The delegates of the Jesuit Schools Ecological Summit

The Philippine Province, through the Province Assistant for Ecological Justice, and Ateneo de Davao University, through the Ecoteneo hosted the first Jesuit Schools Ecological Summit held from 27-30 May 2024 in Ateneo de Davao University, Davao City. Xavier University is represented by the Assistant Principal for Administration, Mr Danilo Zapanta and Green Campus Agenda Coordinator, Ms Glenda Factura. The summit was attended by 20 faculty members and social involvement officers from Ateneo de Davao University, Ateneo de Iloilo, Ateneo de Manila University, Ateneo de Naga University, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Pangantucan Community High School, Sacred Heart School - Ateneo de Cebu, Xavier School - Nuvali, Xavier School - San Juan, and Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan.

Fr Gabriel Lamug-Nanawa SJ, the Province Assistant for Ecological Justice, emphasized that “the four-day gathering is more than just a business meeting but a spiritual journey, conducted in the context of Ignatian prayer, locating each individual’s own spiritual foundation for the work and mission that they do, within the school and reaching outwards towards society at large”. The summit was a good learning experience on ecology and spirituality which is based on the tripartite theme: Myself, ecology, and God; My community, ecology, and God; and larger society, ecology and God. Personal reflection and spiritual input from Fr Jose Marie Manzano SJ on ecological conversion was given emphasis throughout the event. Each day ends with a processing session, sharing of insights and a Eucharistic celebration.

Ateneo de Davao University President, Fr Karel San Juan SJ with the Eco Summit organizers and delegates

The summit was a good learning experience on ecology and spirituality. The welcome remarks from Fr Xavier Olin SJ and Fr Karel San Juan SJ, presentation of the schools’ ecological work and challenges, the talk given by The Ateneo Wild on their conservation work, and the exposure trips were among the highlights of the summit. The attendees also shared their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and challenges in the sessions through group sharing activities and plenaries.

The delegates were able to visit Ateneo de Davao Matina campus wherein they interacted with the students and officer in charge and learned about the Ecoteneo’s ecological efforts such as operation of materials recovery facility/MRF, composting, nursery, and green spaces among others. 

Ateneo de Davao Matina campus

As part of the summit activity, the delegates went on an exposure trip to the community to learn about the local issues. The first half of the delegates visited the Paradise Island Park in Samal Island wherein they learned about the threats imposed by the construction of the Samal Island-Davao City Connector bridge on the coral reefs and marine life. The second half of delegates visited a Barangay Mintal, a pioneering site in Davao City for the international solid waste management project. The barangay has improved its resource diversion through the assistance of the Mintal Resource Collectors Association (MiRCA) who collect recyclable materials from the households and sell them to junk shops, and partnership with LimaDOL, a Davao-based startup that recycles food waste from the community by utilizing a five (5) day-old larvae of black soldier fly to make compost which eventually resolved the food waste issue of the community. With this collective effort, the barangay was able to save its resources (e.g. fuel, fee in transporting waste to the landfill) and diverted a chunk of their budget to other programs such as feeding, GAD, etc. The delegates also visited the D’Bone Collector Museum, one of the largest collections of bones, skulls, and skeletons in the country with over 700 specimens of different types of animals intended for educational purposes. The delegates learned about the effect of plastic debris to marine mammals from entanglement and injury to ingestion and suffocation. One valuable takeaway from the visit is to protect marine animals, preserve coral reefs, and reduce plastic pollution.

Barangay Mintal Materials Recovery Facility and LimaDOL

The four-day gathering concluded with the delegates reflecting on their commitment (personal/institutional), sharing of personal experiences, challenges and vision, creating a network and planning concrete steps in moving forward as a community. One important outcome of the summit is the realization that “the schools may have different contexts, but coming together as a network would allow the schools to align themselves in the same direction towards a common vision. There was value in the mere togetherness, being able to share their hopes and dreams, and being reminded that they are not alone.”