace into real substantive actions that have profound impact on our society.

We are all eternal beginners in the work of peace.  Peace is elusive, but this doesn’t give us an excuse to disengage, but a challenge to pursue.  This is our experience here in Western Mindanao: wage peace and hope will follow.

Balyan-Gilinan-is-presiding-the-Sinulambi-Ritual-for-the-Buklog-Festival_December-2009-1-211x150 Making Sense of Peace Amid Complexities in Western Mindanao: The Ateneo Peace and Culture Institute Experience

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Philippine Jesuit Prison Service, Inc.

Children of prison inmates, beneficiaries of scholarship grants, pose with PJPS volunteers.

Wherever they are assigned, Jesuit priests cannot do the work alone.  In most places where they serve, the people have very little money to put in the collection box.  We appeal to our friends to join the Philippine province of the Society of Jesus in their mission with prayers and through generous contributions to their apostolic works.

The Philippine Jesuit Prison Service Foundation, Inc. (PJPS)

scholars-and-volunteers-225x150 Philippine Jesuit Prison Service, Inc.
Children of prison inmates, beneficiaries of scholarship grants, pose with PJPS volunteers.

The PJPS is a community of Jesuit and lay volunteers who share in the mission of Christ through prison ministry.  The PJPS does this by;

a) Providing sustainable programs that assist in the total rehabilitation of inmates and their families.
b) Building a community of spiritually mature volunteers, collaborators, and benefactors who are committed to share their person, time and resources to the prison ministry.
c) Promoting prison awareness and advocating active involvement of the free society towards restorative justice and other prison reforms.
d) Gathering, developing and judiously administering resources to ensure institutional stability and viability.

Lumbo-Eli-224x150 Philippine Jesuit Prison Service, Inc.
Fr. Eli Lumbo, SJ is the Executive Director of the Phlippine Jesuit Prison Service, Inc.

We asked Fr. Eli Lumbo, SJ, PJPS Executive Director, some questions:

1.  How many children has PJPS sponsored in Grade School and High School to date?

To date we have graduated 96 grade school scholars and 100 high school.  The scholarship program started in 1994.  In the past 5 or so years we have between 30-38 scholars each in grade school and high school.  Each year we have around 100 scholars total, including vocational/college.

2.  How much is the average cost of sponsorship per child?

Grade school       – P15,000
High school         – P25,000
College/vocational     – P35,000
Please note that the amount includes tuition and fees, allowances (transpo, school supplies, uniform, etc) field trip, retreat/recollection, formation sessions, general assemblies, etc.

3.  How many children does PJPS plan to sponsor?

100 children per year.  We put a cap for this as we want to be able to monitor them well.  Monitoring includes school visits, home visits, one on one conversations, formation sessions.  We just have five full time staff in the office.  We do not have the personnel to do the home visits and monitoring of over a hundred scholars.

4.  Who have given to PJPS? 

Private individuals ,  Ateneo Grade school,  Enfants du Mekong Foundation, Quiapo Church , Corporations  and the Metro Bank Foundation

 

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The Jesuit mission in Bukidnon: Caring for Lumads

Lumad students from the Binhi Te Peglaom Dormitory

Caring for Lumads: The Fr. Leoni Mission Foundation Inc. (FLMFI)

Fr.-Leno-Mission-Foundation-Inc.-150x150 The Jesuit mission in Bukidnon: Caring for LumadsThe Fr. Leoni Mission Foundation, Inc., is a non-stock, non-profit organization established in 1998 by Fr. Mateo Sanchez of the Society of Jesus in honor of the late Italian Jesuit, Fr. Ferrucio Leoni, SJ.
The Foundation was established in response to the growing concerns of the Lumads in Bukidnon. The indigenous people in Bukidnon have long been isolated  from opportunities  that lead to improved lives. The exploitation from unsavory characters have only worsened their condition. Thus, FLMFI started the literacy, livelihood and education programs for the Lumads.

