1 Special Issue: SENDONG SERVICE at the Frontier OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2011 2 Contents Contents 3 Contents 4 Message 22 Avoiding a Strike 3 Xavier Magazine Special Issue: Seen and Heard SENDONG 24 famous people and friends 5 Xavier Festival who helped out in the relief Days 2011 and rebuilding Round-up The Xavier Days pack music, Of finding hope and faith exhibitions, films and homecomings into a celebration of 26 heroic leadership Tsukulit: a bitter-sweet 27 remembrance 8 Milestones Reflections 28 Volunteers share their encounters and experience 9 News Chem Eng’g stude named as BPI Top 10 Outstanding Expat Pinoy HELP CDO: Meet the person behind the Child 30 overnight sensation. One person’s appeal becomes everyone’s call to action XUCL honored with Outstanding Law School award Feature Tabang Sendong: from relief 19 to rehab A look inside XU’s Operation Tabang Sendong Cover Story The Morning After Cagayan de Oro witnesses the outbreak 10 of the greatest devastation to hit the city in recent memory and Xavier University responds quickly XAVIER MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE: SENDONG OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2011 Message 4 News e all celebrated one’s heroic deed. You all are the Xavier Festival Days 2011 Round-up Christmas in a very heroic leaders of Operation Tabang unusual fashion in Sendong! avier University celebrated its 78th Festival Days from Nov W 29 to Dec 3 with the theme ‘Xavier Engage: Creating New 2011. And the celebration of the Thank you once again for spending Possibilities.’ The celebration accentuated heroic leadership season had been made more X a meaningful Christmas season alluding to the 150th birth anniversary of Dr Jose P Rizal and the meaningful thanks to the spirit with us at Xavier; our operations change of presidents within the University. Fr George Esguerra SJ, of generosity of each volunteer- Vice President for Mission and Ministry, presided the Opening Mass. started with a small band of -most gave their time, others about ten students, mostly ROTC gave material goods, while others members and Mr Nestor Banuag. shared talent. Most if not all XU One of the first cash gifts we volunteers shared a wonderful received was less than twenty pesos combination of time, talent and avier Festival Days 2011 was officially and a few bottles of purified water declared open by University President Fr material resource such that XU and some pastry. Our numbers Roberto “Bobby” Yap SJ. Fr Bobby related Tabang Sendong Operations X grew and the gifts received how St Francis Xavier set out from Europe to Asia evolved into the most organized in his mission of creating new possibilities to multiplied many times over. relief and rehabilitation center to spread the gospel, and to proclaim the good news Thanks to each one’s generosity, I the amazement of many. Members of love, compassion and service to the many have personally witnessed God’s peoples of Asia. “We are all invited to become of both local and international miracle of feeding the multitude. heroic leaders and that’s really how we create new aid organizations who have seen possibilities.” He also invited everyone not only so much relief operations in their The first miracle (documented in to enjoy the many activities but also to “reflect on career--could not help but be in awe the gospel of John) began with a how we can become truly heroic leaders, how we can create new possibilities as we try to serve our at the coordination, dedication and young lad’s offering of his “baon” Fr Eric G Velandria SJ church, our city, our country and our region.” efficiency of each one of you. that day. From the boy’s offering Convener, of two fish and five loaves of Operation: Tabang Sendong Volunteer leaders have been truly bread and the Lord’s prayer of exceptional in modeling what it thanksgiving, 5,000 were fed. In means to be a person-for-others. 2011, in our own lifetime here in The relief processing area leaders CdO, you and I witnessed how had been visibly impressive. Many God gave us the privilege to attend other team leaders were working to the hunger and other needs of just as hard making meaning of countless Sendong survivors. field reports and responding in a timely and appropriate manner Thank you for saying “YES!” to to the needs of survivors in terms God’s invitation to be truly persons- ollowing the Diamond Jubilee he XU Band staged their first concert rom the regular thumping beats of first aid, trauma counseling, for-others. We thank the Lord for celebration The field demonstration as a bonafide student organization of of marches, to the scintillating highlighted the participation of the XU. Although established many years melodies of pop and rock music, potable water, sanitation, and the privilege of having been called F T F Grade School. Students from all grade back, the group