My warmest greetings and sincere gratitude to everyone, to our major partner in this new Xavier Ateneo campus development project, the Cebu Landmasters led by the owner himself Mr Joe Soberano III (CLI Chair and CEO) and his son, Mr Jose Franco Soberano (CLI COO) and their team; our Jesuit Provincial, Fr Jun Viray SJ, my fellow Ateneo presidents, Fr Joel Tabora, Fr Robert Rivera, Fr Karel San Juan, and of course, Fr Roberto Yap, former XU President who initiated this project and the one who really brought this to where it is now, the XU Board of Trustees led by the dynamic Chair Frank Guerra III, the Board Committee on Asset and Finance, special mention, Ms Lennie Ong, Univ Treasurer, who is also one of the two witnesses in the signing; the indefatigable President’s Council, the school/college deans, Basic Education principals, the CLI communication teams led by Ms Joie Soberano, the Pinnacle Talents led by Ms Sharina Domingo, and the XU Communications Team led by Dr Libby Abesamis and Mr Stephen Pedroza who worked very hard in all the preparations before the MOA signing event and afterward, the rector of the CDO Jesuits, Fr IJ Chan Gonzaga, colleagues, and friends, good morning.

I have a confession to tell you, when I just started my new office last year, there was one thought that would always cause me to pause and think. Do you want to know what that was? The thought of the Xavier Ateneo campus development in Manresa getting started. For me, the project was so huge and of immense importance to the Xavier Ateneo community, to all stakeholders, and to the Society of Jesus that I began to doubt if I was the right person to take the lead. But it was good to have that experience because doubting led me to seek the wisdom of God. So I said to myself if the Vatican would approve the proposed project then it was meant for Xavier Ateneo and for me, but if no approval then there might be other opportunities God had in store for Xavier Ateneo and for me. Finally, the Vatican decision was released, and I thought it would come to me like thunder but it came like a gentle whisper because I was then ready for it.

This is my message this morning, I am ready for this project, the “Campus of the Future.” Xavier Ateneo is ready to take on this biggest project we will ever have. Of course, I still have my fears and doubts sometimes but we all know that life is never free from feelings and thoughts of uncertainty. What is more important is that we firmly believe that this new campus project is what Xavier Ateneo needs to move forward to become a leading university more resilient and more responsive to the needs of the new normal and beyond. We believe that by moving in this direction of Campus of the Future, the Jesuit education mission in this part of Mindanao will be in a much better position to produce well-equipped and formed Ateneans, to contribute more to the growing development of the country and the ASEAN region, and to serve better the Church in Mindanao.

Thank you for the show of support at this MOA/MOU signing event, and I expect more support and help from you in times of storms for this project is not ordinary, this is God’s special gift to Xavier Ateneo, and we are called to make this a reality in our time. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, daghang salamat sa tanan!

Fr Mars P Tan SJ
President,
Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan