Last Wednesday, September 27, the Arrupe Office of Social Formation (AOSF) organized the event “Panagtagbo sa Suba” where students were introduced to the Cardoner Volunteers at the Miguel Pro Training Center.

Cardoner Volunteers Program is a university program which aims to harness the holistic growth of volunteers that they may encounter a transformative experience. It is named after the Cardoner River where St. Ignatius saw the world in a different perspective.

Volunteers are faculty and alumni who work for social justice for the common good. The program is open to graduates- preferably 21 years old and faculty members who are healthy and willing to go through the transformative encounter.

The program, which started two years ago, deployed its first batch of volunteers last June 2016 and they are invited to “go where people do not go”.
Cardoner Volunteers Program areas of deployment are the Bangsamoro Areas, Bukidnon Jesuit Mission Area, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato and Taunggyi, Myanmar.

As a purely volunteer work, participants are not compensated but entitled to a monthly living allowance, board and lodging, medical and accident insurance, basic deployment kit, etc.

Mae Kristine Cordillo, a Cardoner Volunteer, expressed how the program boosted her self-confidence and improved her over-all well-being.
“When you join this program, you will discover something new in yourself,” she said.