The Crusader Publication People Magazine 2015

GAME CHANGERSRyan Louie Madrid .................................................... 4Kerneil Balaga .......................................................... 5Ernesto Neri ............................................................. 6Robert de la Serna .................................................... 7Dexter Lo ................................................................ 8Gina Itchon, MD ....................................................... 9VEST Miarayon Project Team ...................................... 10

ARTISTSRay Anthony Lao ....................................................... 12Xavier Philharmonia ............................................................ 13XU Glee Club ........................................................... 14Banda ni Papet ......................................................... 15Feliciano Legara IV .................................................. 16Stephanie Baz .......................................................... 17

EXEMPLARIESFra-and Timothy Quimpo ............................................ 19Marlon Boro ............................................................. 20Rhodelle Nagac ........................................................ 21Casheworks ............................................................. 22XU Debate Circle ...................................................... 23XU Rodeo Enthusiast .................................................. 24Sira’j ....................................................................... 25Knots and Woods ..................................................... 26Lami Jud! Malunggay Pastel ....................................... 27Sketch bags .............................................................. 28

EVERYDAY HEROESAlexie Colipano Jr. .................................................... 29Edralin Manla ........................................................... 31Vicente Ruiz ............................................................. 32Florime Sebial .......................................................... 33Arvin Martinez ......................................................... 34Pennessencio Estarte .................................................. 35Maria Celeste Sagarbarria ......................................... 36Roger Garcia ........................................................... 37Emelinda Bombeo ..................................................... 38Jerome Torres ............................................................ 39Edgar Besoro............................................................ 40

ICONSRoberto Yap, SJ ....................................................... 42Joseph Enerio (1935-2014) ........................................ 43Xavier Science Foundation ......................................... 44Ramona Heidi Palad ................................................. 45Roel Ravanera .......................................................... 46Paulo Javier Gener(1978-2013) ................................. 47

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Editor’s NoteEveryone has stories to share. It just takes the right

angle to carve a great one.

For years, names of XU community members are published in The Crusader’s materials simply as

sources of knowledge and insights. “According to her, based on an interview with; he commented,

she remarked.”In this special issue, we take a closer look at people we unknowingly pass by in the campus every day.

Think about this: Every day, around 10,000 people—from athletes, artists, community workers, teachers, to staff—who make up the XU community

have heaps of stories to share.

TheCrusader’s People Magazine is an attempt to forge a sense of familiarity through words and

photos. The following pages are a collective effort to put the limelight on 43 individuals and

organizations who make our everyday Xavier life as we know it.

G A M E C H A N G E R S

People whose ways of transcending normalcy is nothing short of inspiring.

I was really supposed to go reporting because it is my dream ever since I [was] young. But then I felt like that the dream to become a

reporter is something I can chase any day, any time of the week and any age that I have but the chance to be able to help the people in my city, in my hometown and concretely and at the very entire need—that doesn’t come every day,” Ryan Louie Madrid recalls on how he worked as project assistant of Xavier Ecoville in April 2012.

With a degree in development communication major in journalism, Madrid graduated in 2012 as cum laude and class valedictorian at XU. He was an exchange student under the Fulbright Program, he studied at American University in Washington DC, and he was an editor-in-chief of TheCrusader Publication. He is currently part of the Ayala Leaders Congress.

Given his accomplishments, it didn’t come as a surprise that he received many job offerings. Among others, Madrid was offered his dream job at Rappler.

“I thought I need to be here (Xavier Ecoville)first and need to do something concrete here. Because reporting and communication kay abstract man gyud siya; it doesn’t give you direct impact, whereas working in a community like in Ecoville, makita nimo diretso ang tao nga imong natabangan,” Madrid shares of the fulfillment gained in the field.

As the project assistant, he organized the local youth and worked as a liaison officer. Eventually, this led to his taking on the role of project leader. Although Madrid is not directly working with Ecoville today, he voluntarily works for water consultancy for the community. Now that Ecoville—which started as a resettlement site of tropical storm Sendong survivors—is in the last phase of development as an independent community, Madrid sees the need to focus on his other plans. Currently, he aspires to be in the communications team of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Council (NDRRMC) or be part of the Presidential Communications team that focuses on NDRRMC.

“I love doing community work,” Madrid says. “Five to ten years [from now], I want to be part of an international organization doing humanitarian work.”C

Ryan Louie MadridBy Rezza Mae B. Tolinero

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People Magazine 2015 4

Most students choose a path of financial stability after they graduate. Kerneil Balaga, an alumnus of the

School of Education, has chosen to take a path deemed less traveled—a journey only a heart of a selfless man can trail.

Balaga, also called Ken by his colleagues, drew admiration and respect for exemplifying the Atenean core value of being a person for others. He started street tutorial sessions and sacrificed the pursuit of a professional career which brings a bigger paycheck. After graduating, Balaga has devoted most of his time to reaching out to and educating the underprivileged children in the city.

With a few old books and writing materials in hand, he roams the city every day to teach street kids basic writing, reading, science, and even values and religion. “Lisod gyud [at first] kay wala pa sila’y (street children) nabal-an [and] ang environment pa jud,” he shares on the children’s environment for learning which leaves much to be desired.

Challenging as it was, his passion, coupled with the support of the community, fuels the continuation and growth of his tutorial. Balaga shares that since the start of his initiative in August 2014, most of their resources are donated by people who share his cause and even from passers-by.

“Sa una, first year college ko, ga-befriending lang gyud [ko] sa mga street kids,” he shares. Balaga says that reaching out to the less fortunate has long been a part of his college career. As a KKP (Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana) volunteer, NSTP (National Service Training Program) facilitator and FFP (Freshmen Formation Program) student assistant, he has had meaningful experiences with the street children in the city. He then realized the need to help these children through education.

Little did he expect that he would touch lives with his humble dream. Balaga, too, draws inspiration from his faith.

He felt like God has blessed him through these children who have helped him more than he has helped them. “Gina-tudluan ko nila nga ma-more patient nako, kind, understanding,” he says.

While he is open to the possibility of pursuing a different career, Balaga imparts that teaching these street kids has become a way of life. He shares in a mix of Bisaya and English, “Street tutorials are ingrained within me. It is important to me and it has become a way of life. The street children are like my brothers and sisters.”C

Kerneil BalagaBy Mary Antoinette M. Magallanes

Photo grabbed from Kerniel Balaga’s Facebook Account

TheCrusader www.thecrusaderpublication.com 5

In a university where student leaders pass by fleetingly like the seasons, there are those who remember the name Ernesto Baconga Neri.A 25-year-old fourth year law student and arguably

one of the most active student leaders in XU history, Neri is a well-known character inside and outside the University. Tonton, as he is also called, has been an Atenean since the beginning of his academic career. He is known for establishing the Ateneo School for Upcoming Leaders (ASUL) and leading the University as the CSG President in AY 2010-2011, during what some would consider one the student government’s most successful years of service.

Had it not been for his Ignatian upbringing and his mentor, Chris Fahardo, SJ, his involvement in campus politics would never be the same. “Part and parcel really of the uniqueness of Ignatian education lies [on the three principles],” he surmises, referring to the principles of living simply, not profiting from unjust structures, and fighting against these structures.

Elected the very first chairperson of the Light Cavalry Leadership Committee during his 4th year in high school, Neri didn’t break his stride when he entered the XU political scene. After establishing ASUL and running for vice president in his 2nd year, he would go on to win the 2010-11 election with no contest, and he took office with a particular vision in mind. “I entered a CSG that was in an identity crisis kay people knew it as an event organizer—the mother of all event organizers.”

Ever a believer of government-voter efficacy, Neri conducted research and established departments that addressed the students’ top four concerns. Under his management, CSG grew to take a larger role in the everyday lives of students. From something as little as establishing the “Tindahan ng CSG” to something as momentous as moving the XU Activity Hour to Wednesdays and prohibiting classes after, Neri is a reminder that change happens when one commits themselves to it.

His talents are currently being channeled into the improvement of the Oro Youth Development Council as a guiding force for city youth from different sectors. This involvement is his belief in the power of the people manifest.

“The nation’s at a very critical point in its story. The nation is facing a very important election in a year. There is a promising process building in our island and our economic prospects are brighter now than ever before.” Neri presses on. “That is why it’s very critical that our generation, which comprises 1/3 of the population, to shun any force that may deviate from the light and the promise.”C

Ernesto NeriBy Andrew Rey L. del Fierro

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Robert de la Serna is a man of ideas. While studying applied mathematics in Ateneo de Manila, his social consciousness began

to form. With a strong background in theology and philosophy, combined with the social environment of the Marcos regime, de la Serna was exposed to social engagement.

For him, being a non-governmental organization (NGO) worker was an “accident”. He came from a varied line of work which included being a teacher and an economic researcher as well as starting a tutorial center. When a colleague convinced him to work for XU FARM, then called XU-CRS (Catholic Relief Services) Collaboration Project, he became engrossed in social work. The project aimed to collaborate with NGOs and various University departments to address issues on agro-enterprise development and farmer empowerment.

At first, he was hesitant because he didn’t know much about NGO work but he accepted the job because of a desire to reach out to society. As project manager for XU FARM, he oversaw the partnership of the NGOs and the different departments in the University. The project, which ran from October 2010 to April 2012, was able to partner with seven NGOs and six provinces in Mindanao.

He was also actively involved on matters within the city. He conceptualized the PaskoRela, a local Christmas event which features a parade of motorelas adorned with Christmas decor. As a social media activist, de la Serna’s enthusiasm for activism comes from a passion to encourage good governance.

De la Serna is currently involved with the Research and Social Outreach unit and the Governance and Leadership Institute (GLI). One event he has been working on is the Festival of Ideas, which invites public intellectuals, writers, policy makers, and students to share and discuss any ideas they have. In GLI, his engagement is on health, leadership, and governance. It is focused on capacity building for mayors on the health situation in Misamis Oriental.

One thing that motivates him to continue in this line of work is the challenge. He is keen to challenge conventional thinking and create new ideas. When asked what he gets in return for all the work, de la Serna answers that the greatest compensation is when he sees his ideas realized.

“You are supposed to share ideas. Let it grow, the mechanism for its growth is by sharing,” he says.C

Robert de la SernaBy Xian Louis Patrick R. Arcayera

Photo By Paul Clinton B. Balase


Dexter Lo

Dexter Lo is a teacher; he says his curiosity made him one. In his days as a college student, he made it a point

to ask questions in class whenever his overactive mind strayed, sometimes inquiring for ideas not covered in the class syllabus. He parlayed that to a position in the University’s College of Engineering after graduating with honors from XU.