For a time, the literacy, livelihood and scholarship programs ran successfully even with the constant change of the foundation leadership as appointed by the Society of Jesus. However,  the drive to become  sustainable has come to fore because of volatile US and Europe financial markets where majority of its donors come from.   With the leadership of its new president, Fr. Braulio M. Dahunan, SJ, the foundation is embarking on reviving the program to continue the mission as it stands. LUMAD (Life for the Underprivileged and Marginalized through Advocacy and Development) Program aims to not only continue the literacy, livelihood, and scholarship programs of the foundation but also achieve sustainability by gradually entering into social enterprises that will eventually support its programs in the future.

As IP Ministry Coordinator of the Society of Jesus in the Philippines, SJ, Fr. Dahunan SJ set up the“Kahungyaman Cultural Center for Peace and Development”  on January 17, 2013.  Currently, the center serves as the base for the programs and projects of FLMFI.  In the said center, the “Binhi Te Peglaom (Seed of Hope) Lumad Scholars Dormitory” for elementary and high school scholars, Heritage House, Mission House, Organic-Agriculture Production Demo Farm and Food Production and Livelihood Center are located.

Vision-Mission statement

We envision a holistic human formation of the Indigenous Peoples in their process for self-determination and for the sustainable development of their communities that is respectful to their culture and in accordance with their needs and aspirations.  Thus, we need–

1. to deepen Jesuit presence, accompaniment and involvement with the Indigenous Peoples in the spirit of solidarity with them;

2. to provide direction in their struggle through community organizing participatory action research;

3. to empower their communities and leaderships through communal discernment and strengthening of roles and responsibilities in sowing good seeds for future generations to nurture and uphold;

4. to promote authentic dialogue and integration of culture and faith through a mutual enrichment between the indigenous culture, spirituality, religion and the Catholic Christian faith.

LUMAD programs: (Life for the Underprivileged and Marginalized through Advocacy and Development Programs)

LUMAD is a Visayan term that means “native” or “indigenous” person. They are more referred specifically to the natives or indigenous people that can be found in the Mindanao Region of the Philippines, a region that has often been associated with war and violence over the years. While many LUMADS suffer first-hand, the collateral damages of war such as displacement, loss of basic necessities, livelihood and housing, many also suffer neglect and exploitation brought about by loss of opportunities and inability of government to provide the basic necessities that would constitute what we call LIFE.

IP YOUTH EDUCATION AND FORMATION PROGRAM

Community-based Literacy program (kahungyaman literacy centers)

This program aims to provide non-formal basic education to Indigenous People (IP) communities.  Since many of the children and adult IPs are unable to read and write because of lack of access to formal basic education, they are vulnerable to the deceptions of lowland traders and politicians.  We have literacy centers for day care pupils and alternative learning system for adult and out-of-school youth.  These centers are ran by volunteer para-teachers who reside in the area.  Educational materials and food during school days are provided to help the learners in their learning and to free themselves from household chores that may take them away from learning.  It is hoped that with this program, we will lessen the percentage of illiteracy among IP communities

Formal basic education scholarship program (binhi té péglaom lumad scholars dormitory)

This program aims to provide formal basic education to IP youth who have the capacity to go through the rigors of formal education.  Since public schools are far from their homes, most often they would stop schooling due to lack of sufficient food for their weekly consumption.  Thus, we have taken scholars to live in the “Binhi Te Peglaom Lumad Scholars Dormitory” to go through formal education in a nearby public school in the Poblacion for elementary students and in Fr. Leoni Memorial School for high school students.  Aside from providing them with quality education, the dormitory provides holistic formation to the scholars with the hope that they will become future leaders who will serve in their respective communities. 

 

Volunteers for IP communities & enhancement program

This program aims to develop our scholars who graduated from high school to become more equipped and ready for college education as they prepare to take examinations for scholarship grants while they are also engaged in teaching, organizing, social enterprise and entrepreneurial activities of Fr. Leoni Mission Foundation, Incorporated.  This program will also serve as an on-going formation with regard to personal development, as well as, leadership and communication skills of our scholars.

