Bigay Puso Program of Grades 4, 5, and 6

The Bigay Puso Program of the Social Involvement Office is being offered for one school year across all grade levels. Each grade level was partnered to different marginalized communities outside the Ateneo Grade School. The aim of this program is to respond to God’s invitation to share what we have and help those who are in need. It is a venue for all members of the Ateneo community to build meaningful friendships with others, share one’s blessing to those who are in need, and be like Jesus in words and actions.

The partner community of the Grade 4 boys are the cancer patients and health workers of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) through the help of their Chaplaincy Office headed by Fr. Marlito “Lito” G. Ocon, SJ. The Grade 4 boys were able to meet their friends from the PGH last December 9, 2022 and March 17, 2023 for their first and second virtual interaction respectively. Participants from the PGH were initially assigned to each section per session. There was a minimum of one participant each section, and all the sixteen sections were divided into three sessions with different time slots. The first two sessions have five sections simultaneously doing the virtual interaction, and the third session have six sections simultaneously doing the virtual interaction. The class advisers helped facilitate while the chosen students from each class took part in the whole interaction programs. 

Grade 4 First Virtual Interaction: December 9, 2022

Grade 4 Second Virtual Interaction: March 17, 2023

The partner community of the Grade 5 boys are the beneficiaries, “Nanay” and youth volunteers of the Busog Puso Program of the Sacred Heart Mission Station (SHMS) in Caloocan headed by Fr. Wilfredo “Willy” Manalo Samson, SJ. The Grade 5 boys were able to meet their friends from the SHMS last October 14, 2022 and March 10, 2023 for their first and second virtual interaction respectively. Participants from the SMHS were initially assigned to each section per session. There was a minimum of three participants (beneficiary, “nanay,” adult and youth volunteer) each section, and all the sixteen sections were divided into three sessions with different time slots. The first two sessions have five sections simultaneously doing the virtual interaction, and the third session have six sections simultaneously doing the virtual interaction. The class advisers helped facilitate while the chosen students from each class took part in the whole interaction programs. 

Grade 5 First Virtual Interaction: October 14, 2022

Grade 5 Second Virtual Interaction: March 10, 2023

The partner community of the Grade 6 boys are children of the Person Deprived of Liberty (PDL) from the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service, Inc. (PJPS) headed by Fr. Firmo N. Bargayo, Jr., SJ. The Grade 6 boys were able to meet their friends from PJPS last December 2, 2022 and March 3, 2023 for their first and second virtual interaction respectively. Participants from PJPS were initially assigned to each section per session. There was a minimum of three participants each section, and all the sixteen sections were divided into three sessions with different time slots. The first two sessions have five sections simultaneously doing the virtual interaction, and the third session have six sections simultaneously doing the virtual interaction. The class advisers helped facilitate while the chosen students from each class took part in the whole interaction programs. 

Grade 6 First Virtual Interaction: December 2, 2022 

Grade 6 Second Virtual Interaction: March 3, 2023

The “Kwentuhan” Session was the highlight of the virtual interactions. In this part, both the Ateneo boys and participants were able to ask questions about each other’s dreams, interests, goals and whereabouts. It was a great opportunity for the Ateneo boys and their partner communities to share something about themselves and start to get to know each other. There were Ateneo boys from each section who shared their talents by singing and dancing to entertain their friends, and there were games too to have fun with their respective community partners.  During the second interaction, the boys were able to have an opportunity to share with their community partners their heartfelt messages and appreciation for having to know them and for sharing their lives with them. Both the Ateneo boys and their respective partner communities shared messages of hope and inspiration and words of gratitude for allowing them to be an instrument of God to help and be helped in their own simple ways. 

The Class Parent Representatives were also invited to join the Ateneo boys and their respective partner communities during the two virtual interactions. CPRs were asked to give messages to the participants assigned with their respective sections. Here are some of the messages given by them. 

Aside from the two virtual interactions, the Ateneo boys, together with the help of their families, were able to conduct Christmas gift giving last December 2022. Grade 4 students gave Pediasure milk for the pedia participants and Ensure milk for the adult participants. Aside from this, the SIO team were able to share donations such as toys, board games and other manipulatives that can entertain the young cancer patients. Grade 5 students gave 100 loot bags with various juices and cupcakes during the Christmas Party of SHMS in Caloocan. The CPRs were there to help in distributing the gifts. And lastly, the Grade 6 students were able to prepare 100 grocery packs with spaghetti starter pack, canned goods, and pack of biscuits for the PJPS Scholars. It was given to them after the Christmas Mass at the Singson Hall with the help of the grade level’s faculty and CPRs. 

The Bigay Puso Program of Grades 4, 5 and 6 were all successful and became very meaningful with the great collaborative work and effort of the SIO Team, AHFOR, GLCs, CPRs, KEMC, partner community coordinators, participants and most importantly our Ateneo boys who opened their hearts and mind to build friendship with people outside the Ateneo. They have given all their best and did a great job in sacrificing and saving up their money to share with their respective community partners. The whole Ateneo Grade School Community are very proud of our Ateneo boys from across all grade levels They are not just helping their respective partner communities, but they are giving them hope and inspiration to become good people as well. It is our pride that our Ateneo boys learned something from their partners, whether it is something small or something that would help you become a better person. The Bigay Puso interactions made them realize Jesus’ invitation to all of us to be good neighbors, to sympathize with them, to walk and be with them in their journey, and it helped them become men-for-others just like how St. Ignatius of Loyola taught us.