He is also an engineer, the only one in a family full of businessmen. He says that it helps with his teaching. “Every time I talk about a certain equation, it becomes an experience because I had it in my practice. So it is more enjoyable and less abstract,” he comments.

While in XU, he concentrated on structural engineering centered on earthquake resistance. “Sometimes we [forget] to respect nature and the environment.” He then expanded his scope toward sustainable development, seeing that nature affects how things are constructed. “When you build something, you are affecting something… but not necessarily destroying it,” he quips. He admits to not being a hardcore environmentalist; he just wants to be a responsible builder.

Then, disaster struck hard.In November 2011, his class recently finished

making a map of the inundated areas in the city during the 2009 floods as a project. It was a simulation of 2009 and a hypothesis of what may befall Cagayan de Oro should another flood hit it. They had no idea, back then (as it was finished in November 2011), of how that map became a sign of things to come.

The next month, about 90 to 95 percent of the areas mapped were among those flooded when tropical storm Sendong unleashed its rains on the city.

Since then, he gets called regularly for meetings as a member of the land use committee for the region. From time to time, he also gets invited to speak in various lectures both within and outside the campus. But most of all, he remains to be among the University’s leaders in advocating for disaster risk management—XU now offers a DRRM subject for civil engineering—and sustainable development through his work with the XU Engineering Resource Center and as a professor.

He remains a teacher and an engineer. Today, however, he is more than those.C

By John Kenneth E. Ching

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When I grow up, I want to be a doctor,” Dr. Gina Itchon vividly remembers her kindergarten speech. As she grew up,

her dream of becoming a doctor remained although her parents thought otherwise. At first, she was fascinated to work as a surgeon but she realized that constantly being in an “emergency mode” went against her nature.

“Then I realized what the Philippines really needs is public health,” she says. XU is her first and only professional workplace as a doctor. “The field of public health began to attract me more. If you do public health, you are able to help many people at the same time.”

Itchon cites heart diseases and diarrhea as common health problems which are easy to solve because their prevention doesn’t necessarily need the intervention of specialists. She takes her own advice; she watches her diet and she rides a bike going to XU.

On her 30th year as a medical doctor, her passion to improve people’s health is still unwavering. “Why I’m still fired up for public health? Because many of our diseases are preventable. We need more doctors but we also need to educate people,” she explains. “The perfect way to get people to improve their lives is to educate them, not only through formal education.”

Her strong interest in public health coupled with her inclination to research steered her to become the director of XU Sustainable Sanitation (SuSan) Center. Her experience in the rural areas of Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon made her realize that many of the diseases were sanitary-related. Due to water being a finite resource, her research involved toilet designs that didn’t need it. This toilet, then, is a sustainable option for the Philippines where many areas have difficult access to water.

When the city bore the brunt of tropical storm Sendong, her knowledge, together with the SuSan’s team of five, was put to use in solving the sanitation problem. “It was really chaos,” she recounts when 500 families were evacuated to an elementary school with only two functional restrooms. “If we do not do anything, people will get sick and that is a public health nightmare.”

She keeps in mind to “go at the frontiers and to places people usually don’t go into.” According to her, sanitation is often forsaken during a disaster response due to greater emphasis being placed on material aid and money. Different people have different ways of taking the road less traveled. SuSan is Itchon’s translation of treading an unconventional yet meaningful path.C

Gina Itchon, MDBy Louren B. Aranas

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Nobody wants another Sendong. But how do we keep a catastrophe at bay? By working together, according to the people of the VEST campaign.

VEST, which stands for Valuing Ecosystem Services Together, began in June 2014. Years of illegal logging and economic pressures have stripped the highlands of its forests, which could have served as a rampart against deluge brought about by ‘Sendong’.

The people at VEST aim to establish a mutually beneficial relationship between Kagay-anons and the upland tribes whose ancestral domains include critical forest areas. “It is a social marketing strategy that would reward local tribes for sustaining their forests,” says Sue Andey Ong, VEST’s administrative officer.

Helming the campaign is Evans Yonson, a development communication professor who simultaneously serves as the director of XU Press. Yonson recounts that on July 29, 2014, a heartbreaking spectacle greeted him and his companions when they arrived in Miarayon, Talakag, Bukidnon to lay the foundation for VEST. “There was a wake… When we asked the locals who died, they told us that a mother just died giving birth to her child. … I saw her baby, crying without her mother,” he says.

The incident confirmed what Yonson already knew: that both the city dwellers and the tribespeople—the Miarayon-Lapok-Lirongan-Tinaytayan Tribal Association (MILALITTRA)—needed each other. The city folks need a strong gauge against torrents from upstream in the event of a massive storm, while the tribespeople need access to basic social services such as decent schools, medical facilities, and better means to earn a living.

A system called Payment for Ecological Services (PES) facilitates the fundraising aspect. Donations will be used to improve the quality of life and to help cultivate the cultural heritage of the MILALITTRA. In turn, a good number of able-bodied lumads volunteered to safeguard the forests in their area.

Since the inception of VEST seven months ago, 88 out of the expected 1,600 hectares of land within the Mt. Kalatungan protected area have been funded for its reforestation. VEST, as the social marketing arm of the umbrella PES project, will be ending its run soon. According to Yonson, the campaign will culminate, tentatively, during Earth Hour on March 28.

It does, however, mark the beginning of the project’s next phase: monitoring and putting resources in place. The mission of environmental stewardship, after all, must continue.C

VEST Miarayon Project TeamBy James Edgar T. Sia

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A R T I S T SPeople whose creative juices keep the community vibrant through

resonating beats, capturing instants, and owning spotlights.

Twenty Questions, Ang Pinakamakisig sa mga Nalunod sa Buong Daigdig, improvisational shows—these are only few of the remark able works of Dulaang Atenista (DA), a notable theater organization in the University.

Yet few know that DA almost met its demise years ago. Had this man not pushed for its revival, XU would be deprived of its time-honored, resident theater company. Meet Ray Anthony Lao, the man behind DA’s triumph.

Lao, as he is fondly called, began DA’s revival in 2006 when he was still a development communication student in XU. Along with a few colleagues who shared the same interest in theater, Lao’s idea would eventually lead to the rebirth of the DA.

At its inception, DA was unsteady at best as it was mainly a student-run group with no steady moderator. Lao and his team had to face the difficulties of redefining the structure and system of the organization, staging productions, having proper trainings, and recruiting members alone. The lack of trained members compelled him to start directing even if he was only in his second year.

“It wasn’t easy. We [had] to go through lots of hoops, lots of struggles and hurdles, we had to make mistakes. But we welcomed these problems [and] we learned from it.”

Lao shares that one of the DA’s greatest achievements is taking part in and hosting the first Ateneo Theater Festival. “It was a great opportunity for us [theater groups] to network with each other and make friends.”

His college days only marked the start of his long journey with DA. After graduating, he worked as a development communication instructor in the University and became DA’s artistic director in 2010. Since then, the small group he had started evolved to encompass a wider vision and a stronger passion. “The purpose of putting up Dulaang Atenista was never really about popularizing it; it was just about doing something that we love,” he shares.

Nine years after its comeback, DA has flourished into an established theater organization in XU. Since then, human and financial resources have escalated and the enthusiasm of its members has rocketed more than ever.

For many years of being with DA, Lao does not only draw inspiration from the art of theater itself but also from the people he has met and the learning he has acquired in the process. “The ups and downs of Dulaang Atenista really made me who I am now.”C

Ray Anthony LaoBy Mary Antoinette M. Magallanes

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You know our name, not our story—a single phrase encapsulates the mystery behind the Xavier Philharmonia (XP).

Having started with only five members, XP has come a long way since its establishment three years ago. Started by a group of students and faculty mentors sharing a common love for classical music, the organization has grown to 30 members who take it upon themselves to display the merit and beauty of orchestral, classical music. “There’s no other way to say it: We just love music, playing music, making music,” says Jan Rupert Alfeche, XP’s concertmaster.

The XP started out as a small organization playing around the University. “A Little Serenade,” a concert held during Xavier Festival Days 2014, marks one of the organization’s most notable achievements. The concert was the group’s first instrumental classical music performance that was prominently featured on campus. According to XP’s artistic director Francis Joshua Arrabaca, the event’s success was largely in part of the impressive audience it attracted. “I think we were really successful in our goal to advocate classical music, and we think that the XU audience is ready for a higher level of music,” Arrabaca adds.

The young orchestra has performed for different audiences including the Jesuit Schools Formators’ Colloquium, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in the Asia-Pacific, and the Philippine Province Forum of the Society of Jesus as well as outside audiences such as the Great Hope concert series and the Psychological Association of the Philippines.

The XP, which started from next to nothing, is now on their way to reaching the recognition that follows only the admirable and unsurpassed devotion that is shown by the people who make up the organization.

Thus far, XP has performed an estimated 450 minutes of music for some 20,000 people around Xavier University and Cagayan de Oro City. With their steady ascent in the ladder of success, who is to say that they are far from reaching their ultimate dream—to be recognized as professional ambassadors of classical music?C

Xavier PhilharmoniaBy Daphne J. Dujali

Photo By Venice P. Villo


Renowned for their synchronized celestial voices and undeniable dedication to music since its formation in 1965, the Xavier University Glee Club continues to pave the way for the full appreciation of choral music. The official choral

group of XU—which was once called Voices of Arts and was open only to a limited number of people—is renowned for its accomplishments both in and outside the University throughout the years.

In 2013, the Glee Club is among the ten finalists of the first Akapela Open, a competition for a cappella ensemble singing by The Music School of Ryan Cayabyab.

For Vic Angelo Atilano, Glee Club’s music director, what differentiates their organization from other groups dedicated entirely to music is their substantial commitment demanded from each member. He emphasizes that discipline is a key component in being part of a choir and that every team member’s contribution is greatly acknowledged. This core value also establishes the foundation for the organization’s success.

Atilano states that the Glee Club is open to everyone within the XU Community just as long as a person has the ear to listen to music and have the time for meetings and rehearsals. “It’s not so much on your ability, but on your availability,” he adds.

