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In cooperation with the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy, the University Library System opened the American Studies Resource Center(ASRC) on 3 Feb. AdDU President Fr. Edmundo Martinez and the U.S. Embassy’s Mr. Ronald J. Post cut the ceremonial ribbon, assisted by Ms. Nida Emmons of the U.S. State Dept.. The ASRC holdings comprise books, periodicals, multimedia materials, maps and posters on American history and culture, politics and economics and related disciplines. Online databases and encyclopedia on CD-ROMs make information about the United States retrievable at the click of a mouse. DVDs can be viewed in individual stations with TV units and wireless headphones. The air-conditioned center is open to AdDU students, faculty and staff, alumni, neighboring institutions, business people and community leaders, as well as visiting researchers. Discussion and the formulation of plans are still going on regarding a proposed joint project between the new Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH) and the School of Science and Engineering. The curriculum needs adaptation and some changes, but the idea is that it is one way the university can help face the problem of poverty. Thus the approach is not just to offer the training of a traditional medical school, but to include other socio-economic elements that affect the entire health sector. New offerings were added to the AdNU course list. First and foremost, Ateneo de Davao University has empowered the Ateneo de Naga to accept nursing students this coming SY 2004-05. Using the “benefits” granted it as an autonomous institute of higher education under CHED Memo 32, Series 2001, the Board of Trustees of AdDU last December declared AdNU its “satellite campus for nursing.” This was accepted in turn by AdNU’s Board of Trustees. Preparations are now underway in Naga to provide future nursing students excellent professional and humanistic training to “meet the global demand for persons who care.” Most Rev. Leonardo Legaspi, OP, Naga’s Archbishop, and Fr. Tabora as AdNU President, have been named Co-Directors of the new Bikol Branch of the Consuelo “Chito” Madrigal Foundation. This year, upon their joint presentation to the Foundation of a proposal prepared by the AdNU, they are receiving some 21 million pesos in grants to engage in anti-poverty projects in Bikol. The activities for this year include low-cost housing, livelihood development, microfinance and scholarships for Masbate, Albay, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur. Sch. Xavier Alpasa is moderator of the AdNU Dormitory where 60 students, both male and female, reside. Many of these students are also in the Business Management Honors Program. Javy is also moderator of this program. Since the dormitory students live simply and follow a tight schedule, they sometimes feel everything is too simple and too tight. So Javy took half his dormers on an immersion trip during the last weekend of January. It was a real inmersion. No frills. No flooring in the homes of the people. No cell phones ringing. Little food, mainly gabi leaves, natong in Bicol, and rice. The following Monday the dormitory students were more than happy to give thanks for their simple, tight life. ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA UNIVERSITY The Ateneo Institute of Cultural Studies for Western Mindanao (AICSWM) has been given a large contract by the Language Research Center of McNeil Technologies, Inc. (USA) to produce a five million (5,000,000) word corpus of the Chabacano language. The project is expected to last a little over a year. There are currently 25 people working on the project. The Board of Trustees extended Fr. Rector/President Bill Kreutz’s term as President for another next three years. This received Fr. Provincial’s approval. The Community celebrated the New Year twice in January. On 1 Jan, LHS hosted the annual Province celebration when people feasted on a special turkey and pasta dinner prepared by the kitchen team guided by Fr Minister Herb Schneider. It was a fine culmination to the day’s activities: the Province Recollection, with reflection points by incoming Provincial Fr. Danny Huang, and the Eucharist with Fr. Provincial presiding. Then, on 21 Jan, a second New Year’s Eve followed, this time with a distinctly oriental flavor. The new lunar year was ushered in by a Community Mass and a sumptuous dinner, replete with Chinese delicacies cooked up by Fr. Schneider with the help of Sch. Jhaw Haw. January ended with a little more intensity for the second year Philosophers who were preparing for comprehensive exams in Philosophy. During the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Ateneo Philo Department hosted a special program where philosophers came in full force to hear, among other presentations, Sch. Roy Ragas read his synthesis paper: “Ang Pilosopo bilang Eikon.” Roy’s had been selected as one of the best papers of his year. It was dark when Fr Superior/Director Dan McNamara arrived at the Hanoi airport, his first visit to Vietnam. He had no idea where he was going and he did not have a single penny. The party supposed to pick him up never materialized. With the help of Vietnamese who offered him advice and lent him money, he found his destination and a machine that honored his Visa credit card. He was there for a meeting of AIRPET, the association of Southeast Asian nations devoted to education on the environment. There, too, was Khervin Cheng of MO, who had arrived earlier and had been properly met. The Daughters of the Divine Zeal (of the Sacred Heart), who receive spiritual ministry by MO Fathers, celebrated their first 25 years in the Philippines. To celebrate the occasion Fr. Eddie Hontiveros composed melodies for two lyrics: the theme of the Silver Anniversary and the ‘mantra’ of both the Daughters and the Rogationist Fathers: “Send, O Lord, holy apostles into your Church.” From 26-30 Dec, the annual Vocation Workshop was held. About 50 participants from all over the country came to experience living the life of a Novice for five days. This included talks about the Society of Jesus (by Fr. Provincial), the vows (by Fr. Vic Salanga), and discernment (by Fr. Ruben Tanseco). A team of Scholastics from the Vocation Promotions Office collaborated with the Novices to facilitate the workshop. The Novices were scattered around the country in February for various trials. The Primi were in various mission parishes of Mindanao and Culion ( a Sanitarium for Lepers, including both a parish and school). The Secundi were hard at work in factory trials outside Manila. Fr. Luigi Moggi celebrated his 87th birthday in Cagayan on 15 Jan and in Manticao (where 40 years ago he had been parish priest for 12 years) on 17 Jan. The return to Manticao was triumphal. He was met at the town limits by a delegation of municipal and parish officials, transferred to an open car and, preceded by a brass band, toured the streets with people lined along the way. Mass followed in the church which he had completed (a Chinese Jesuit, Fr. Huang, had started it), at which Fr. Ruben Reyes presided, with other XU Jesuits concelebrating. Next came a program of speeches and snacks. On the occasion of its 40th “Ruby Jubilee” Anniversary, Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School of Phillips, Bukidnon gave Plaques of Appreciation to priests who had served there: Frs. Moggi, John Krebs and Robert Suchan. A Vocation Seminar for high school students drew 27 participants (23 from XU, 3 from a public school and one from Corpus Christi School). Speakers were Fr. Roger de la Rosa [CFN], Bro. Noel Cantago, Sch. Ogie Cabayao and the organizer, Sch. Xavier Olin. Fr. Miguel Bernad’s monograph, Butuan or Limasawa: The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines. A Reexamination of the Evidence, first published in 1983, has just had its eighth reprinting. On 3 Dec it was announced that Fr. General has appointed Fr. Daniel Patrick L. Huang as 9th Provincial of the Philippine Province. Fr. Danny will assume office on 12 Jun. Fr. Cel Reyes successfully defended his thesis in Toronto on 15 Dec. Only minor corrections were necessary, so he could be ready to return in a month or so. Fr. Jun Viray also successfully passed his oral defense on 18 Dec with minor corrections to be made. He, too, should be on his way home soon. Mrs. Isabel Malley, mother of Fr. William Malley, on 25 Dec in Rochester, NY Mrs. Dulce M. Ofrasio, mother of Fr. Timoteo Ofrasio, on 2 Feb in Alaminos, Laguna Mr. Angel L. Baltazar, father of Fr. Victor Baltazar, on 10 Feb in Toronto, Canada.
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