CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — The future is waiting for the Xavier Ateneo community.
This year’s Xavier University Festival Days (XUFD) celebration dares the XU community to “Gear Up,” which centers on equipping one’s self with “hope, resolve, and determination as we pivot towards a new age.”
A major part of the celebration, slated on December 1 to 4, is to present the Campus of the Future, the biggest project the university will take on starting 2022.
The new campus, which will be called the “Masterson Campus,” features state-of-the-art school buildings and administration facilities to cater to the academic courses of XU’s colleges and schools. It will be adaptable to developments in academic disciplines, 21st-century learning curricula, and technological innovations.
“The new campus will not just be a smart and green campus, but a university township,” shares Fr Mars Tan SJ, President of Xavier Ateneo.
“This project will fulfill Xavier Ateneo’s dream to give the best Jesuit education possible in the region and in Mindanao and beyond,” Fr Mars continues.
Looking forward to the new campus
The Masterson Campus will be constructed on a 21-hectare land uptown and beside it will rise the 14.3-hectare township to be known as “Manresa Town.” The 25-hectare forest reserve and animal sanctuaries will be retained and serve as a buffer zone in the university township.
The main masterplan elements include an abundance of open and green spaces – the main plaza, interconnected courtyards, campus-wide wireless connectivity, bike lanes, sports facilities, an amphitheater, and a University Forum which incorporates a museum, theatre, and a gallery.
The Manresa Town will be integrated as a complementary to the Masterson Campus to provide students with generous open spaces, convenient and safe residential options, easy access to commercial establishments, and future-ready offices.
Both the Masterson Campus and Manresa Town will be constructed by XU’s multi-awarded real estate development partner, the Cebu Landmasters Inc (CLI).
The project will be constructed in phases and campus development is expected to start in the second quarter of 2022, with considerations toward the COVID-19 quarantine restrictions and protocols.
'Brave leaders for a better future'
The XUFD 2021 also inspires the members of the XU community and the society-at-large to embrace the new campus as part of the university’s long-term goal of addressing the challenges of the new normal.
“The world needs brave leaders to pave the way towards a better future. … Gear up and prepare to emerge into the new normal, unafraid, and ready to meet the future with hope and excitement,” the theme introduction explains.
Leaders from the university, among Jesuits, and different institutions have sent their messages of support and hope, inspiring and encouraging us to gear up for the new campus — from Fr Primitivo “Jun” Viray SJ, Provincial of the Philippine Jesuits to Francisco “Frank” Guerra III, Chairman of the XU Board of Trustees, from Jose Soberano III, CEO of Cebu Landmasters Inc to Andre Robert Daba, Executive President of XU Central Student Government.
More leaders and personalities have expressed their support and excitement over the Campus of the Future and their messages will be featured in coming weeks and months.
Earlier this week, Fr Ismael Jose “IJ” Chan-Gonzaga SJ JD, Rector of the Loyola House Jesuit Community, expressed his support for the new campus project.
“As we, the younger generations (Jesuits and lay partners) are now called to step up, we will not allow self-interests to clip the wings of the many possibilities to further the dream that is Xavier Ateneo,” Fr IJ writes.
“We are doing this today — making sure Xavier Ateneo survives the changes of the future and be competitive (or more) still to continue keeping that dream [of Archbishop James Hayes] alive!”∎