Xavier Ateneo's Social Development cluster jump-starts its partnerships and engagements in its recently concluded general assembly attended by administrators, SD coordinators, center directors, student leaders, and representatives from various agencies.
SD Cluster Members, Partners and Stakeholders pose a group photo with Fr Mars Tan, SJ.
Fr Mars P Tan, SJ received attendees and extended his message of support to the cluster's directions in the next three years saying, "I support the plans of the Social Development Cluster. We can see from the presentation the many things you want to achieve in 3 years. What is very pressing is to go back to the source; the basis of all our plans for the University.”
Photo opportunity with university administrators and representatives from the cluster's agency partners
Over the years, the cluster has forged partnerships with the City Government of Cagayan de Oro, Oro Chamber of Commerce, the National Economic and Development Authority, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Department of Science and Technology among other industry, government, and non-government partnerships which it hopes to sustain under the guidance of its newly appointed Vice President, Engr Dexter S Lo, who emphasized in his opening message the cluster’s role in helping achieve the university’s vision-mission. Engr Lo emphasized that "we are here to develop solutions for and with society, not just to analyze the problem. Of course, assessment and analysis of the problem is important in the academic rigor of thinking, but we develop solutions for and with society.”
Vice-President for Social Development, Engr Dexter Lo, welcomes attendees of the first cluster assembly of SY 2022-2023
The cluster hopes to revitalize social engagement amid the transitions and challenges of hybrid learning and the continued strengthening of its programs namely; Service Learning, Student Social Involvement, and Advocacy, and Institutional Professional Societal Engagement programs.
Meanwhile, in their response, stakeholders and partners expressed their gratitude to Xavier Ateneo for consistently sharing the knowledge, capacities, and expertise of students and faculty that have contributed to their development and delivery of programs in the city/region.
Ms. Queritess Queja, Executive Director of Oro Chamber and Program Director of OROBEST Innovations Program shared how faculty and students involved in the OROBEST BRIDGE program, assisted MSMEs in their business and recovery plans, an important document that help navigate their business amid the pandemic. She shared, "Our engagement with XU began with OROBEST BRIDGE Program, and recently with the Service Learning Program. Personally, thank you very much for what Xavier has done and how you helped MSMEs as they navigated their business during the pandemic. We had 5 faculty members, and they were handholding around 90 MSMEs with 4-5 weeks for them to come up with the plans".
Ms Queritess Queja, Executive Director of Oro Chamber, shares her response to the cluster's three-year plan
Ms. Eileen San Juan, Local Economic and Investment Promotions Officer of the City LGU recalled how the university's engagements, particularly the creation of the Transport Master Plan, assisted the LGU which former Mayor Oscar Moreno invested on as he believed in the significance of academe partnerships in improving the city's transport management system. Ms San Juan said they are "very thankful for that (partnership), like the Transport Master Plan that we got the involvement of Xavier. When that plan required a software, Mayor Oca said that we will spend for that software but it stays with the academe (at it will be more useful for the academe). It is that kind of partnership that the city puts its resources that would benefit communities."
Ms Eileen San Juan, Local Economic and Investment Promotions Officer of the City LGU reiterates the gains of academe-LGU partnerships
Engr Romela Ratilla, Assistant Regional Director of DOST Region 10 affirmed the cluster's desire to sustain partnerships that will produce innovative solutions which it has done for many years now together with DOST and other line agencies. She told the group that she is "very happy to know that the mission of the Social Development Cluster is in developing solutions with and for society. I see that there's inclusivity in the mission, the same mission we share in government and DOST."
Engr Romela Ratilla, Assistant Regional Director of DOST Region 10, shares her insights on possibler partnerships of Xavier Ateneo and DOST 10.
The assembly was the first in-person gathering of the cluster since the resumption of in-campus activities.