The University-wide Dugong Bughaw Bloodletting Campaign was conducted at the Ateneo Matina and Jacinto campuses today, in line with the celebration of the Feast of St. Ignatius.

This year’s Dugong Bughaw is the second annual bloodletting campaign of the University Community Engagement and Advocacy Council (UCEAC).

Out of more than 300 people who applied as donors, only 131 people were qualified to donate. The activity was carried out with the help of about 100 activity volunteers composed of students, parents, teachers, and representatives of the partners of UCEAC.

Ms. Rosemar Bataller, a member of the UCEAC, explained the connection of the event to the celebration of the Feast of St. Ignatius.

 “St. Ignatius of Loyola gave his life. Blood is a symbol of life, and so it’s apt to have a bloodletting activity to celebrate his feast. I am very happy because I can see that in this activity we are united – bonded by St. Ignatius, our common denominator,” she said.

The blood bags collected from the morning part of the activity, conducted at the Thibault Grounds of the Jacinto Campus, will be donated to the Red Cross Tagum City Chapter, while those that were collected in the afternoon,  at the High School Quadrangle of the Matina Campus, will be benefitted by the Red Cross Davao City Chapter.

“This is what [the] UCEAC wants – to reach out not only to the Ateneo community, but also outside of Ateneo, like in the community of Davao. Even outsiders commend this activity,” Bataller said.

The campaign was done in cooperation with the School of Nursing, the University Clinic, the Red Cross Chapters of Davao and Tagum, the SAMAHAN Central Board, the University’s Grade School and High School Units, Ateneo Grade School Community Association, Ateneo de Davao Parents-Teachers Community, Inc., and the Nursing Student Executive Council.

The event is expected to be conducted annually as a commemoration of the Feast of St. Ignatius.