OSCI facilitates the immersion of Loyola Marymount University students in four different communities

The Loyola Marymount University (LMU) partnered with the Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI) for their Alternative Break Program. The program, which aims to promote cultural exchange through community-based experiential learning, was held from 7 to 16 May 2024 in the different community partners of OSCI.

As part of the ten-day program, OSCI organized sessions to prepare the LMU students and faculty members for their engagements with four different communities. Proceeding the general orientation, OSCI further provided talks on Philippine culture and a poverty situationer given by Ms. Dana Buñag and Ms. Ophalle Alzona-Pornela, respectively. To further prepare them for their community engagements, Dr. Bobby Guevara of the Theology Department gave his talk on “Drawing Close to the Poor at the Table of Hope: Five Invitations.”

On 9 May 2024, they started their first community engagement with the Solidarity with Orphans & Widows in Payatas, Quezon City where they had conversations with families who were victims of extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration. This was followed by a visit to Quezon City Kabahagi Center where they had an opportunity to engage with the different social enterprise programs of the center. They also had conversations with the beneficiaries of these programs, who are mainly families of children with disabilities.

Another part of the program was a visit to Buklod Tao, Inc. to learn about the organization’s disaster risk reduction programs for the people living beside the Marikina and Nangka rivers. Lastly, they went to Antipolo City to interact with the farmers of Tulungan Sa Kabuhayan ng Calawis.

In between the community visits, the LMU participants were also able to visit Tagaytay and Intramuros Manila where they also learned about Philippine tourism and history. During the closing activity, the LMU students reflected on the issues of the four communities, the causes of these issues, and ways of moving forward. They shared their gratitude to the communities who welcomed them and provided them with memorable and eye-opening experiences.  

The Loyola Marymount University partnered with the Office for Social Concern and Involvement for recently finished their Alternative Break Program with the different community partners of the Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI). Ateneo de Manila University on 7 to 16 May 2024. In the ten-day program, OSCI organized sessions to prepare the students and faculty for the engagement, visit the different communities and have both leisure and learning tour in tourist destinations near Metro Manila. 

Preparatory sessions were among the important sessions students needed to undergo prior to the actual engagements. Sessions on Philippine culture, formator and faculty at the History Department and a poverty situationer, given, provided by Miss Dana Bunag OSCI  and  Miss Ophalle R. Alzona-Pornela respectively, help students know about the general context of the communities they will visit.  To further deepen the preparatory activities, a talk on the Five Invitations was given by Mr Bobby Guevarra of the Theology Department

During the engagement proper, they engaged with the Solidarity with Orphans & Widows in Payatas, Quezon City where they had conversations with families who were victims of the extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration. They also visited the Buklod Tao Inc to learn about the organization’s disaster risk reduction programs for the people who are living beside the Marikina and Nanka rivers.  The Quezon City Kabahagi Center was also visited where they had an opportunity to engage with the different social enterprise programs of the center and have conversations with the beneficiaries which are mainly families with children with disabilities. During the last community visit they went to Antipolo City to engage the farmers of Tulungan Sa Kabuhayan ng Calawis. In the community, they were able to farm and harvest corn. 

During their break schedule, students went to Tagaytay to visit tourist destinations such as the Taal Lake where they rented a small boat that took them around the Taal Volcano. On the last day, after their synthesis session and before traveling back to the LMU, they had a tour at Intramuros Manila where they visited museums and historic sites.