Pres Aquino, DSWD Sec Dinky Soliman and XU President Fr Bobby Yap

President Benigno Aquino III visited Xavier Ecoville on Jan 25, afternoon of the blessing of the new relocation and resettlement site in Lumbia. With Aquino were Vice President and Chairman of the Housing Urban Development Coordinating Council Jejomar Binay and DSWD Secretary Corazon "Dinky" Soliman.

Aquino assured the first batch of beneficiaries that has moved in to Xavier Ecoville Phase One (Temporary Shelter) that he is keeping a close watch on government agencies concerned in the rebuilding efforts to make good of their promises to hasten the recovery process of the Sendong survivors, which includes the provision of permanent houses in safe neighborhoods and livelihood programs.



Vice President Jejomar Binay




City Mayor Vicente Emano with Fr Bobby Yap. Mayor Emano with some members of the City Council was present during the blessing of Xavier Ecoville, a joint relocation and resettlement project between Xavier University and the Local Government of Cagayan de Oro. Mayor Emano expressed his support to the project and guaranteed Xavier and the beneficiaries that all kinds of assistance will be provided by the City Government to ensure the success of the undertaking.



Fr Bobby Yap leads the rite of blessing. The blessing consisted of three parts: the blessing of the land, blessing of the mobile school and blessing of the beneficiaries.



Inside Dunong Gulong, the mobile school provided by UNTV in partnership with the Department of Education. The air-conditioned school bus is set up like a classroom with armchairs, a TV screen and a PA system.



Fr Eric Velandria SJ blesses the common restrooms and washrooms. The temporary resettlement area is set to have 84 units of women’s CR and Bath, another 56 units for the men and 28 units for persons with disabilities.



Hon Wilhelm Valencia, Punong Barangay of Lumbia, welcomes the newest members of the Lumbia community, the 40 of 500 families that that will be residing at Xavier Ecoville. In the background are XU Governance and Leadership Institute Director Dixon Yasay, Fr Bobby Yap, Hon Mayor Emano and Chairman of the XU Board of Trustees Elpidio Paras.



Winnie Reyes, one of the beneficiaries of a housing unit at Xavier Ecoville, expresses her deep gratitude for the new hope that she and her husband with their six kids and two grandchildren have been given.



Can't wait to play. Some of the children at Xavier Ecoville.

photos by Ding Cabreira