College aid and vocational support program

This program aims to facilitate our high school graduate scholars to get scholarship grants or sponsorships either for college or voc-tech courses according to their capacities and capabilities.  They will still continue to be closely monitored by Fr. Leoni Mission Foundation, Incorporated, while at the same time they will continue with their involvements with FLMFI activities and formation programs.  We instil a sense of responsibility to our scholars so that they will hopefully go back to serve their own people and develop their communities.   

We now have five college scholars who get scholarship grants but we are supporting them for their living allowances:  Jession Diwangan is a DOST and XU scholar taking up BS-ECE in Xavier University; Mitchell Ayawon is a Monark Foundation Technical Institute scholar; Reymond Ally, Margie Tumalas and Gia Sarinao are BIC scholars taking up BS-Religious Education in San Isidro College.  We need Php 118,200.00 every year to support them in their studies.

SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC-AGRICULTURE AND ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

This program aims to sustain all our programs by generating income through organic-agriculture production and social enterprise.  This will also provide sustainable human and community development through trainings on organic-agriculture and entrepreneurship that will ensure food security and livelihood.  This program will also ensure the protection of the environment and proper management of natural resources. Apparently this program develops a deeper sense of cooperation and solidarity amongst the Indigenous Peoples for sustainable development of their particular communities and for lasting peace at large. 

     

We just started this recently, and so we need assistance in order to develop this further and be able to produce more products.  Thus, we need a start-up capital of Php 200,000.00.

IP LEADERSHIP ENHANCEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

This program aims to empower IP leaders who will be responsible in realizing sustainable development and lasting peace in their communities in the spirit of solidarity and in the promotion of the common good.  Thus, it is crucial to accompany these leaders in their process of becoming credible and trustworthy leaders: who will safeguard their beautiful cultural heritage and tradition; who will have vision for their people; and who will carry-out their mission in the manner befitting of a good IP leader.  Seminars, workshops, trainings, and formation programs will be provided in order to capacitate and equip leaders.    

We need Php 124,000.00 every year in order to support the activities of IP leaders in their Social, Political, Economic, Communal and Spiritual (SPECS) formation.  We are also facilitating seminars, workshops and trainings that will capacitate and equip them as leaders.

Donate

You can course your donations via:

  1. Credit Card – Visit www.phjesuits.org and click on “Give Online”
  2. Bank of the Philippines (BPI) Branch – Make a bill’s payment to  “PJAA”; indicate name in place of reference number.
  3. BPI Online, ATM or Phone – Enroll “PJAA” as a biller/merchant and make a payment. (Note: Please send us acopy of your transaction slip by fax to 926-8150 or by email to aid@phejsuits.org and include your contact information so that we can properly acknowledge your donations.)

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The Loyola School of Theology: Celebrating 50 years

Loyola House of Studies in 1965.

On the occasion of its Golden Jubilee celebration, Loyola School of Theology and the Theology and Ministry Program, in cooperation with Jesuit Communications, has released a short audio-visual presentation entitled, “LST: Leading and Serving Through Theology”.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIBDlqKQTdg

According to the annals of LST, “On 12 July 1965, the Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus in the Philippines, Fr. Horacio de la Costa, with the authorization of the Jesuit Superior General Fr. Pedro Arrupe, opened the present School as an institute of philosophy and theology incorporating within it the faculty of ecclesiastical studies of San Jose Seminary. After one academic quarter at San Jose, the School moved to Loyola House of Studies on the campus of the Ateneo de Manila University. First classes at the new site were held on 18 September 1965″[1].

 

 

[1] Cf. LST website: www.lst.edu/about-us/history

 

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The Jesuit mission in Culion, Palawan: Helping the Tagbanuas

Tagbanua children

Introduction

The Literacy Program  in Culion, Palawan aims to develop the reading and writing skills of both the adults and children in selected Tagbanua  communities.   The program also aims to preserve the Tagbanua’s local culture and develop stronger and more confident communities.

