On January 27, 2022, Fr. Mars P Tan SJ, Xavier Ateneo President and Chief of Mission of #XUTabangOdette, sent off a team of volunteer doctors, faculty, formators, staff, and students for medical, psychosocial, feeding, and relief distribution missions in Brgy Boa, Municipality of Cagdianao in a Eucharistic celebration at the XU Church.  Present also at the Mass was Mr Roel Ravanera, VP for Social Development Office.  Other mission volunteers joined the Mass virtually. 

The Province of Dinagat Islands, Siargao, and Surigao del Norte mainland were among the hardest hit by the ravages of Typhoon Odette in December 2021. In late December, a small team was sent to bring initial relief goods and to conduct coordination meetings with the Provincial LGU of Dinagat and the Social Action Center (SAC) of the Diocese of Surigao to explore further assistance that Xavier Ateneo may provide in the ongoing relief and early recovery phases. Since then, two truckloads of rice and bottled drinking water were sent to Surigao/Siargao and Dinagat through the partnerships forged with the SAC Surigao, PLGU Dinagat, and the Cagayan de Oro City LGU.

 

Preparations for the mission trip on January 28 – 31, 2022 include orientation of volunteers and delegation of tasks and responsibilities, drafting implementation plans in close coordination with the community and repacking of donated in kind goods.

In his homily, Fr Mars likened the mission team volunteers as “lighted lamps placed on a lampstand” whose generosity of heart may encourage emulation among others in other circumstances. He then recognized the volunteers of the XU Mission to Dinagat Islands and enjoined the entire community to pray for a safe, memorable and successful engagement to assist in the relief and early recovery of the province.

 

The mission team is composed of the following:

Mission Team Lead:                                       Nestor Banuag Jr, SSIAP Director
Medical Misson:                                             Dr Vincent Angelo Laguardia, Dean JPRSM
Pscyhosocial:                                                Janet Ibale, Psychology Department
Community Kitchen:                                       Emma Melliza, Senior High School
Relief Distribution:                                          Iris Chavez, Senior High School
Documentation:                                             Victoria Melissa Pulido, Service Learning Program
Member Volunteers:                                      Norinyl Jumalon, NSTP
                                                                      Denise Edwina Gonzales, NSTP
                                                                       Dr Kairos Romerik Benedicto, JPRSM
                                                                       Dr Hanicole Adecer-Balingit, JPRSM
                                                                       Jan Roussell Balingit, Nurse
                                                                       Mary Grace Santizas, Nurse
                                                                       Justiniano Damiao, Theology Department
                                                                       Ferdinand Cantular, English Department
                                                                       Shilina Golez, VP - Central Student Government
                                                                       Maria Laurever Calonia, Office of the VPSD
                                                                       Gail dela Rita, Office of the VPSD

The #XUTabangOdette is an institutional response of Xavier Ateneo led by the XU-Social Development Office.

#XUTabangOdette operations continue the calls for in-kind and cash donations to assist the relief and early recovery initiatives in Dinagat Islands.