COMMUNITIES

BLOG (Bicol Log)
Mr. Peter Marc Magsalin, GS Assistant Principal

Posted Thursday, 05-Oct-2006 12:44 PM

      Thinking back on our recent 3-day trip to Naga City in Bicol, I could not really imagine how we made it back to Manila safely just before the onslaught of Typhoon “Milenyo” in the province and the metropolis. After speculations that our flight home may be cancelled, (It was the one and only flight by the way), our group cheerfully welcomed—typical Pinoy style of applauding and yelling-- the announcement that the trip would go on. The trip back home wasn’t really as smooth as expected. Air pockets constantly shook us for quite a time that you could almost imagine yourself on a roller coaster ride. With God’s blessing, we came home safe and sound.

      Our trip to Naga was part of the annual meet of all the Principals and School Directors of the nine Jesuit Basic Education schools all over the Philippines that make up the Jesuit Basic Education Commission or JBEC headed by Fr. Jim O’ Donnell, SJ from the Ateneo de Manila. The Xavier contingent was composed of Fr. Johnny Go, SJ, Mrs. Jane Natividad, Mrs. Jane Cacacho, Ms. Aimee Apolinario, Mr. Michael delos Reyes and yours truly.

Day 1: Road Trip

      From a bit of a rough landing that shook most of us from our catnap, we finally made it to Naga Airport on September 24, 2006. Our host school, Ateneo de Naga whisked us off together with the other Jesuit Schools contingent to a nearby restaurant for breakfast. For a while, time seemed to have stopped when the meals were served.

      After enjoying the sumptuous feast, we found ourselves on the road and heading for a tour of the nearby towns of Legazpi and Albay. The long drive was worth the wait as we started to get a glimpse of Mayon volcano. Mayon had definitely calmed down after a long, and unpredictable state of fury. It was really a pleasant sight to behold. Our road trip consisted of pitstops to old churches including, of course, the famous Cagsawa ruins. Bicol has a very rich history.

      Meanwhile, inside our van, we began to discover that most of us at least, our families, hailed from Bicol. Ms. Jane Natividad, Jane Cacacho, and myself trace our roots from Sorsogon. On the other hand, Aimee’s was from Pamplona, Camarines Sur. Talk about the Bicol connection!

      We capped our day with a mass celebrated by Fr. Joel Tabora SJ , President of ADNU at the new site of the Ateneo de Naga High School—a sprawling 8–hectare campus just a few minutes drive from the city proper.

      Dinner was a feast for two things: first; the food was great and second; Ateneo de Manila won a heart-pounding Game 1 of the UAAP Seniors basketball championship. It was also a time to renew old acquaintances. Mrs. Natividad was probably the most experienced in our contingent having been in all of the Jesuit schools for the annual JBECs since her stint as Assistant Principal. She had, of course had the most stories to tell in our table. The trip back to Villa Caceres hotel was something that can’t wait any longer. Everyone needed a good rest.

Day 2: Work, work, work!

      The trip from the hotel to the ADNU campus was a pleasant one. A typical Monday in Naga is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Manila on the first day of the week. Traffic was minimal or at the least, manageable.

      At the ADNU campus, a welcome banner depicting St. Ignatius offering his sword together with all the nine school seals, greeted all of us as we started trooping to our session hall. Fr. O’Donnell SJ, as usual, was up and about. Our conference hall had a unique arrangement and gave a sense of feeling that we were in a United Nations general assembly session. Moreover, we were all seated rather, uniquely as we found ourselves beside fellow administrators from other Jesuit schools. The sight of young and once young Jesuits was heart warming as one doesn’t see a gathering of these much priests, except maybe in a grand school mass of sorts. To see them laugh, joke, and share unguarded moments puts one in a state of awe only to realize that “taong-tao din pala sila.”

      Fr. Johnny Go led us in all of the sessions each of which were all aimed at allowing us to “discover” what it means and what it takes for a Jesuit school to possess its unique “Ignatian” character. His sessions for the whole day were intellectually and emotionally challenging and engaging that we never took note of how fast time flew. Before we knew it, the day was over.

      We ended day 2 with a celebration of the Holy Eucharist presided by Fr. Manolo Cuerquis, S.J., President of the Ateneo de Davao University and a superb dinner at Grillepoint restaurant. After dinner, our group (minus Fr. Go) slipped into a nearby Italian restaurant for dessert. Thanks to Jane C. and Aimee for doing a good job of surveying the area ahead of time.

Day 3 – Wrapping-up

      The morning drizzle proved to be a welcome after three straight days of humid weather. Talks about a looming typhoon had already circulated, but the sudden downpour didn’t give much of a hint of things to come.

      The first part of the day’s activity started with Fr. Go handling his last session. He challenged the various groups to critique an assessment instrument that will be used by all Jesuit schools in the Philippines in the future to assess how Ignatian a school is. Once more, the exercise was fun and intellectually challenging.

      The second part of the session was the much awaited reporting of the various schools regarding their accomplishments/highlights for the first quarter of the year. It is surprising to note that we share the same school concerns as theirs in terms of curriculum, student activities, infrastructure, enrollment, and many more. From the session, I learned that most of the Jesuit schools namely, Sacred Heart School in Cebu, Ateneo de Iloilo, and Ateneo de Cagayan have started constructing new campuses as an answer to the growing demand of the community to avail of the Jesuit education. Xavier School is pretty much in the same boat since plans are underway to build Xavier 2 in Laguna a few years from now.

      The last session was spent synthesizing all the learnings we’ve gained from the conference. Fr. O’ Donnell, the founding father of the JBEC, highlighted the major accomplishments of the group and thanked them for a job well done. It was agreed that the next JBEC will be held sometime February of next year at the Ateneo de Zamboanga. We ended the day with a mass presided by Fr. Bert Ampil, SJ, President of the Ateneo de Manila Basic Education Unit. In his homily, Fr. Bert segued often on the history of the JBEC and how Fr. O’ Donnell has quietly but effectively steered the organization into its present form. Fr. Bert added that the JBEC’s strength and steady growth can be attributed to the high level of cooperation and support extended by all the member schools to one another. Indeed, the two-day conference was a big success. Dinner was extra special that night because of Fr. Joel Tabora’s birthday and despedida blow-out to the whole group. It was a fitting end to this very memorable trip.

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