Persons for others, partners in mission:
Fr RB Hizon’s call to Ateneo alumni

Last 01 July 2025, Fr Raymund Benedict “RB” Q Hizon, SJ assumed directorship of Ateneo de Manila University’s Office of University Development and Alumni Affairs (OUDAA) for a three-year term. When he stepped into this role, he brought with him more than three decades of Jesuit service — spanning leadership in education, pastoral ministry, and community engagement across various Ateneo campuses and beyond.

The OUDAA, formed in 2022 through the integration of the Office of University Development (OUD) and the Office of Alumni Relations (OAR), was designed to do more than just maintaining alumni ties. Its mission is to advance Ateneo’s strategic goals by fostering meaningful engagement with alumni and donors, together with securing the resources needed for the school’s continual growth.

As one of the first BA Developmental Studies graduates from Ateneo de Manila University, and having served as principal of Ateneo High School, rector of the Church of the Gesù, and various other leadership roles across Jesuit schools, Fr RB believes that the work of the OUDAA is about building bridges. Bridges must be built between the University and its alumni, between tradition and innovation, and between the present moment and the future Ateneo hopes to create.

“Our work is primarily about engagement. Inviting all our stakeholders to help the University reach its goals," he says. These goals, aligned with Ateneo's strategic plan, range from infrastructure projects such as a new building for the junior high students and better equipped classrooms for senior high school students, to faculty development, scholarships, and even long-term endowments.

Up until recently, Ateneo waited for donors to come forward on their own. However, Fr RB sees the OUDAA taking a more proactive approach this time. "We're learning from other Jesuit institutions like Georgetown. We need to actively reach out to our alumni, not just for reunions, but to help them further the mission of the school that played a role in shaping their futures."

For his term at the OUDAA, Fr RB's priority is clear: greater visibility and deeper connections. "We want alumni to know that we're promoting a sense of advancement. We need to consider the future of the university to be more viable. We need as much help,” he explains. For him, this means making sure that graduates understand that they are not only part of Ateneo's history, but also vital to its future. “And it's not just about raising funds. It's raising a consciousness that would help even students now who will become alumni later, understand that they need to support the school. The school needs you.”

Part of that work means rethinking how Ateneo connects with its alumni. Traditionally, the University's grand alumni homecoming, held around every 08 December, has been spearheaded by the silver jubilarians, those marking 25 years since graduation, often from the high school.

While this model has endured for decades, Fr RB sees an opportunity to broaden the celebration. "We're reaching out to as many stakeholders as possible," he says. "Right now, we're beginning with jubilarians from different graduating years, not just the silver batch, and not just those from high school. Even if you didn't come from Ateneo High School, if you graduated from any course here, you're alumni, and you're part of the community."

To further encourage engagement, the OUDAA has begun meeting with representatives from various alumni batches and has formed a council of other alumni associations. By gathering jubilarians from five or ten years ago, the aim is to create conversations about the University's current initiatives and inspire alumni to spread the word within their networks. "There's so much more we can do," Fr RB says, "and it starts with making sure every Atenean feels included and engaged."

In recent months, he has seen inspiring examples of alumni-led initiatives, such as some BS Management Engineering (BS ME) graduates who have come together to create mentorship programs that guide current students, assist faculty, and help secure employment opportunities. He hopes that with enough help, he could assist in replicating and expanding these efforts across all disciplines, ensuring that Ateneo's alumni community remains a living resource for its students.

In his view, Ateneo's alumni community is uniquely shaped by the Ignatian value of cura personalis — care for the whole person. "Every single alumnus or alumna has a specific contribution only that person can make. Each person has a gift that only they can give," he says. "We need to nurture that pride and sense of purpose, so that our alumni can continue to be persons for others, wherever they are."

For Fr RB, this mission remains grounded in the University's guiding light. "It's really still about Lux in Domino — being light in the Lord — which is another way of saying being persons for others. Being people with goals, with a sense of purpose," he explains. "We have people who are good persons who do not believe, and that's fine. But if you do believe, we'll be happy. And of course, we can't apologize for being Jesuit and Catholic. But being Catholic means precisely that we care for people-even if they're not Christian."

From his days as a student himself to taking on leadership roles around the Jesuit community, Fr RB has always been in the "people business," as he calls it. Now, as the new OUDAA director, he is committed to ensuring that Ateneo's people — past, present, and future — remain united in mission, and equipped to carry it forward.