The organization holds auditions for new members every first semester of every school year. Being a long process, the auditions get the best out of the number of people who wish to be part of the Glee Club. To ensure the members’ contribution to the organization, Atilano intimates that the qualities he looks for are those of availability and a background of music. Sacrifice has been a great component in the foundation and success of the organization, what with the number of activities in store for them every year

The Glee Club may well be an organization that asks a lot, but the sense of fulfillment in being part of a choir with people sharing great talent with you is an honor seen incomparable by its dedicated members.C

XU Glee ClubBy Daphne J. Dujali

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We wanted to be the wave. We don’t want to ride the wave—we want to be the wave itself.”A nonconformist band who likes to think outside the box when it comes to making

music, Banda ni Papet continues to rock the local music scene since its birth in 2007.The band’s members consist of Lori Jones Janubas, Don Gabe, Rob Wapano, Marc Adame, and

Kent Seriña. When asked about their musical influences, they said that they never settle only for one genre. Influenced by punk, classic rock, and indie music, they managed to piece out and combine different genres to create unique and new masterpieces. Banda Ni Papet released an album in 2012 titled “Made Men” and a Christmas EP (extended playlist) in 2013.

The band made its own contributions to the music scene in the XU community, through Lori Jones Janubas, their drummer and former President of XU Soundtable. They were one of the few who spearheaded music festivals in the University and were being constantly called by the Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts to perform. Janubas, unaware of the inspiration the group provides for other young musicians, recalls how other bands often covered Banda Ni Papet’s original songs. He shares, “I never really expected people were inspired by us. Because we were just doing our thing and here comes other individuals who covered our songs. We were surprised.”

“Bahala’g wala mi profit, bahala’g wala mi kwarta makuha ani. Basta ang important kay naa’y ning padayon sa fire sa amo’ng music. Proud kaayo mi ana, sa legacy nga gibilin namo sa Xavier University,” adds Wapano, Banda Ni Papet’s guitarist.

Unsurprisingly, their influence has spread outside the campus boundaries. They perform gigs in Punchbowl, hailed as the “Hard Rock Café” of CdeO. Banda ni Papet joined the Muziklaban, a rock music competition in Davao, and were also invited to perform in Cebu, Gingoog, and Iligan. “We wanted to tell them that there’s noise that’s coming from the south, in Cagayan de Oro City from Xavier University,” states Seriña, their vocalist.

Recognition wasn’t their main goal. It was more about expressing their emotions, sharing their beliefs, and their musicality as a whole. Considering each other as a family is what fortified their bond throughout the years. Perhaps these are the reasons Banda Ni Papet has proven itself to be more than just a musical group.C

By Karl Patrick P. Bontanon

Banda ni Papet

Photo By Jaymar T. Patana


Feliciano Legara IV

Feliciano Legara IV is just like any other artist.

He depends on bouts of inspiration to finish an artwork. “There was a time that, like, I’m already holding the brush and I already had the canvas in front of me, I’d decide that, ‘Okay, I will do this next time.’” He paints fast, as he does not have the patience to work on a personal project for extended periods of time, though the importance of a deadline is not lost on him.

In any case, Feliciano Legara IV or Fourth, remains to be one of the most talented young artists this city has to offer.

His style is inspired by various classical and modern foreign artists. He admires the preference of natural and lighter tones, as well as knowing how a subject would look like in a photo—which he attributes to the fact that women are frequent subjects or models of artworks.

He thinks no less of his peers; he only wants to avoid their influence to preserve his own artistic identity.

He is a visual person. When looking at a photo or a painting, he notices its visual beauty first and the meaning second. Aesthetics is an integral element in his art. “It could be backed up with a story, it could be backed up with an inspiration, it could be backed up with something na literary or anything else, but aesthetics has to be there. Even as simple as a blank page, pero the choice of color, the choice of texture is good, and it is aesthetically good, it is an artwork.”

For him, a true artist is one who knows when his piece is as good as finished. “If you could see your artwork na parang medyo kulang, you won’t stop. You won’t stop unless you see that parang, ‘This is good.’” He believes that when an artist finally decides to finish his work, the artist knows that there will be some who will appreciate it.

That’s why when people look at Fourth, they see one of Cagayan de Oro’s top young artists, with a portfolio including countless numbers of photo shoots, murals, and portraits on top of his experiences in journalism and marketing.

As much as he is like any other artist, he might be in a class of his own.C

By John Kenneth E. Ching

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When we hear the term tattoo artist, we often envision a generally bizarre and intimidating person covered

in tattoos. Twenty-two year-old Stephanie Baz, however, is quite the opposite of a tattoo artist commonly portrayed in films. Clad in jeans and shirt and with her hair up in a ponytail, Steff, as she’s usually called, epitomizes the term laid-back.

How Baz came to be a tattoo artist is a funny story. Two years ago, she was attending the first day of her philosophy class. They were bound to introduce and say something interesting about themselves. She recalls, “I was thinking, ‘Unsa ma’y tsada nga i-ingon about sa akong self? Wala man ko’y interesting nga ginabuhaton.’” Back then, she was already into arts such as illustrations and clay art. When it was her turn, Baz shared her love for miniature clay and added the “dili man siya interesting” remark at the end. She spent the remainder of the class thinking, “Tsada siguro kung ga-tattoo ko, ako dayon i-ingon sa class.”

That daydream of hers turned into reality a few months later when a friend asked her to be an apprentice in the tattoo shop he was establishing. Now, Baz’s own tattoo shop stands in Pabayo-Gaerlan Streets. Although her main focus is tattooing, she also makes illustrations and watercolour paintings which she posts online.

The walls of her shop are decorated with her own sketches and sample designs which are minimalistic, quiet, and sophisticated—yet they scream beauty. Her designs look amazing just as well on paper as they do on skin.

Asked about her feelings toward becoming quite well-known as a tattoo artist, she bashfully claims that she doesn’t feel like she’s becoming famous. “Nag-tuo pud ko nga mas maayo na ang imong work ang mag-speak for you,” she adds.

Her next move is to become a travelling tattooist. Baz shares, “This summer, ga-plan ko nga mag [adto sa] Cebu, mura siya’g immersion. Mag-adto ko didto and mag-tattoo ko. Naa ko’y income and at the same time didto ko magpuyo.”

Her interest in tattooing goes hand in hand with traveling. She adds that she went to Siargao for two weeks but later decided that two weeks of surfing and tattooing wasn’t enough immersion for her. But she’s got it all figured out, career-wise. Ten years from now, Baz envisions herself putting up a shop in Bali, Indonesia.C

Stephanie BazBy Fatima Roqaya A. Datu-Ramos

Photo by Ian Kenneth O. Bicar


E X E M P L A R I E SPeople whose drive to achieve greater heights is a testament that

excellence go beyond the academic realm.

Speaking in a voice as clear as the ocean, Fra-and Timothy Quimpo, a senior researcher for McKeough Marine

Center (MMC), dives deep into the details of his love for nature.

Quimpo thinks his father, who used to give him books instead of toys, influenced his love of nature. “As I was growing up, I loved to read more than play,” he shares. He loved reading books on nature and going camping. “I can memorize all the animals when I was six,” he adds with glee.

He originally took up BS Biology as a preparation for medical school but, having an interest in the world’s oceans, he decided to venture into marine biology. “I realized halfway that my calling is not medicine.” As a result, he earned his degree in XU and his masters in Mindanao State University-Naawan. “My very first underwater dive was very, very exciting,” he recalls. “When I go diving, I have this feeling of being free from the weight of the world.”

As his experiences accumulated, Quimpo gradually became respected in his field. Last year, he was among the team of experts who became the first to explore the bottom of the Benham Rise. The Benham Rise is a 13 million hectare undersea region east of Luzon. It officially became the Philippines’ continental shelf on April 12, 2012. The purpose of the expedition was to explore the newest territory of the country believed to be abundant of minerals and natural gas.

Quimpo describes the experience as both scary and amazing. “[It was] scary because wala’y land na makita,” he remembers. “We don’t know what we will find. We don’t know the conditions.” Nevertheless, the expedition was newsworthy because he was one of the few Filipinos first to dive and find what can be utilized in the area. Patrice Bianca Roa-Chio, another researcher of MMC, also joined the diving expedition in the Benham Rise.

Quimpo’s message for aspiring marine biologists is perseverance. “We are not here for the money. You do not become rich as a marine biologist. But in this field, if you just have the right perseverance, everything will fall in place.”C

Fra-and Timothy QuimpoBy Nitzschia Lozarita Cassopeia A. Beroe

Photo by Ian Kenneth O. Bicar


There are people who were born wealthy, there are some who grew up with scarce resources—then there are those who take it upon themselves to

chase after their fortune. Marlon R. Boro, 22, wasn’t born on a bed of roses.

When he graduated from high school at Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (MOGCHS) in 2008, he decided to help his family by getting a job. In a span of two years, he became a laborer for Rosevale School, tilled gardens, worked at a furniture shop, and assisted in painting cars in an auto shop.

After a hiatus of two years, Boro decided to continue his education and earn a degree. His biological mother working in Tagaytay had a generous boss who offered to sponsor his studies. He applied for a scholarship at the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and started school at Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) but wasn’t accepted due to his CHED scholarship results arriving only after the start of the semester. He continued at MUST as a regular student and stopped in the middle of the first semester of his sophomore year.

After multiple applications to other universities, Boro was hired as a janitor at Xavier University in October 2012. He applied for the Philippine Military Academy twice but was denied due to his scoliosis. The manager handling Boro, who was close to losing hope of completing a college education, suggested that he try taking the XU entrance examination. Clad in his janitorial uniform, he bravely conquered the entrance exam and passed.

Taking up BS Math, Boro attended class in the morning and worked as a maintenance crewman at night. After a week, Eric Velandria, SJ, former dean of the School of Education, asked Boro of his willingness to earn a degree. “Kinsa ba dili willing kanang mu-skwela ug maka-graduate,” Boro thought. He was then recommended to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. After successfully applying for a scholarship from the Ateneo Alumni Association British Columbia and a financial aid from Gabay Guro, Marlon shifted to BS Education.

“Ang motivation nako kay lisod amo’ng pamilya. Kung mag-tanga lang ko [ug] wala ko’y buhaton, wala ko’y mahimo. Dili nimo sala naanak na pobre ka, pero imo nang sala na mamatay ka pobre gihapon.” Currently in his second year, Boro shares his motivation, “Ako’ng gusto kay muadto sa mga bukid ug mag-tudlo sa mga indigenous people para maka-tabang pud ko sa uban.” For Boro, he maintains a sense of gratitude and mindfulness while working for his aspirations. “Kontento ko kung unsa naa sa ako karon, sa mga blessings sa akong mga nadawatan. Happy are those who are contented sa kato’ng ilang nangadawatan.”C

Marlon BoroBy Ma. Isabela C. Agawin

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National Feature

Efficiency is Rhodelle Nagac’s middle name.Oding, as he is fondly called, was born

into a family with hoopsters from both sides. He started playing as a high school freshman at Liceo de Cagayan University before catching the attention of XU Crusaders head coach, Arvin Martinez, while playing for Pilgrim Christian College in Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) games. He was recruited by Martinez and transferred to XU as a third year business administration student.

