ROQUE FERRIOLS SJ SUSCIPE FUND
The Suscipe Fund, named after the famous prayer, "Receive O Lord" of St. Ignatius of Loyola, has been launched April 2021 by the Philippine Province to honor their jubilarians and to raise funds for the support of infirm and elderly Jesuits. With an increasing number of them needing special and individual attention, it has taken active steps to ensure support for their care. The fund is made possible through the generosity of Mr. Manuel V Pangilinan. Fr Provincial Primitivo Viray Jr. SJ, in his response to Mr. Pangilinan’s seed contribution, said in his note of gratitude, “Your continued generosity will greatly help in defraying one of the Society’s biggest expense items and ensuring that our beloved Lolo Jesuits like Fr Ferriols and Fr Catalino Arevalo continue to receive the best care.”
AAANA's DONATION TO THE JESUIT HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER
In 2016, in gratitude to our aging Jesuit teachers and mentors, alumni members of the AAANA donated $500K to the Philippine Jesuit Province. The charitable gift was intended for the wellness fund of the infirm and elderly Jesuits. This was made possible by the philanthropy of Diosdado "Dado" Banatao (Ateneo de Tuguegarao alumnus) whose $250K pledge was matched 100% by the generosity and group effort of the AAANA members and their supporters.
INVITATION: Fr. Ben Nebres, SJ invites AAANA members to support the food augmentation program of ACED (Ateneo Center for Educational Development). He says, “We really have to attend to the problem of malnutrition. A year or two of delayed education can be repaired, but a damaged brain of a child because of malnutrition can no longer be repaired.” ACED's primary mission is the training of public school principals and teachers. Through the years, its social engagements have included in-school feeding programs.
FOOD RATIONING PROGRAM: a) Food rations for the child and his or her family; b) Providing vegetable packs once a week; c) Aims to “keep the children in school” and do well in their lessons; d) Beneficiaries can be identified based on their BMI or as recommended by the school principals; e) Vegetables are sourced directly from farmers; e) Transport of food packs is done by people who lost their jobs.
BENEFICIARY SCHOOLS: a) Maligaya Elementary School, District 5, Quezon City (300 beneficiaries): 4,700 students; students from very poor communities; parents are daily wage-earners (labandera, construction, tagalinis ng bahay).
b) Ramon Magsaysay Elementary School, Congressional District 1, Quezon City (200 beneficiaries): 1,200 students; some students live inside the Manila North Cemetery; many parents are likewised daily wage-earners.
Last October 2020, NYC based members of AAANA spearheaded a fundraiser to benefit the Bukidnon Mission's 100 in 10 scholarship program. The goal of this 10-year program is to enable at least 100 Lumad youth to become their tribes’ leaders by providing them quality education and holistic formation. Within the ten-year period, we hope 100 indigenous scholars would have completed their university degrees who are culturally grounded, properly educated, and selflessly motivated leaders who can take on the tribes’ leadership.
The online event which video streamed on Facebook and YouTube was organized by AAANA President Romainne De Guzman Luis and past President Cynthia Esquivel Ilagan, produced by Joy Pascua and featured performances by Iskul Blue Kul, Kutuy Herrero, Paul Tirol, Imo, Tonet Santana, Lionel Zivan, and Mike Elgar. We mourn the loss of dear Joy Pascua who passed on thereafter.
As of December 2021, the program has 44 Lumad scholars – 17 interns staying at JRH Malaybalay; 27 externs enrolled in various schools in Mindanao.
Even as we pursue national initiatives in support of Ateneo scholarships and apostolate work of the Philippine Jesuits, AAANA individual members, officers and member AAA's espouse Ignatian and individual advocacies on their own. Roger Alama, a founding AAANA member and current director, has supported ADDU's engineering scholarships and covid relief initiatives. He has donated to humanitarian and medical missions and fundraisers that benefit communities in Visayas and Mindanao impacted by typhoons and natural disasters.
Jojo De Jesus, AAANA director and a volunteer for the Jesuit Bukidnon Mission, recently secured the donation of 50 used Lenovo ThinkPads from Chevron Philipppines through the AmCham Foundation to the lumad college scholars of the Jesuit IP Ministry in Malaybalay and Culion. Last mile donors were BPO International (Windows 8 OS) and Phoenix Publishing (transport). Mr. De Jesus also spearheaded fundraising for the renovation of lumad mission chapels - made possible by the generosity of fellow directors and TBEC officers, Eduardo Uy and Danilo Nicolas, ADNU and Colegio de Sta Isabel alumni, friends and family.
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