The 14th Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in Asia Pacific Service-Learning Program 2025 (AJCU-AP SLP) gathered student leaders and faculty from Jesuit universities across the Asia Pacific. With the theme “One with Nature,” the program, hosted by Ateneo de Naga University (ADNU), went beyond lectures and immersions, offering participants meaningful encounters with local communities, culture, and the natural world.
The SLP opened with a cultural orientation, campus tours, and a welcome mass at ADNU’s Sacred Heart Formation Center. These were followed by plenary sessions and conversations on pressing issues such as environmental protection, sustainable laws, and civil society’s role in ecological preservation, linking discussions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on quality education (SDG 4), sustainable communities (SDG 11), climate action (SDG 13), and life on land (SDG 15). These spaces became opportunities to connect ecological discourse with lived realities.
Beyond the conference halls, students engaged in a campus-based activity on environmental awareness, before venturing into field exposure activities: Naga City’s cultural and heritage sites, Malabsay Falls, Naga River, mangrove reforestation, and a courtesy meeting with Naga City Mayor and former Vice President, Leni Robredo.
For many students, the activities were awe-inspiring. One of the Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) delegates, Mr. Jonyl De Los Reyes, a 2nd-year BS Chemical Engineering student, recalled how the 3-day field exposures widened his perspective on ecological conversion, first taught to him in his elective class.
“I appreciated the exposure because it showed how collective ecological conversion could complement the local people’s desire for development and progress —just like we all do. The eco-tourism in Mt. Isarog and the mangrove reforestation in Belen, Calabanga are examples of how we could benefit from our environment without further destruction. More so in the built structures of our cities that could integrate nature into their design. The experience called me to go beyond appreciating what I see and to question the status quo of our coexistence with nature,” Mr. De Los Reyes said.
The encounters with local communities, capped by an overnight immersion, became a powerful reminder of what lies at stake in ecological neglect, how nature is deeply intertwined with humanity, and how everything is connected. Ms. Xyrelle Mae Solijon, a 4th-year ADDU Chemical Engineering student, was greatly stirred during the immersion, inspiring her to reflect on what it truly means to be one with nature.
“Being one with nature is not just about immersing ourselves in beautiful landscapes, planting trees, or walking through cities; it’s about seeing the lives intertwined with the environment and recognizing the responsibility that comes with having a privilege. The people of Balatasan reminded me that caring for nature is not merely an advocacy but a lifeline for many who depend on it for survival. And while they continue to live in resilience with what nature provides, I am called to use the privilege I have to stand with them, to nurture what sustains us all, and to choose daily to live in harmony with creation,” she shared.
Alnother reflection point was shared by Mr. Algene Derek Louis Lago, a 4th-year ADDU Development Studies student.
“Simplicity has been framed by society as being in poverty. We had romanticized what it meant to be poor. Fetching a pail of water from a deep well is not simple. Nipa weaving isn’t simple. Juggling two jobs to make ends meet is not simple. These are not symbols of simple living, but of systemic injustices that communities continue to endure,” he said.
Just as the students fully engaged with the program, the faculty companions demonstrated equal dedication, supporting the participants, immersing themselves in the activities, and allotting time to listen to students’ reflections. For the faculty companion, witnessing the students’ engagement and listening to their stories was moving.
“As we gathered for a spiritual conversation, beautiful and difficult stories were shared and respected. Those sacred stories helped us to widen our horizons even more. We have felt how we were all challenged to be one with nature, inspiring us to think, feel, and act more in solidarity with it and the people themselves. Throughout this journey, service and learning took place in different shapes and forms, all the while forming friendships, which all contributed to our growth,” Ms. Clarissa Pesidas, Program Officer of the Arrupe Office of Social Formation’s National Service Reserve Corps, shared.
As the program drew to a close, participants joined tree-nurturing activities at ADNU’s “Forest in Our Midst” site in Pacol, Naga City. They also engaged in cultural presentations and the Pagsungko ni Ina procession in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, a moment that resonated deeply with the spiritual dimension of their Jesuit formation.
The final days involved group reflections, creative presentations, and the creation of a thumbprint mural to manifest their shared commitment to service and collaboration across borders. In these moments, the ADDU delegation found themselves weaving their own stories into the larger narrative of solidarity and ecological citizenship.
“The experience reminded me that service-learning is a journey of connection. It is walking into unfamiliar places and discovering a home in the kindness of others. Service-learning teaches us to listen, to be present, and to embrace both giving and receiving with humility. More than a program, it becomes a way of living with open hands and an open heart, a reminder that in every person we meet, there is something to learn, something to love, and something to be grateful for. It is in the small but lasting moments when you realize that service-learning is not about doing something for others, but about being with others, walking alongside them, and allowing their lives to change yours in ways you never expected. In the end, it is a journey that shapes not just the mind, but the soul,” Mr. Russel Angelo Naquila, a 2nd-year ADDU Psychology student, said.
For the ADDU delegation, the AJCU-AP SLP 2025 was both an immersion into Bicol’s culture and an affirmation of Jesuit education’s call to form persons for and with others. Through conversations, immersions, and prayer, the experience renewed in them a deeper sense of responsibility for creation, community, and country.
Article and Photos from the Arrupe Office of Social Formation
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