Standing at 5’10”, Nagac is usually undersized when he plays his natural position at power forward. Theoretically, the potent forward would struggle on both ends of the floor since the person he guards can easily shoot over him and disrupt his offense with length. Yet he makes an incredible 60 percent of all his shots, calmly sinking jumper after jumper after tough lay-up after tip-in. Although he claims that the corner three and inside-the-arc 20 footers are his favourite shots, he scores from anywhere on the floor and makes it look easy.

Generally, a player is considered an effective scorer if he has a field goal percentage bordering on 50 percent. “Sa practice man na. Ingon pa nila, ‘Practice makes perfect.’ Diha gyud gasugod. Seryoso ko, dedicated sa practice kay siyempre, gusto baya gyud ka mu-daog,” he chuckles as he attempts to explain his outstanding percentages.

In eight COSAA (Cagayan de Oro Schools Athletic Association) games last year, Nagac’s team high 24-point average put him in the spotlight as one of the top-scorers in the city-wide tournament. Even more impressive? He shoots at a 68 percent clip from the field—better than Tyson Chandler of the Dallas Mavericks, who owns the second highest field goal percentage in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as of press time.

The fact that the NBA and COSAA are light years apart in terms of quality does little to dull Nagac’s stellar feat. Sixty-eight percent is what it is – deadly efficient.

In last year’s COSAA finals series against Cagayan de Oro College, Nagac played out of his mind and led an undermanned Crusaders squad in a position to win the title with a field goal. Despite having fallen short of his ultimate goal, his 2014 campaign has been the most successful of the three seasons he has played for XU. Nagac plans on finding a career in marketing management after he graduates this March while basketball and everything else is still up in the air for him.C

Rhodelle NagacBy Lorenzo A. Botavara

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Casheworks Utilizing cashew works. And so does volunteerism. What started as a school requirement eventually turned into a search for a community

with plenty of business potential. Lumbia, a center of cashew nuts, presented the perfect opportunity for a group of students, whose only goal was to serve as the marketing arm of the cashew tarts production. Later, they decided to take the requirement a step further.

A team of junior business administration students—Jo-anne Villa, Billie Girl Bacus, Uzziel Joann Chua, Yollie Go, Caryl Claire Moritcho, Nicolo Andre Palacios, and Jannica Sagrado—paved the way for the establishment of Casheworks, with the support of the Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana (KKP) with the Collaborative Service Learning Program (CSLP).

Casheworks is an enterprise intended for the housewives and ‘Sendong’ survivors living in Lumbia who maximize the abundance of cashew by creating and selling cashew tarts. The team aims to share their knowledge to help make the cashew business a sustainable one. Villa, team leader, explains the idea, “Since naa man sila’y potential and bali ang Lumbia mao ang center sa cashew, why not kato siya na idea kay iipon para maka-come up ug product na possible nga mahimong leading na delicacy sa Cagayan de Oro?”

In November 2014, the team assisted the housewives belonging to the Lumbia Joint Livelihood Association (LJLA) in preparing the products. Saturdays became an opportunity for the students not only to lend physical assistance to the project, but also to observe and analyze for the best marketing strategy they could offer.

Janina Alfate, coordinator of the CSLP testifies, “Diha ra man gyud [unta sila] sa marketing side didto sa ilang project. But they go an extra mile like they help in the cooking itself, sa paglimpyo og pagtabang sa mga mama.”

The team is already planning to consign the business to other channels to provide long-term solutions. One team member expresses the sense of fulfillment gained from helping the community, “Nag-join ko kay ang main purpose namo kay mag-help sa community… It is also nice kay in line ni sa amo’ng course [but] it’s not solely about business; it’s also about formation.”C

By Rezza Mae B. Tolinero

Photo by Paul Clinton B. Balase


XU Debate Circle The members of the Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan Parliamentary Debate Circle

(XU – AdC PDC) are less likely to mince words with their opponents than to mince their opponents with words.

An organization renowned for wielding a formidable combination of intellectual and oratory prowess, the name “Debate Circle” is often spoken with a hint of reverence within the XU community. Any spectator of their bi-monthly Panaghisgot debate would claim that its members were made of little else but wit and furor.

Of course, you’d think that if you didn’t get to know them.The Circle, led by Camilla Abrillo and team captain Reine Cabreira, is currently comprised of

only 12 active members who practice daily from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the SS 5B classroom. Here, they launch debate after debate, session after session to prepare themselves for competitions. But every session isn’t all pomp and seriousness. The group finds the time to laugh, to poke fun at each other. What one would consider a moment of heated discussion can quickly transform to a fit of cordial laughter. What’s more unbelievable? This dynamic seems to work.

The Circle’s most recent triumph was their performance during the 35th World Universities Debating Championship in Kuala Lumpur. XU alumni Giano Libot and Lee Arvin Gogo would go so far as the quarter finals to rank 6th amongst all other teams in the English as a Second Language category of the tournament, marking them the highest internationally ranked Filipino team in the entire competition. To date, XU is the only Mindanao institution that has qualified in the finals series of Worlds.

Their performance at home also leaves little to be desired. The Circle maintains a tangible presence in the Mindanao debate scene, having managed to reach the grand finals of the Mindanao Parliamentary Debate Championships for the past four years. The Circle also managed to take home the championship for Visayas-Mindanao Parliamentary Debate Championships in 2013 and the year before whilst reaching the grand finals of the recent Luzon Intervarsity Debate Championship. With such prestige, you’d think the organization would want for little.

“Firstly, we’re really, really looking for recruits,” says Cabreira. The organization’s dwindling numbers threatens the sustainability of the Circle. The demands of being a member are considerable, not only in terms of finances. “This being a really challenging and competitive sport, you have to learn to control your self-doubts,” says Abrillo.

But the end result? An experience at the helm of intellectual discourse and a chance to achieve what few would dare pursue. As Abrillo says, no matter how daunting the task, “The Debate Circle is about pushing through.”C

By Andrew Rey L. del Fierro

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Positioned at the cattle’s back while one hand tightly holds the end of the loosely-coiled rope, a man tries to restrain the animal while others attentively

study his moves. This is yet another rigorous training session of the

15-year-old organization dominated by men of the College of Agriculture—the XU Rodeo Enthusiast.

Its humble beginnings trace back to the late 1990s with eight pioneering members. Now, the organization stands with six members and fifteen aspiring trainees under the moderation of Hernando Pacana of Manresa Farm. The tremendous sense of camaraderie consistently unites them and upholds the goal which sets the organization apart from other campus entities: to promote the welfare of both humans and animals.

One evident trademark of the XU Rodeo Enthusiast is the outstanding performance of the players on and off competitions. With passion and commitment, the organization never fails to uphold the ever-valued legacy: to train hard and finish victoriously.

Behind the victories are the members’ hands-on, flinty trainings, rain or shine during Sundays at Manresa Farm. “Seryoso gyud mi in terms sa amo’ng practice. We are driven to excel. We do not settle for less, we strive for more,” shares Karl Abunda, President of the XU Rodeo Enthusiast.

Among many competitions, they consistently triumph in the annual Rodeo sa Musuan organized by Central Mindanao University, Federation of Agriculture Schools in Mindanao (FASMIN) Rodeo Competition, Rodeo sa GenSan and the National Rodeo Finals in Masbate City.

“Fulfilling kaayo na always namo gina-carry ang name na Xavier University,” Abunda fondly intimates.

Like any other entities, the organization is not exempted from facing various problems, the solutions to which they learned from experience. As an organization, they make it a goal to successfully pass on the priceless knowledge and techniques in rodeo from one generation of players to another. “Challenge siya, kay siyempre, naa baya’y ga-graduate. So, kailangan ma-pass on ang knowledge to continue the legacy of consistent winning streak,” Abunda says on the group’s sustainability.

Asked about their plans, Abunda answers that they plan to recruit more members from the University. Driven by the legacy and the goals to recruit, regroup, and recapture, the team believes itself to be on the right path to excellence and mastery.

Committed. Passionate. Driven. These words sum up why the XU Rodeo Enthusiast continues to exemplify goals and characteristics worth emulating, and further proof that the organization itself is one worth recognizing.C

XU Rodeo EnthusiastBy Marvin N. Pamisa

Photo By Deanne A

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The population of Muslim students in Xavier University grows every year. In this year alone, there are 800 registered members of Sira’j. Although they all belong to one religion, unknown to many, these Muslim students belong to very different

tribes: Iranuns, Maranaos, Maguindanaos, and Tausugs In a predominantly Catholic university, there is one organization that unifies them: Sira’j.

Sira’j—literally “lighted lamp” in Arabic—was established in 2001 through the efforts of XU alumna Zia Alonto and former MRS (Muslim Religious Studies) professor Soraya Ali. It holds the distinction of being the only Muslim religious organization in the University and is under the umbrella of Xavier University-United Religious Organization (XU-URO).

It has been the goal of the organization to enlighten Muslim and non-Muslim students alike about Islam and they try to accomplish this by holding monthly interfaith dialogues and symposiums about issues in the Muslim world. Two of Sira’j’s most known programs are Duyog Ramadhan and University Iftar, which take place every first week and last week of the month of Ramadhan, respectively, and are open to all students.

The idea of Sira’j was conceived when a Jesuit priest granted Muslim students a prayer room inside the University after witnessing the devotion of one particular Muslim student praying on the soccer field every day. This student, whom everyone in the organization calls Kaka Joel, paved the way for the establishment of Sira’j.

Thirteen years later, Sira’j still serves as a beacon of light for the Muslim community not only inside the University but in the entire city. They make it a goal to correct misconceptions and eradicate stereotypes about people of the Islamic faith. They also organize outreach programs for underprivileged communities every year.

Without a doubt, the organization is thankful to XU-URO and the University itself for being nothing short of generous, not only for supporting Sira’j but also for giving Muslim students the option to take MRS classes instead of RS.

“For me, I see [Sira’j] years from now as a stronger organization that serves as a paragon for the Muslim students in Xavier University,” imparts junior AB English student Norjamal Batugan, senior consultant of Sira’j.C

Sira’jBy Fatima Roqaya A. Datu-Ramos

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Combining business and good works: this idea propelled Knots and Woods’ creation.While most students focus on turning their feasibility studies into profitable businesses,

Princess Kimberly Ubay-Ubay, Sarsi Maryl Yasay, Maria Bernadette Pepito, Charity Jane Almeda, and Ralp Lezter Gonzales wanted a feasibility study which would also benefit a wider community. This motivation incited Knots and Woods, a social enterprise that provides job opportunities to unemployed mothers by making abaca shoes.

