Ateneo de Iloilo Golden Jubilee debut up Friday
MOA Signing
All are now set for the launching of the 50thanniversary of the only Jesuit school in Western Visayas , the Ateneo de Iloilo – Santa Maria Catholic School , this Friday afternoon of November 30.
Thousands of students, alumni, parents, teachers and friends are expected to participate in the soft debut of what will be a yearlong celebration of the school's "Ignatian tradition of love, service, and excellence."
The festival will start at 3:30 p.m. where the strong members of the Ateneo community will converge at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol and at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand. They will then march to the old AdI-SMCS old site at 139 Gen. Blanco St. , Iloilo City where the grand launching program and fiesta-like social gathering await.
"Celebrating the Golden Jubilee of our beloved alma mater is primarily a celebration of God's overflowing goodness," AdI-SMCS president Fr. Manny Uy, SJ, said, adding, "we recall the past with profound gratitude, and we look forward with unwavering faith as we build our school and strive to soar higher in love, service, and excellence."
Some of the things in store during the debut rites are the school's Golden Jubilee (GJ) video presentation, unveiling of the GJ theme, fireworks display, raffle draw with five tuition AdI-SMCS scholarships as prizes, GJ trivia challenge, fun games, and food fair blended with the live concert of the region's best, Crossover band.
Also to give more meaning to the debut celebration are the messages coming from AdI-SMCS high school principal Aurora de la Cruz, alumna of Ateneo de Davao University and Ateneo de Cagayan University (Xavier University); city mayor Jerry Trenas, alumnus of Ateneo de Manila University; lawyer, ABS-CBN broadcaster, and AdI-SMCS Alumni Association president Joebert Penaflorida; and Fr. Uy, SJ, alumnus of Ateneo de Zamboanga University and Ateneo de Manila University.
In a previous interview, GJ committee chairperson John Trompeta said, "the launching would be simple but meaningful to all Ateneans young and old. It is specially designed to fit all the batches' sensibilities as we celebrate oneness as Ateneans-Santa Marians."
"We have lots of surprises in store for our alumni," Trompeta stressed, adding, "we wish to have a complete attendance from the first batch of students who enrolled in school in 1958 to the newest students in the pre-school."
Trompeta added, "we also wish the participation of our benefactors, parents and guardians who have always been there holding hands with us in the fulfillment of the school's noble vision, mission and goals."
The launching marks the start of a yearlong fete of GJ celebrations, one of which is the groundbreaking of the new site (December 8), GJ Cup (January-February, 2008), GJ Summer Camp and Educational Tour, GJ Outreach Programs (2008), GJ ‘Blue Nites' (2008), GJ Fiesta (September, 2008), and the GJ Grand Alumni Homecoming (December, 2008), among many others.
To note, the school is presently investing in the construction of its 7.5-hectare, P200-million worth new site at Brgy. San Rafael , Mandurriao, Iloilo City . Total completion of the whole Ateneo de Iloilo complex is estimated to happen in two to three year time. It targets to transfer its grade school department from the old to the new site in the middle of the next school year./Ripples