On March 24, the second mission team was sent back to Brgy Boa, Cagdianao in the Dinagat Islands following the first mission trip in late January 2022. In this visit, the mission team will represent Xavier Ateneo and Tanging Yaman Foundation  in the turnover of 12 fishing boats to identified fisher folks in the barangay, to assist the livelihood recovery efforts of the community.

Fishing boats to be transported to Dinagat.

Brgy Boa is among the badly hit areas by Typhoon Odette, leaving most vertical structures levelled to the ground. Their main source of livelihood suffered great damage as well; not a single fishing boat was spared by the Typhoon’s wrath, leaving food supply insufficient and income reduced barely to minimum. This turnover of fishing boats signals the end of #XUTabangOdette’s relief operations phase and will shift focus on the early recovery initiatives, including livelihood recovery.

[Tanging Yaman Foundation is the sole donor for the manufacture of the 12 fishing boats. Its President is Fr Manoling Francisco SJ.]

Among the other services that the second mission team will conduct in the community include medical and psychosocial services; distribution of non-food goods including mats, blankets, slippers; and feeding of 500 children/people which is symbolic of the 500th year of Christianity in the Philippines. These will be conducted in close coordination with the Barangay LGU and the sectoral groups in the community.

The mission team composed of a volunteer doctor and nurse, faculty and formators, and students are the following: Nestor Banuag Jr (Team Lead, Social Development Cluster), Dr Alih Llesis (School of Medicine), Marygrace Santizas RN (Health Services), Iris Chavez (Senior High School), Emma Melliza (SHS), Kirk Anthony Diala (SHS), Jaime Jen Obedencio (Cental Student Government), Daryll Sumatra Muring (CSG), Justiniano Damiao (Theology Dept), and Ferdinand Cantular PhD (English Dept).

The mission team supported by colleagues in the Social Development Cluster.

The team was sent off with a mass at the XU Church, complemented with a missioning ritual. Fr Neil Pagalan and Fr Gaby Gonzalez SJ, the university Chaplain, presided over the ceremonies, respectively.

Fr Gaby Gonzalez and Fr Neil Pagalan during the rite of missioning.

“It is with joy and pride that I received the news about the mission and your involvements in it. May you continue to carry with you the "Magis" of the heart in helping the typhoon survivors in Dinagat.” Fr Mars P Tan SJ, the Chief of Mission, sent the team off with this message.

Fr Mars Tan SJ gave a blessing to the volunteers before leaving for Dinagat.

Fr Mars Tan SJ with the mission team

Typhoon Odette ravaged many parts of the Visayas and Mindanao in December 2021. Xavier University responded by sending a team for coordination meetings with disaster response stakeholders in Surigao mainland and the Dinagat Islands. Relief operations under the banner of #XUTabangOdette was set up from which trucks of relief goods were sent to affected communities in coordination with the Social Action Center of the Diocese of Surigao and the Provincial LGU of Dinagat Islands.

The second mission trip forms part of the Social Development Week celebration bearing the theme, KuramVersations: Celebrating and Strengthening Partnerships for Development.