From the start, these five students have always envisioned their feasibility study to be a social enterprise. The only missing piece was a product. They momentarily ventured into selling notebooks before they decided it wasn’t a feasible product for a social enterprise. Distressed, they looked at each other for ideas until they realized a common love. “Nakita man namo na ang common pud sa amoang group is hilig mi’g shoes. And sa trend karon, hilig sad mga tao og fashion ba,” explains Pepito.

With a product in place, they expanded their scope by tapping the city government. “Since there was an opportunity of people that we can help to the business, then it was time we started asking for help—from government, from private enterprises—to ask for cooperation,” says Ubay-Ubay. Knots and Woods partnered with the City Social Welfare Department through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), which offers cash assistance and employment facilitation to unemployed individuals.

Using Puerto’s barangay center as a production site, mothers hired by CSWD were tasked to weave the abaca to create shoes. “Gusto namo nga kato’ng naghimo sa abaca, nag-weave sa abaca, maka-benefit pud sila kay sila man amo’ng palitan og abaca,” opines Almeda. Aside from the livelihood opportunity, Knots and Woods offers values formation and financial literacy programs, and skills enhancement trainings to its chosen community.

Even after they graduate, the team plans to take Knots and Woods to greater heights and to continue its legacy. With an already stable foundation, the only lacking element is a leader willing to take helm of the business while the founding group takes on a monitoring role. “What we really want is empowerment sa people, even if we ourselves are not already hands-on with the business. We already empowered people to handle the business themselves,” says Ubay-Ubay.

As of press time, the products of Knots and Woods are available online on a pre-order basis and have been sold in bazaars and beaches.C

Knots andWoodsby Samantha Isabelle H. Bagayas

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What started as a feasibility study of Katherine Mary Lim, Steffi Seoul Dalman, and Billy Jim Alerta in 2010

has now become a renowned business enterprise with two branches in Pueblo de Oro and Divisoria. With more than 55 malunggay food items available for sale, Lami Jud! Malunggay Pastel has evolved to offer other healthy baked goods.

The success of the malunggay pastel was unprecedented, especially because it wasn’t the group’s preferred option. Lim preferred to sell balut and poultry, while the others opted for a social enterprise that made recycled items like ball pens and paper. Inspired by the success of Vjandep’s best-seller, their third option was pastel with ground malunggay for nutritional value. Their teacher chose the pastel, deeming it the product with the most potential. Having no background in baking, the group initially hired a baker. However, Lim, who now single-handedly runs the Lami Jud! Malunggay Pastel enterprise, was intent on learning to bake. She would bake alongside their hired baker at 4 a.m. every day while her group mates dealt with the packing. They sold the pastels in food exhibits, convenience stores, and fruit stands around the city. Within four months, they garnered enough profits to have their own commissary and baking equipment, which cost them PHP 395,000 on the oven alone. The oven supplier offered free baking seminars in Manila every weekend—an opportunity that Lim eagerly jumped at. Lim attended these seminars for three months and used her newfound-knowledge to develop products such as loaf bread and cheese bread.

After their graduation in 2011, Lim and Dalman remained to put their business forward, opening their first branch in Pueblo de Oro a year later and their second branch in 2014. Malunggay Pastel can now be found in supermarkets, convenience stores, and transportation terminals in the city.

Equipped with knowledge as a business management graduate, Lim is now the sole owner of Lami Jud! Malunggay Pastel. Right from the start, she has always been interested in turning her feasibility study into a business. “Ang among culture man gyud sa Chinese is that dili mi ingon nga mag-salig permi sa ginikanan na allowance kung di maningkamot mi para naa mi amo’ng own.”

Once she finishes making significant improvements to her product, Lim set her sights on a market outside of CdeO.C

Lami Jud! Malunggay Pastelby Samantha Isabelle H. Bagayas

Photo by Jigo L. Racaza


Sketch bags

Originally, Sketch Bags was not conceptualized as a social enterprise when Zuein Guantero, Anne Sebastian, Raymond Sabio, Mark Amper, Lichelle Van Salgados, Christopher Son, and Ted Povadora gathered for their feasibility study.

However, when Guantero, general manager of Sketch Bags, brought up the idea of social entrepreneurship, it easily piqued their interest—especially because a thriving community like Xavier Ecoville is in the vicinity. Drawing inspiration from the selfless contributions of Sebastian’s grandfather to help the Ecoville community, the team focused on selling bags and named the enterprise Sketch Bags because, according to Sebastian, it “sketches the lives of our primary stakeholders.”

Sketch Bags primarily seeks to offer sustainable livelihood opportunities such as bag-making to the community of ‘Sendong’ survivors. Despite its identity as a feasibility study, it has already achieved wide coverage in terms of introducing the product to different markets. For one, it supplied bags for large scale events such as the fun run of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the first Psychology Convention in Northern Mindanao. It has also accepted purchases outside of Cagayan de Oro: supplying bags for Cloudbarn.ph, a well-known online shop in Cebu, and a buyer from Thailand.

Recognizing its brimming potential, media outlets such as Rappler and Mindanao Daily have featured the student-led enterprise as well.

Sketch Bags proved to be more than a school requirement when it emerged as one of the five winners of the I am A Changemaker, a seven-day social enterprise ideation camp by the British Council, which offered seminars and training sessions to young entrepreneurs. Battling with nearly 20 teams from the Philippines, Sketch Bags, which also represented XU, received a seed grant of PHP100, 000 to be used in implementing the team’s ideas for the enterprise.

Sketch Bags was able to purchase printing machines, sewing machines, and bulk orders of cloths to produce better quality bags and have efficient productions—all showcased in a formal turnover ceremony of the equipment to the community, a first for XU feasibility study groups.

“Our goal here is to help them become independent enough by teaching them the right things to do, may it be in terms of finance, marketing or sales that will guide and help them go on with their lives even without us,” opines Sebastian on the enterprise’s sustainability.

The team behind Sketch Bags has only one piece of advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: “Venture into social entrepreneurship.”C

By Samantha Isabelle H. Bagayas

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Never surrender,” Alexie Colipano Jr. repeats this line to himself in times of doubt and challenges. He believes

that as long as he is alive and breathing, he has the chance to make a difference and realize his dream.

Colipano possesses what many people arguably do not: excellent time management skills. Juggling his time with academics as a sophomore business administration student and a student assistant for the Office of Student Affairs, he also serves as the president of the Xavier Ecoville Youth Club (XEYC).

“What motivated me to run is the change of mindset,” Colipano says. He pointed out that he didn’t run for the presidency before because he felt he had neither the self-esteem nor the capability. He saw the need to take action as the people around him seemed to have lost interest to pursue their passion. “I won’t let this organization be destroyed. Nakit-an nako ang effects sa mga kabatan-on dinhi sa [Ecoville], ga-open og opportunities sa ilaha.”

He occupied positions that weren’t necessarily the top spots on the hierarchy of leaders. Colipano, along with the rest of the members of XEYC, started recreational activities for the youth living in Ecoville and conducted seminars in partnership with Xavier Film Society (XFS). They also started Youth Fellowships in December 2014. The motivation behind his work as president stemmed largely from his belief that failure simply wasn’t an option for him. Colipano was a perfect fit for the position. Having been part of Ateneo School for Upcoming Leaders’ fifth batch honed his leadership skills to handle the XEYC and helped him have a clearer vision of the organization’s goals. He also had leadership training with Leadership Communities of the Ayala Young Leaders. Now, his goal is to unite all youth around Barangay Lumbia with XEYC as the foundation.

These experiences molded his vision of himself. “I dream to become an owner of a company… Gusto unta ko sa future, naa unta koy foundation na makapa-eskwela og mga bata ug mag-develop og mga young leaders.”C

Alexie Colipano Jr.By Ma. Isabela C. Agawin

Photo by John Niccolo A

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E V E R Y D A Y H E R O E S

Modern-day heroes who maintain a sense of normalcy in the campus by doing extraordinary things.

Edralin Manla With her signature bouncy curls, radiant smile, and contagious enthusiasm, Edralin Manla

enters the classroom and practices what she does best—teach. Manla, an education teacher who has been with XU for 23 years, speaks about her

passion for teaching as if she passed the licensure exam only yesterday. While preparing for the daily grind is a burden to many, Manla says she honestly didn’t experience

burnout in her two decades of teaching. “I love the thought of preparing for my class, studying for my class. Ganahan ko sa thrill. More or less I’m going to teach the same subject, [I think] ‘What else am I going to do?’ I’m looking forward to every new thing I experience with my students.” This is not to say, however, that teaching is a breeze. For her, the bulk of work doubles as an everyday challenge and a blessing—the latter being proof that she “can still do what needs to be done.”

Greatly influenced by aunts and uncles who are in the field of education, she sees teaching as a lifelong dream turned into reality. She remembers playing the role of a teacher in childhood games and organizing street parties.

“It’s not only us (teachers) who give but in return, they (students) give so much life to my teaching profession,” she states. She is a perfect fit for the culture of the School of Education, where teachers are treated not only as mentors but also as friends or second mothers. For instance, she recalls being the first person to know of a student’s impregnation. This experience of being seen more than a teacher in classrooms inspires her more to do better in educating.

Although she does not have a specific highlight of her work as a teacher, she does remember the fulfilment felt whenever alumni take time to catch up with her. “The established relationships with them go beyond their years in the school,” she says.

To people who are contemplating on pursuing a career in education, Manla has a piece of advice. “They have to make sure that they want to teach. It’s easier to say ‘I have the heart and the passion’, but the moment you’re there, with the bulk of work, the passion is,” she pauses. “Making sure they’re worthy in what they’re doing.”

What, then, drives her to do more? “Passion,” she says with conviction. “I can see myself getting old and dying in the field of teaching.”C

By Louren B. Aranas

Photo By Venice P. Villo


Vicente Ruiz

Remember when the lack of a uniform policy was considered a threat to campus security? How about the days when the

Agriculture and Student Center (StC) buildings were non-existent? Vicente Ruiz is no Pepperidge Farm, but he remembers that, and much more of the old Xavier community, the safety of which he has been continually safeguarding for 13 years.

Having already worked under three agencies in close to 10 establishments around the city in as many years, Ruiz left his work in the Del Monte cannery to work with his brother as a construction worker. By the turn of the century, he returned to work for Sagittarius Security Agency which assigned him to XU.

