“We’re grateful to have had clean and honest elections, and that’s something we can thank God for.” Fr. Joel Tabora says in his homily during the concluding mass of Blue Vote 2016. Photo by Alexis Matthew Reyes

In thanksgiving for the successful turnout of the May 2016 National Elections, Blue Vote 2016 volunteers convened at the Finster Auditorium of the Ateneo de Davao University last July 16, for a post-election reflection and integration session.

The Arrupe Office of Social Formation, in partnership with the University Community Engagement and Advocacy Council (UCEAC), organized the activity. Volunteers, in their group discussions shared their experiences and reflections.

The said volunteers were composed of the students, faculty, administration, and non-teaching personnel of the university.

The event celebrated Blue Vote’s active community involvement and service during the past election. With the theme, ‘Blue Vote 2016 Volunteers: Taking the Path of Volunteering for Social Transformation’, the activity aimed its purpose for thanksgiving, not only for the historic first president from Mindanao, but also for the huge turnout of about 600 Blue Vote Volunteers.

Arrupe Office Director Lilibeth Arcena further elaborated on the purpose of the event.

“This activity is for us to come together and recall what we have contributed as Ateneo, as Blue Vote to the 2016 election, to not just celebrate but also to savor and relish the graces that we have received, and to be able to go home, to go back to the main reason why we are here, and that is love,” she said.

The Blue Vote also plans to continue its advocacies through “Bantay Pangako”, a program that aims to monitor the promises made by the candidates in the past election.

A mass presided by university president Fr. Joel E. Tabora, SJ and Environmental Science program coordinator Fr. Daniel J. McNamara, S.J, culminated the activity.