Your VOICES.

The Southeast Asia Rural Social Leadership Institute, or SEARSOLIN, is one of the outreach units of Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. It is an international training center devoted to the formation of proficient leaders who are committed to working for the causes of poverty alleviation and total human growth within the perspective of Asia, Africa and the Pacific’s diverse cultural and religious practices. SEARSOLIN aims to encourage reverence for human dignity, an understanding and respect for different religious beliefs, fair distribution of wealth and treating the Earth’s bounty with care and reverence.

SEARSOLIN caters to the developing nations of the South, or the Third World. Because it is located in the Orient, it brings together the rich cultural and religious customs of the East. The institute’s trainees mainly come from the three sub-regions of Asia: the South, Southeast, and East Asia. It also welcomes participants from the African continent and the Pacific Islands. SEARSOLIN’s concerns concentrate on rural development matters that include rural poverty mitigation as challenged by food security. SEARSOLIN also strives to follow the last paragraph of the XU mission statement, which is dedicated to the formation of leaders with conscience, competence, and commitment; leaders with an apparent vision and the social skills needed for the development tasks ahead. SEARSOLIN is not only a training hub with a time-tested program; it is also an ongoing fellowship venue among development workers who hail from different countries of Asia and the developing world.

The training programs concentrate towards the understanding of poverty, the progression that leads or enables it, and the adoption of the skills needed to lessen it. With SEARSOLIN, the poor or marginalized sector is always top priority as recipients for their programs.

The College of Agriculture of Xavier University was founded in 1953 by Fr. William F. Masterson, S.J. Eleven years after, SEARSOLIN commenced with full support from MISEROR, Germany. Since then, it has trained thousands of rural and social development leaders from various parts of Asia, the Pacific and Africa.

The SEARSOLIN program is integrated as it zeroes in on the importance of holistically training an individual in the hopes of molding him to become a person of service to others. The program achieves this through the combination of value courses and social sciences, as well as the application of practical skills and proper management. SEARSOLIN focuses on the mind, the heart, and the hands. The pedagogy is more on application than being strictly academic. One of the unique experiences a person can get from SEARSOLIN is the opportunity to interact with international members during the community live-in training that usually lasts for months. This is a good opportunity for developing an individual’s social and management skills and values; something that SEARSOLIN always strives to achieve.

-by Mark Anthony Daposala and Maia Fortich-Poblete-

“Less for self, more for others, enough for all.”

Cagayan de Oro made history when the different youth organizations such as Youth for Christ, National Youth Commission, Provincial Youth Development Council, Campus Organizations,Parish Youth, Sangguniang Kabataan and other city-wide organizations take part in Gawad Kalinga activities for a common cause. It was the first Gawad Kalinga (GK) Youth Bayani Empowerment that continuously inspires the young and the young at heart all over the world. The Empowerment was quite a unique experience. It showcased the different AVP’s of the stirring scenes that gave a glimpse of what GK is but most of all, the different talks and sharings of changed people made everyone realize how beautiful our “Bayan” is if we would just answer the call of Patriotism and be a “Bayani” by promoting the spirit of “Bayanihan”.

Cagayan de Oro City’s GK Pasil at Kauswagan is home to more than 60 families with dilapidated and seemingly floating houses in polluted stagnant water. The whole area made it impossible to allow the children and adults to be living in an environment free from juvenile delinquents, theft, misdemeanors, drug abuse, drunkenness and gambling.

On October 10, 2001, the GK team and the residents began building 10 houses with the generosity of the del Fierro family. After only two years, 54 of the 60 target units are already completed, with site development 90% complete, making the whole area ideal for visitors and tourists alike. Gone are the conflicts between residents and visitors can come freely at any time of day and night, confident in the new environment that GK has created.

Indeed God was triumphant once again through the success of the activities and fund-raising. Just recently, about 5000 people took part in the Gawad Kalinga Concert entitled ONE YOUTH, ONE LOVE, ONE NATION at the Limketkai Atrium. Truly, a new generation of Kagay-anons and Misamisnons were born. Personally, if we could just keep the fires blazing in our hearts, countless lives would be moved and with that we could transform the facade of our world. Just try to imagine traveling on a plane and seeing the world below so colorful only to realize that those were Tatag Houses in the different GK sites all over the globe. It maybe impossible for some, but for us Bayani, it is attainable! See how Gawad Kalinga here in Cagayan de Oro blooms.

Gawad Kalinga is more than just about building houses for the poorest of the poor. Providing a decent home is just the beginning of the transformation of the people and the community.

Together with its partners, Gawad Kalinga is now in the process of transforming poverty stricken areas with more than just the goal of building 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in the span of 7 years (2003-2010), but a symbol of hope for a growing movement. To date Gawad Kalinga is in over 900 communities all over the Philippines and in other developing countries.

We must go beyond religion, beyond politics, beyond whatever that creates that superficial barrier among us Filipinos.

The youth of today is looking for the face of hope. It is time for the youth to move the nation. Every youth should be convicted that this country is not hopeless. GK youth is a movement that will define the lifestyle of the new generation – passionate AND patriotic, with an intense love for God, country and fellowmen. All youth sectors, schools, organizations, and individuals regardless of religion unite to build a nation. They say that the “youth is the hope of the future” but we say that “the youth CAN BE the hope of today!”

More than just a city, Cagayan de Oro is indeed a training ground to many aspiring nation-builders. Together we exclaim “Bawat Kabataan Bayani!” It is a declaration that we will not take the problem of poverty sitting down. We shall rise to action through “bayanihan.” The world will see what the Kagay-anon youth can do…youth power!