His first job in the University’s security staff was guarding the main gate way back in 2001. In a span of 13 years, he has been promoted twice—from security guard to shift-in-charge (SIC) in 2006, and up to detachment commander in 2013. Consequently, he holds the longest running tenure as a member of the security personnel. Ruiz, an SIC then, realized he found his own security in working at Xavier. His five-year stint as a guard from 2001 to 2006 was anything but dull. A complainant had approached Ruiz during the Mass, saying that his wife was being followed by a suspicious character eyeing her bag. Having left his handcuffs at his post, Ruiz swiftly took action to subdue the snatcher, who tried to run toward the interior of the XU Church. He recounts, “Kung makasulod siya, gubot ang mahitabo. Mao dayun to nga kamulo nako’ng gakos, natumba mi’ng duha.” With the help of a few church goers, he was able to subdue the suspect.

He also received a commendation by the University President for being the first to respond to a potentially tragic blaze on the roof of the XU Church. After calling for a fire truck at the main gate, Ruiz decided he could prevent the fire from spreading. He and a few maintenance personnel put out the fire with two fire extinguishers before the sirens were heard and, more importantly, before any serious damage was dealt.

Today, his wooden sticks and handcuffs have been replaced with crisp polished polo and slacks. The detachment commander inspects every guard on duty before they are deployed and manages them from a closed cubicle at the main gate. Ruiz has secured a future for his children here, too. Thanks to a security grant from XU, his eldest child will be graduating this March.C

By Lorenzo P. Botavara

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Global Skills Providers Multipurpose Cooperative, or GlobalPro, provides XU with a little army—about 210 people strong—to work all types of jobs. Some of them are maintenance crew-persons who clean offices, classrooms, and any other place on

campus. Others work as electricians, plumbers, painters, and repairmen. This little army clad in green T-shirts work under the careful supervision of the Physical Plant Office, whose duty is to keep the campus tidy and in good working order.

Florime Sebial, 34, is one of those in GlobalPro’s employ. As a janitor, she works ladies’ restrooms, hallways, and parts of the University Library. Ask her how she feels and she’d give a response to the tune of “Okay ra man, at least maayo mag-trabaho.” A woman of few words, she nonetheless appreciates the warm company of students, teachers, and other members of the XU community.

She wasn’t always a janitor. It was only last year that she quit working as an assistant kindergarten teacher at Camaman-an Elementary School. “Mas dako ang suweldo nako karon,” she says, comparing the earnings between her two jobs. In May last year, she started her duties with XU as a GlobalPro employee.

But she needs this job. After all, she has three young daughters to consider, two of whom are now high school students. Sebial acknowledges that she must work harder to put them through school. She knows very well that it is not unheard of for GlobalPro crewpersons to be sanctioned, even terminated, for being consistently sloppy at their work – though that rarely happens.

Meanwhile, her husband works construction jobs, which pay only on a seasonal basis. “Karon, naa siya og kontrata sa Manila, mga three months. Kon asa ilang architect, ilang engineer, diha pud na siya paingon,” she says. While waiting for her husband’s paycheck to come in, she prefers not to sit pretty and wait—she works her fingers, to the bone even, to make ends meet.

The work is drudgery, plain and simple, and light moments while on the job don’t come by very often. But that does not stop her from putting in the effort, day in and day out—not for her sake but for her young daughters, who she believes still have a promising future ahead of them.C

Florime SebialBy James Edgar T. Sia

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By sixth grade, Arvin Martinez had already ground it out with the big boys in the dusty, makeshift basketball courts of Lapasan, as

he played rowdy 3-on-3 to 5-on-5 scrimmages against hooligans and shirtless men with tattooed arms and bodies. It was a place where a carelessly spoken word could mean a black eye—definitely not a place for a thin boy. Yet there he was: a skinny, greenhorn point guard, calling out plays like he does today. Except today, he does so on the sidelines for the Crusaders, XU’s basketball varsity.

Arvin’s calling came at around 18, in the summer of his freshman year in college when he gathered the children of his subdivision at Balulang and erected a basketball ring. There, he taught the juveniles the basic rules and mechanics of the game.

Today, VIRUS (Villa Nena Residence United Sportsmen) Basketball—single-handedly founded by Martinez in his teenage years—has become a household name in that part of Balulang.

He transferred to another school in his junior year, where he simultaneously mentored the school’s high school team, played commercially for MisOrTel, and coached the VIRUS team he founded back home. After graduating, he had a successful coaching stint with Valencia City in the National Basketball Conference (NBC), before finally leaving to become the athletics coordinator for XU in 2009. A year later, he was coaching the Xavier Crusaders.

Arvin’s already-proven system employs a disruptive defensive scheme that has yielded improving results for XU in consecutive COSAA seasons. Their half-court mentality on the defending end of the court held even the elite Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles to 84 points in the eliminations of last year’s Jesuit Athletic Meet. It was only against Xavier that ADMU failed to reach 100 points.

Having already left indelible marks on the players he has mentored, Arvin will study for a master’s degree this summer as he aims to improve his service to the students and coaches as athletic coordinator.

As always, meeting the high expectations for the Crusaders is the annual challenge for him. It’s yet another chance to take another shot at guiding the championship-starved XU to the top.

While the Crusaders are eyeing the elusive COSAA title, Arvin’s personal goal for the team goes beyond basketball. “Mahimo nako ang usa ka-player into a human being nga dili lang siya player. Pag muabot nimo na siya, everything will follow. 85 percent gyud na mu-maayo pud ka.”C

Arvin MartinezBy Lorenzo A. Botavara

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Pennessencio Estarte

There are a lot of things in Pennessencio Estarte’s mind and he wants to share it with other people. Also known as Nonoy,

he used sticks to draw on the sands under their stilt house in Zamboanga del Sur, sometimes infuriating his mother when he used charcoal to draw on the walls of their house.

His fascination for art grew when he started formal education. His teacher, taking notice of his good handwriting, made him draw visual aids. He also made graduation decorations and award ribbons. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to focus on his studies because of his enthusiasm for art. He favored painting election posters, jeepney designs, and ferries wheels ornaments over attending classes. Still, he was able to graduate from high school by studying at home to compensate for his absences.

Estarte was active at the local diocese where he worked as a youth formator. He was sent to Cebu to learn about media and journalism and was later appointed as director of the Blackboard Newspaper—a Jesuit initiative to fight the suppression of press during Martial Law. Green boards would line the streets of cities and towns every morning bearing the daily news. Once, they were harassed by the military because of the accusation that they were writing against the government. Luckily, all their records showed up clean.

"For me, maayo gyud kaayo to nga experience because ang freedom of speech and media didto sa amo, napadayon namo even though naa’y suppressor at that time," he shares.

When Estarte started working at the Museo de Oro in 1978, he didn’t directly become the resident artist. He experienced working various museum-related jobs: as a janitor, a tour guide, and an activities in-charge. When he became resident artist, he worked for the preservation of the culture and heritage of Mindanao, which was parallel to the goals of the museum. He went to live with indigenous tribes to have a firsthand experience of the local culture.

When he received a national award, he was asked who his teachers are. Estarte replies, “My teachers are the ordinary people because kung unsa ako’ng na-drawing, gikan sa ila. Busa ang mga artist, dapat naa sila sa katilingban.”

Estarte was motivated to make art because of his desire to share his talents and ideas. For him, art is not just about visuals and aesthetics. Art is a document, a record of history and human experience.C

By Xian Louis Patrick R. Arcayera

Photo by Paul Clinton B. Balase


Like the Red Sea, a sea of students parts when she walks through them. People tend to have the impression that Maria

Celeste Sagarbarria, better known as Ma’am Chelo, is a stern teacher. But the students she handles in psychology classes and in the Xavier University Psychology Society (XUPS) believe otherwise.

Her students in XUPS nominated her last year for Moderator of the Year in the Magis Awards, a university-wide search for outstanding organizations, individuals, and projects. Karl Paguidopon, a volunteer, comments, “Sabay kaayo siya na moderator. Heck, the reason she’s even called ‘Mummsy’ is because she’s like a mother in terms of XUPS… I’m lucky to have her as a friend [because] approachable man jud kaayo siya.” As a moderator, Sagarbarria delights in seeing her students work hard to help others. Beyond that, she encourages her students to become self-reliant by letting them settle problems on their own; if they fail and fall, she not only tries to pick them back up but also teaches them how to pick themselves up.

Teaching was not her first career choice. Initially wanting to be an archaeologist, Sagarbarria took up biology after XU’s removal of AB History. Soon after, she decided to shift to psychology and pursued teaching. “I love teaching because it’s not just one-sided; it’s an exchange. I like to think na students learn from me. I also like to think na I get to learn from them, because teachers don’t know everything,” she says.

As a teacher, she finds fulfillment in seeing her students graduate. She knows that she shouldn’t get too sentimental but the emotions can be difficult to suppress at times. “That’s the nice thing and the sad thing about being a teacher. You get to see your students grow up.”

Some may say she’s only kind to the volunteers and treats her students in class differently, but Jaymar Patana, a current student of hers, disagrees.

He shares, “Ma’am Chelo can be more than your teacher. She can be your friend, your mentor. She’s one of those people that the only criticism you can give is their kindness kay too much of it can be abused by others.”

Sagarbarria exemplifies teaching as a noble job and executes the mission of XU by imparting students with knowledge, values, and a heart for others—not only shaping their minds but also molding their character to better serve the world.C

Maria Celeste SagarbarriaBy Charissa D. Santiago

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People nowadays read to escape reality and enter a different world governed by their imagination. Literature has long

been used as a means of escape but it doesn’t only offer an exit. It also provides an interesting way of solving reality’s problems and growing as a person.

Roger Garcia, considered a favorite English teacher by many students, shares that literature has served as his escape and allowed him to travel the world within the four corners of his abode. Literature, for him, is a lifestyle and has helped him cope with reality by helping him look at life as a narrative. This allows him to identify conflicts, find solutions, and develop as a character.

Teaching was not his original career choice. At first taking up accountancy because of his parents, he eventually shifted to AB English. “I could not imagine myself becoming an accountant… I have to be honest with myself,” he says. “ Life is too short to fulfill other people’s dreams and other people’s happiness.” He never regretted the decision.

His students are all praises about his classes. Megan, a previous student of his, appreciates his classes where he goes beyond stone hard facts and shares useful insight to real life. “Every time, I leave Sir Roger’s class, I feel enlightened, and not just about literature, but about life. He delivers his points so well, with concise explanations and very meaningful stories about his experiences.”