was recognized as an official the IMOVE Concert, which followed deploying properly oriented to serve others and be God’s levels moved to the rhythm of our very student organization only in 2010. The Band, right after the XU Band’s performance, volunteers, etc. Other team leaders presence to God’s own people in own regional folk dances. The activity made up of clarinet, trumpet, percussion, comprised songs promoting the were almost “invisible” yet just CdO and Iligan, ad majorem Dei was also a celebration of the Feast of the trombone, flute, saxophone, French horn values of self-awareness, ingenuity, as busy making sure we were gloriam--all for the greater glory of Holy Guardian Angels. and baritone sections, played March music, love and heroism – the pillars of Christmas carols and contemporary tunes, Ignatian leadership in Chris Lowney’s served food on time, cleaning and God. r including Filipino novelty songs, from the book on heoric leadership. Toward the equipping our work stations with 70’s onwards. end of the concert, lanterns bearing proper tools, gathering information messages of hope were released to the about the status of each XU sky accompanied by the late Francis community member, collating and Magalona’s “Kaleidoscope” playing in ikes and tri-sikads owned the road writing news stories from the field the background. The soft, yellow light of during the community parade that the lanterns shone like the stars in the and communicating XU operations Blaunched Atenista Ako Movement’s sky as they floated away to the hands of through the world wide web. I advocacy on promoting a sustainable God. could go on and on citing each environment and greener campus. The “sikads” were decorated with recyclables and organic materials. XAVIER MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE: SENDONG fter their sikad parade, the participants were he cultural night welcomed with a sumptuous feast of native dubbed Kinauyokan Adelicacies served on buffet tables along the T(core) showcased University Main Lane. The food fest was part of the OPM hits, and neo- advocacy on environmental sustainability and used ethnic and contemporary only biodegradable materials in serving food. dances. The ultimate goal of Kinauyokan was the promotion of Filipino Art and Culture. In the same line, the Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts sponsored CineMulat, which featured foreign films and aimed to give the igh School students took center stage in the Engage audience lessons on film Variety Show designed to showcase and promote high appreciation. Hschool talent. The students, themselves, organized the show which carried teamwork as its theme. Although a competition, the song and dance performances were pure t was XUHS Batch ’87’s turn to organize the XUHS fun. In contrast, participants battled hard in the Engage Homecoming 2011. The different batches took out and Game Show, a quiz show organized for public high school Ipolished their old guitars to entertain their fellow alumni. The students and XU college students, respectively. At stake was Alumni Awards and Fellowship Night highlighted the week-long a scholarship grant worth P10,000.00 for the high school celebration. Outstanding Alumni Awards were presented by category won by Kristine Joy Ramos of Cugman National High the XU-Ateneo de Cagayan Alumni Association to the various School, and a cash prize of P5,000.00 for the collegiate level. XU alumni who have done an excellent job in the fields of Prizes like Smart cell phones, Spruce sandals, Smart Internet professional service, public service, community service and broadband, bags and key chains were also raffled off to the religious service, among others. Alumni scholars were also treated audience and participants. to an event of their own. The Crusaders’ Night honored alumni scholars of Xavier, including scholarship benefactors and donors. In response, current scholars pledged to donate P10.00 each year to help fund more scholars. avier University hosted friendly games atterned after the much celebrated eminarians and deacons of St John with Silliman University (SU) and Corpus noontime show, “Showtime,” XU Vianney and some XU students XChristi School. XU played against Silliman Pdebuted XU Time, the first of its kind Sstaged, “Kalis,” a play about the life University in college soccer and basketball, while in the history of the Xavier Festival Days. of martyr, Fr Agustin Samson Consunji. XUGS and XUHS went head to head against Students showed what they got in terms of Corpus Christi School. The Central Student talent to an audience who held out score Government also organized an All-Star Game cards after every performance. featuring basketball star players from XU’s he XU community paid tribute to colleges and schools grouped into the AMDG and St Francis Xavier, patron of mis- sions, by offering wreaths in honor Magis teams.