 Jesuit presence in CulionCulion-map-138x150 The Jesuit mission in Culion, Palawan: Helping the Tagbanuas

In 1904, Gov. Wright of  the American Commonwealth, established  Culion  as  a leper colony paving the way for the first batch of 370 lepers from all over the archipelago to settle in 1906.   In the same year,  American Jesuits were sent to Culion to start chaplaincy work for the lepers and employees of the Philippine Health Service.  Over the years, the  Loyola College of Culion was established and has seen the chaplaincy to La Inmaculada Concepcion Parish grow and flourish.

tagbanua_photo-taken-from-ADMU-website-225x150 The Jesuit mission in Culion, Palawan: Helping the TagbanuasFr. Bok Arandia SJ, during his stay in Culion wrote, “after the establishment of the leper colony, the indigenous Tagbanua communities who were the original inhabitants of the Culion peninsula were  forced to settle in remote islands, with limited access to basic social services and education. They manage to survive through fishing, food gathering, and primitive agriculture. However, because of their inability to read, write and count, certain devious individuals have taken advantage of their ignorance, cheating them to sell their produce and catch at scandalously low prices.  Politicians have likewise used them to secure victory during elections, gathering and containing them in undisclosed holding areas distant from the influence and access of their political rivals.”

In 2006,  the Philippine province  re-examined its mission in Culion. Since there was no need for chaplaincy work due to the fewer number of lepers in the island, the Province decided to help the Tagbanuas, an Indigenous People community, through a literacy program.

In 2008, through the help of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres, a literacy program  was began with some teachers from the parish. In 2011, Cartwheel Foundation brought their expertise and modules to help aid and systematize the program.  Since then, the parish, SPC and Cartwheel have been partners in this endeavor.

The program

Before 2011, literacy programs that were introduced had no sustainability mechanisms in place.  Hence,  there was a crucial and urgent need  to establish  one that will remain a fixture in order to equip members of the  communities with essential literacy and life skills.

The first six-month cycle of the new program began at the end of August, 2011 with forty (40) adult learners from two (2)Tagbanua communities – Alulad and Marabal.

In June 2013, the adult capability-building program ran its third cycle, further expanding operations to four (4) indigenous communities from the original two (2) pilot areas.  They have also instituted an early childhood education program for the Tagbanua communities in Culion.

Currently, the Adult Literacy Program is run by  the Cartwheel Foundation, Our Lady  of  the  Immaculate Concepcion Parish and the St. Paul of Chartres Sisters.  Fr. Arthur Nebrao, SJ is currently Parish priest of La Inmaculada Concepcion.

Culion after Typhoon Yolanda

Typhoon Yolanda hit Culion with devastating effects. These photos were taken during the visit of the Ateneo Disaster Response and Management (DReaM) Team and the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan in Culion, Palawan last December 5 to 9. The team visited the different areas and islands devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.

Why help?

Indigenous Peoples, like the Tagbanuas are generally discriminated not only because of their physical appearance but because many of them have low self esteem due to the lack of reading and writing skills.

Please donate to support the Literacy program and help build their lives  in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda!  The Literacy program’s next steps are:

  1. Collaborate with the Loyola College of Culion to house an IP school that would receive students who are ready for formal education through the Literacy Program.
  2. Bring the Literacy Program  to other far-flung communities.
  3. Conduct Train the Trainors workshops among previous beneficiaries to ensure continuous execution of the literacy program.

Click the Blue box above to make an on-line donation.  Or else, click here.

 

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Features Formation Fund

Ordination 2015

Ordination of Jesuit priests 2018

We welcome six (6) new Jesuits; Ambrosio F. Flores, SJ; Alvin D. Laput, SJ; Mark Peter L. Lopez, SJ; Arnel T. Ong, SJ; Henry C. Ponce, SJ and Irmo Francis A. Valeza, Jr., SJ

They will be sent to the following Jesuit mission areas: Culio, Palawan, Cambodia, Bukidnon and the PGH Chaplaincy.

New-Jesuit-Priests_2015-150x150 Ordination 2015