Asked about his vision for himself and his students, Garcia answers, “To become a better person… If one is a better person, one is a better engineer, a better nurse... Pwede gyud kay ka maayo sa ato’ng field pero dili diay ka maayo nga tao.”

All in all, Garcia’s main goal is to teach others how to read and become better people. To him, reading people and situations is every bit as important as reading a book. “If people are good at reading everything around them, not only books, what kind of world will we have? I think that’s what motivates me quite a lot—to teach students how to read so that we can live better lives.”C

Roger GarciaBy Charissa D. Santiago

Photo by Jigo L. Racaza


Emelinda Bombeo is usually at her open office at the Student Entrepreneurship Center, more popularly known as the

SEC Mall, making no effort to be conspicuous. She’s very welcoming, though, and always in the know. She works as XU’s Information Officer.

But that’s her most recent job. Just months ago, she was the SEC Mall’s founding director.

“I was born here, raised here, and educated here,” Bombeo says about her heritage, beamingly.

Though she started her college education at another institution, it was after matriculating to XU in 1986 that she found her vocation in teaching.

She finished her degree in secondary education in 1991, whereupon she started teaching kindergarten classes at the XU Macasandig campus. Like her pupils, she would move up the grades, but as a teacher, her long career would see her teaching at the XU Grade School, and some years later, at the XU High School.

In October 2008, then University President Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ, requested Bombeo to take charge of XU’s Physical Plant Office at the main campus. She accepted, unaware of the pivotal role she would play in the birth of the Student Entrepreneurship Program.

Around that time, the XU Research and Social Outreach and the School of Business and Management agreed to revamp the pre-existing program for student entrepreneurs. Talks were underway between XU and the Pryce Corporation to set up a student-run mall. She was tasked with making this vision a reality.

But the dream was soon threatened by a nightmare. The onset of ‘Sendong’ took with it many lives and, to the survivors, many livelihoods. Bombeo, her team, and their students turned their attention to the displaced in Xavier Ecoville.

Shortly afterward, the SEC Mall was inaugurated on July 29, 2012, with her as its founding director. “Everything was made possible thanks to her efforts,” says current SEC officer-in-charge Lheida Mariz Baraccao. “[She] made sure that XU’s enterprise programs would have its own unique flavor, compared with those of other universities.”

Meanwhile, Bombeo remains cautiously optimistic about what the future holds for the SEC Mall. “The SEC still has so much to tackle,” she says. Notwithstanding this, it cannot be denied that the SEC Mall stands as a testament to her dedication to help young people reach the next level as they strive to fulfill their dreams.C

Emelinda BombeoBy James Edgar T. Sia

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Who says heroes are only dressed in capes and tights? Jerome Torres may well be considered a modern-day hero

for his work in education, both inside and outside the classroom. Aside from being a formator of the Freshmen Formation Program, Torres is the founder of the CDO Street Tutorial Advocacy.

Torres, often called Sir Jett, is aware of the realities of life when, at 10 years old, he lost his father to stroke. With the family’s savings spent entirely on hospital bills, he was forced to quit school. This challenge, however, didn’t stop him to continue his education. He started selling pandesal in the morning and cellophane in the evening to augment the family’s income.

After graduating from high school as a scholar, his next challenge was earning money for college. Working different jobs for a year and a half enabled him to save money enough to enroll in XU and earn a degree in development communication. His experiences as one of the first volunteer facilitators in NSTP (National Service Training Program) and as a tutor in Lumbia on behalf of KKP (Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana) stirred his passion to teach.

“Because I appreciate education and sa ako’ng exposure sa mga bukid, nakita gyod nako kung unsa ka importante ang education sa mga bata. Once hatagan nimo sila’g education, ma-condition na ila’ng minds nga mupadayon para naa sila’y good future,” Torres states.

In 2009, while roaming around Divisoria, he saw the extent of the street children’s lack of education. He was shocked as a child, begging for a single peso, failed to translate the word “usa” into English. Determined, he invited his friends and some of his students to join him twice a week for tutorials that street children could easily access—thus, the CDO Street Tutorial Advocacy was born. It caters to nine- to 15-year-olds

Torres shares that he imparts not only basic skills like math and English but also values to the children. For him, even their smallest improvements are a source of happiness.

Despite the time demanded from his work and personal matters, he manages to find time for the tutees. Providing light on what seems to be a gloomy future for street children, he plans to find an alternative school for them. He emphasizes on the reason he is dedicated to the children, “Because it is rooted from my childhood. Education is very important.”C

By Karl Patrick P. Bontanon

Jerome Torres

Photo by Mark D

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It might be hard, if not impossible, to find a teacher as good-natured as Edgar Besoro.

There is no trace of any contempt or darkness in his existence, save maybe for the black umbrella that he sometimes brings to school.

Also called Ed by his colleagues, he is a father of three children. His loving, fatherly aura is seen and felt not only when he sends his children to school before work but also when he enters classrooms and delivers his lessons. “As a teacher, si Sir [Besoro] kay very compassionate in giving grades [and] very approachable. Good vibes ako’ng ma-feel kung makita siya kay mura siya’g papa. Tsada and efficient kaayo mu-tudlo,” remarks a junior biology student.

Besoro remembers falling in love with biology while he was studying organisms during his high school years. After earning his degree from XU, he decided to proceed and take up medicine but eventually realized that it was not for him. He describes this realization as a “lucky” turning point in his life.

“Actually, I did not intend to teach. But eventually, because of an opening, I tried,” he recounts. After 14 years of working in the XU Biology Department, he has yet to lose his burning passion for teaching.

Nevertheless, he is humble enough to admit his weakness, even describing his method of teaching as an overly laidback approach. “I want the students to be more receptive to the learning process, although I still have to implement more pressure siguro,” he admits.

As a moderator of the Biophilic Society, Besoro is patient, approachable, and understanding. “Fatherly kaayo kay mura na siguro og anak iyang tan-aw sa tanan bio students, especially sa freshmen kay mao jud iyang pinaka-concern kay ‘bunso’ sa bio family,” shares Darlene Mata, president of the Biophilic Society. One of Besoro’s most admirable qualities is his supportiveness, always trying to be present in all activities and making sure to send a substitute whenever he can’t make it.

Besoro has been the organization’s moderator for almost five years, yet he still finds much joy in such a demanding role. “It’s actually challenging. Naa pud ang kapoy because when you’re a moderator, you have to really look [after] the welfare of your constituents, especially the students that are involved,” he shares.

He believes that the development of the Biophilic Society and that of the students should grow hand in hand. His voice softens as he coyly adds, “Hopefully I have provided that in the past years.”C

Edgar BesoroBy Nitszchia Cassiopiea Beroe A. Lozarita

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I C O N SArchitects of greatness who have established a dependable

foundation of the Xavier community.

Roberto Yap, SJ University President Roberto Yap, SJ, was

checking the website of an airline when I entered his office for the interview.

Aside from exercising, praying, and watching TV, Fr Bobby, as he is fondly called by the XU community, sees traveling as a way of relaxation. He shares that although his out-of-town trips involve business meetings, traveling provides him a much-needed change in scenery. Many things demand his attention and traveling enables him to focus on one thing.

Despite the stress that comes with leading a community of over 10,000, Yap says his “clarity and dedication to the mission” keeps him going. “I see that my main job is to always keep the big picture for everybody and to inspire people that Xavier is a good place to come to because we’re doing something meaningful and important.”

Having attained a degree in economics, graduates like him would commonly work in a bank or investment company. “Economics gives us a way of thinking how we can meet important needs of people like provision of basic needs, how we can alleviate poverty, how we can bring about social development….”

He realized, however, that “the calling was different.” Yap, who hails from Cebu

City, attributes his determination to become a priest to his social involvement and spiritual growth in college. He remembers working with underserved communities in Quezon City and with small farmers in Antique during a month-long immersion. “There was a strong sense that we had to work for social change,” he shares. “We should try to do alternative careers [and] not go the usual way. Take the road less traveled.”

After graduating from college and deciding to enter priesthood, Yap continued to pursue several degrees. Among many others, he earned his Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University and his PhD in Economics from the University College of London. For him, all these studies are part of his Jesuit training which believes that in knowledge, one can find God in anything.

Aware of changes and challenges being faced by XU especially in the field of education, Yap says these are uncertain but “exciting times to be living in.”

“That gets me up in the morning,” he says on not losing sight of what is important. “The mission is important, and in the many details the Administration has to do, I always ask myself, ‘How does this serve the mission?’”C

By Louren B. Aranas

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Joseph Enerio (1935-2014)By Romualdo Manuel C. Bacungan III

Having a passion that will last for decades is not an easy task but for Joseph Magriña Enerio, a faculty

member of the XU Philosophy Department, teaching seemed to be his second nature for over 50 years. “Sir Jo” as he was usually called by his students, started teaching at Xavier University High School during the late 1960s. While also teaching at the college level, he became the vice principal of the high school during the early 1970s. He left for the United States in 1973 together with his wife, Elisabeth Enerio who currently works as the director of the XU Office of International Cooperation and Networking. They lived in France before eventually returning to the Philippines. Joseph then became a dean at Capitol University before returning to XU.

A veritable polymath, Joseph’s expertise in many fields allowed him to teach courses in education, philosophy and foreign languages such as Latin. He stayed and continued to teach in XU for many years.

He was hospitalized for several months before he passed away on September 11, 2014 due to complications brought by diabetes. Distant relatives, colleagues, and students grieved the loss of a great mentor and an even greater friend.

Kisha Elouise Manla, one of his former students, shares that Joseph was a teacher who inspired his students to aim for their dreams. “He was the kind of teacher who often shares about his experiences in life, specifically his life abroad where he met his true love... One thing I admired about Sir Enerio was his great passion toward teaching. At his age, he had a choice to rest and enjoy life, but he insisted to work and share his wisdom instead.” A quote from Enerio which inspires her most is, “You cannot love someone you do not know.”

Elisabeth also expressed how brightly his passion for teaching burned through the years. “Last year, even though he was tired, he didn’t want to stay home,” she recalls. “He was always saying, ‘To teach is what’s making me go on.’ And that was his life.”C

Illustration by Marlon R. Boro


While many people try to be in the limelight, some people, despite being worthy of acknowledgment, shy away from it. Xavier Science Foundation (XSF) is full of committed people who seem to be allergic to the spotlight. Members of the non-profit organization

are fully content with staying behind the scenes; instead, they take pride in the good their actions achieve rather than the recognition it so rightly deserves.

Roel Ravanera, executive director of XSF, recalls that the organization started with William F. Masterson’s, SJ, goal of making Mindanao a center for agricultural development in 1968. Forty-six years later, XSF stays true to its mission of alleviating poverty and empowering society through agriculture. The past few years were a series of reaching out to underserved farmers and working on agricultural developments. Ravanera constantly recognizes the late priest, implying that Masterson’s goal did not stop the moment he passed away. Today, XSF is known as a support organization that contributes to the realization of projects with partners such as the College of Agriculture. It incubates certain programs and, upon seeing that they have become fully functional, they either pass it on to the University or see them start as entirely new organizations. Analogously, it is safe to say that XSF is like a nurturing hen; feeding and tending for its young until they can finally stand on their own.

Contrary to its name, Xavier Science Foundation is not under the University but is rather closely linked to it. In fact, one of the projects XSF is currently working on is developing El Gaucho, a 109-hectare property in Bugo, into the XU College of Agriculture training and research facility. It is considered more conducive for agriculture training as the college’s current Manresa campus is rapidly becoming urbanized.

The property was donated to XU years ago but the plan is still on hold due to a large number of people inhabiting a portion of the land. The University is willing to give 45 hectares of the land to them, even volunteering to provide houses to families and scholarships to the youth, but some farmers still declined. As of press time, the negotiation is still underway.

Upon the realization of this project, XSF will have once again contributed to a successful development. However, XSF does not take the lead—it only pushes organizations to take the lead and become successful. As Ravanera humbly puts it, “The success of our partners is our success, too.”C

Xavier Science FoundationBy Nitzschia Cassiopiea Beroe A. Lozarita

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Unyielding, undeterred—Ramona Heidi C. Palad, dean of the College of Nursing, remains the guiding force of the college since its inception.

In her tireless pursuit of excellence, Palad has led the college to unimaginable heights, which include achieving a 100 percent passing rate in the November 2014 nursing licensure exam—one of several perfect scores in the college’s history—and ranking first amongst the Philippines top ten performing nursing schools. The college continues to maintain passing rates no lower than 90 percent and its students consistently place amongst the country’s top performers.

Like many great educators before her, Palad’s excellence originates not only from her talent for teaching but also from her passion of learning.

Her career as an educator began as a registered nurse in San Pedro Hospital, where she would guide prospective nursing students for six years. She sought to better herself and earn a master’s degree in education, majoring in guidance counseling.

She was soon invited to join the XU Psychology Department where she would teach for five years. She eventually joined a feasibility study to open a college of nursing, unaware of the plans the University had in store for her. Having been sent on a scholarship to the University of the Philippines by Bienvenido Nebres, SJ, then XU President, Palad would return home in 1993 with her MA in Nursing to fulfill her calling.

“When I received all the requirements, they told me ‘You are not going back to the Psychology [Department] anymore because you will be sitting as the dean [of the College of Nursing].’”

Where most would flinch, Palad responded with a tenacity that would forever define the College of Nursing. Her faith didn’t falter at phasing-out of the program in 2000. “I did not go out. I did not resign from Xavier. But I said ‘I will have to prepare for a bigger task should I be reappointed.’”

And prepare she did. Palad went on to earn her PhD in Education at Silliman University and, as if patiently waiting for her return, the University decided to reopen the college in 2002.

Her stance towards challenges? “These are enhancers. We need to have the driven nature, because the limitations are going to be excuses if we do not make it.”

Palad’s sights are set on achieving a level IV accreditation for the college and establishing a firm foundation on which the curriculum of an outcomes-based education can be implemented. After all these years, she has never lost sight of what truly mattered.

“We always tell the faculty and ourselves ‘We will not be here if we have no students’. We owe them a lot and we should not shortchange them.”C

Ramona Heidi PaladBy Andrew Rey L. del Fierro

Photo by John Niccolo A

. Aquino


Cheering “GoAggies!” among the crowd during the University Intramurals is one of the college’s most distinguished leaders.

The College of Agriculture, also known as the Aggie community,remembersRoelRavanera, as that kind of dean—approachable, cheery yet equally reputable who does not only contribute to its spirit, but to the growth of the college.

Graduating with a degree in agriculture, major in horticulture,from the University of the Philippines-Los Banos, Ravanerahas always had a special place in his heart for Agriculture. After working with companies and non-governmental organizations in line with agriculture,he decided to apply as the deanof the XU College of Agriculture in 2005. That year marked the beginning of his longyet meaningful journey as head of the Aggie community.He shares, “I realized I should be out there, working with the people… that’s why I came back [and] I call it ‘going home’.”

Back then, interest in agriculture was declining and they encountered difficulty in getting resources and attracting people. These challenges would mark his first years as dean.

Yet, Ravaneraand the college would overcome them. During his term, the college achieved its highest enrollment rate in 2012. It was also recognized as a Center of Development for Agriculture by the Commission on Higher Education and has achieved a level III PAASCU accreditation. Among others, the Aggie community has collaboratedwithschools and institutions in Mindanao.

His inspiration comes fromFr. William Masterson, SJ,founder of the College: “What the world needs now are farmers who will view farming not just as a big business but a way of life.” Ravaneraaspires to continue this legacy, “He [Masterson] said that, maybe 50 years ago, and I realized it’s still true today.”

He shares thathis eight-year stay as the dean is nothing short of rewarding.“The most rewarding part actually is being with the students… I had that opportunity to do something, to mold people, to continue on [being] men and women for others.”

Having ended his term as College dean, henow works as the executive director of the Xavier Science Foundation and handles the Institute of Land Governance in XU. He says that wherever life takes him, he will carrya love for agriculture and embody a true blue-blooded, green-hearted Atenista.C

Roel RavaneraBy Mary Antoinette M. Magallanes

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With skills in the field of technology and talent in the arts, Paulo Javier Gener was not your average school teacher.

Born in March 29, 1978, Gener was affectionately called “Puloy” by his students and workmates. He graduated from XU in 2007 with a degree in computer science. Most of his work consisted of being a graphic designer and a layout artist in the University’s Communications Department, especially in the production of the Xavier Magazine. His involvement in XU included working as an instructor in the Information Systems Department of the College of Computer Studies and simultaneously acting as the moderator of the Crusader Yearbook.

The night of November 13, 2013, he suffered a critical head injury which ultimately led to his death. Many people, from his relatives to members of the XU community, mourned his untimely passing the following day.

One of his students, Jasper Guitarte, a senior information systems major, shares insights on his late teacher. “Kabalo jud siya mag-communicate. Sige ka’g katawa and dili ka ma-bored sa class.” He didn’t think of himself as a superior; rather, he presented himself as both a teacher and a friend.

“Mao ra to iyang gibuhat [for XU Glee Club], but dako kaayo iyang impact sa amoa,” Joanne Natindim, a psychology student and current XU Glee Club President, shares her brief yet significant experience with Gener. He mentored and arranged a song for them for the Akapela Open, a nationwide a cappella choir competition wherein the Glee Club finished as a finalist. The XUGC Showstoppers had made it to the finals, but didn’t win any major awards. “The saddest part kay wala mi niya nakit-an nag-perform…bisa’g ang video kay gi-upload sa Youtube, og wala niya nadunggan kung gi-unsa namo og perform sa iyang arrangement, sa iyang kanta.”

Both students also shared an experience with Gener that had left a great impact on their lives.

“Nag-ulan man to so gipabalhin mi niya sa book center [to practice],” Natindim recalls how he helped improve their musical performance. “Gipa-piyong mi niya and gipa-paminaw mi sa balance… Para sa amo, sa sige namo ug kanta ug practice, siya nagtudlo sa amo nga maminaw dili lang sa amo’ng voice and sa blending, but apil ang balance.”

“Naa’y time nga nasuko siya sa class… Iya ra dayon naingon nga words sa amo kay ‘Study, study, study’,” says Guitarte. “Righteous gyud siya nga person kay ga-believe siya nga wala kay ma-achieve kung dili ka mag-study. Mura’g iya dayon to’ng pabaon nga words para sa amo.”C

Paulo Javier Gener(1978-2013)By Romualdo Manuel C. Bacungan III

Illustration by Christian Loui S. Gam

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Publishers: Subscribing students of Xavier University -Ateneo de Cagayan

EditorsLouren B. Aranas Editor in Chief

Andrew Rey L. del Fierro Associate EditorRico M. Magallona Design Editor

Nitszchia Cassiopiea Beroe A. Lozarita Managing EditorRezza Mae B. Tolinero News Editor

Samantha Isabelle H. Bagayas Campus Features Editor Xian Louis Patrick R. Arcayera Local Features Editor

Marina M. Garcia External Features EditorMa. Isabella C. Agawin Sports Editor (OIC)

Jericho B. Montellano Graphic Design and Layout EditorPaul Clinton B. Balase Photography Editor

Marlon R. Boro Freehand Editor (Interim)

Finance OfficersRochelle D. Barros Auditor

Yoshabeth A. Valdehuesa Senior Finance OfficerMaria Gladys B. Labis Junior Finance Officer

ManagersBen Clark B. Balase Human Resource Manager

Jigo L. Racaza Office ManagerMarlon R. Borro Circulation Manager

Keith Obed J. Ruiz Video Productions ManagerSamantha Isabelle H. Bagayas Online Accounts Manager

Mchael D. Poncadras Senior Computer Systems ManagerJo Marie Claire B. Balase Junior Computer Systems Manager

Staff WritersRomualdo Manuel C. Bacungan III (Trainee)Karl Patrick P. Bontanon (Trainee)Lorenzo A. Botavara (Trainee)Fatima Roqaya A. Datu-RamosDaphne J. Dujali (Trainee)Mary Antoinette M. Magallanes (Trainee)Marvin N. Pamisa (Trainee)Charissa D.C. Santiago (Trainee)James Edgar T. Sia (Trainee)

Staff ArtistsEvan B. Aranas Francis Ryan O. AvellanaJohn Niccolo A. AquinoBen Clark B. BalaseIan Kenneth O. Bicar (Trainee)Mirachelle L. Bronola (Trainee)Christian Loui S. Gamolo Kimberly Mae V. Llano (Trainee)Jigo L. RacazaMark D. Rodriguez (Trainee)Kieth Obed J. RuizJan Michael A. SyLynette L. TuvillaDeanne Antoinette B. Yecyec (Trainee)Lorenzo B. Yecyec (Trainee)Venice Marie P. Villo

ModeratorMs. Ann Catherine Ticao-Acenas

TheCrusaderThe official student publication of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan

TheCrusader Publication Office, Rm. 302, Student Center Bldg., Xavier University 9000, Cagayan de Oro CityCirculation 7,500

Documents

The Crusader Publication People Magazine 2015