The Jesuit Bukidnon Mission District
Celebrating the 25th Founding Anniversary of Father Leoni Mission Foundation, Inc.
Welcome
Maayad ha Pag-uma!
We welcome Fr. John Lester "Bongbong" Tajon, SJ, with joy and gratitude, to the Jesuit Bukidnon Mission District! As he begins his ministry among the Indigenous Peoples, may he find deep companionship in mission, wisdom in service, and strength in the Spirit. He will serve as the Executive Director of the Fr. Leoni Mission Foundation, Inc.
Father Bongbong was born in Pinil, Ilocos Norte, and grew up in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. He attended high school at the Ilocos Norte National High School, Laoag City and proceeded to obtain his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering (B.S.E.E. class of 1997) from the Mariano Marcos State University, Batac, Ilocos Norte. After practicing his profession as a licensed Electrical Engineer working with the EEI Corporation and RCBC Plaza Property Management, he entered the Society in 2002. He has since earned an MA in Philosophy, assisted in Parish work for the San Jose Manggagawa Parish in Marikina. He also served in Payatas, doing parish work in the Fatima Chapel of the Our Lady of Divine Providence Parish.
He spent his regency in Cambodia, from 2007 to 2009, working as assistant director to Sr Marie Jeanne Ath, a Sister of Providence and one of the original members of the Jesuit Mission in Cambodia, at Peytyieychi, a health center in the Battambang prefecture. After his ordination in 2013, he was missioned back to Cambodia, where he deepened his study of Khmer language before assuming the role of parish priest of Kampong Thom. He remained in Kampong Thom until his Tertianship in Australia in 2018.
He returned to Cambodia after his Tertianship, and on February 2019 he was appointed as the Vicar General of the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang. He is also the parish priest of Chrap Viel parish. He is known to have helped improve the infrastructure of the Prefecture, particularly the parishes and schools. He pronounced his solemn perpetual Final Vows to the Society of Jesus on February 4, 2022, the Feast St John de Brito, Blessed Rudolf Aquaviva, and the Martyrs of India. The Mass was celebrated at the Our Lady of Assumption Parish, Battambang, Cambodia.
Father Bongbong, may your presence be a source of hope and faith, and may you be blessed abundantly in your work of accompanying, serving, and growing with the people of Bukidnon. We look forward to walking this journey with you!
(references: Xavier University; Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific; Jesuit Refugee Service - JRS Asia Pacific)
Discover Our Mission Areas
Kapawa Scholars
During the past years, our Kapawa Hu Paglaum college scholarship program has supported deserving indigenous recipients from our mission areas:
- 2021-22 - 39
- 2022-23 - 49
- 2023-24 - 52
Learn more about our Kapawa graduates and professionals.
Binhi Te Peglaum Scholars
Our mission serves high schools, parishes, and chapels in Cabanglasan, Miarayon and Zamboanguita, Pangantucan Community High School and Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center in Bendum, Our Binhi Te Peglaum program supports scholars from the indigenous communities. Learn more where we serve and our priorities.
PCHS Benchmarking
Celebrations at St. Isidore HS
Pangantucan Community HS recently completed its benchmarking with Xavier Univ. - Junior HS in Cagayan de Oro City, led by Lea Lilibeth Ermata, School Principal, Jenny Yu, Asst. Principal - Academics, Danilo Zapanta, Asst. Principal - Admin., and Dr. Samuel Macagba III, Asst. Principal - Formation. Learn more about their SY 2024-25.
Celebrations at St. Isidore HS
Celebrations at St. Isidore HS
Celebrations at St. Isidore HS
St. Isidore High School of Zamboanguita, Malaybalay, had a Triple Celebration Day (Family Day, 33rd Foundation Anniversay Day, and St. Isidore Labrador Fiesta), last May 15, 2023. The student body made memories with activities through out the day in 5 parts, including a parade, fun and games, and mass.
Scholars from Miarayon
Celebrations at St. Isidore HS
Scholars from Miarayon
Congratulations to the five Talaandig youth from St. Therese Parish of Miarayon who have been accepted as Marillac Grantees of the Daughters of Charity! They have safely arrived at the Immaculate Heart of Mary College in Quezon City, their home beginning SY 2023. They shall attend Sta. Isabel College in Manila.
Feeding Lumad Children
Celebrations at St. Isidore HS
Scholars from Miarayon
Harvests from the upland farms have been poor due to the pandemic and economic downturn. Thus, incomes of mostly indigenous families have been affected and their children are going hungry. We prepare meals for 50 kids, but there are days when we come up short as 100-150 would show up. Other villages also need help.
Advancing the Mission
Kapawa Social Enterprise
We are proud to announce the formation of Kapawa Social Enterprise to produce, market and sell coffee, adlay, art and crafts sourced from our mission communities. We have adopted "4S" as our goals - by the fifth year: a) support the studies of at least 10 scholars; b) source, roast and sell Kapawa Co. brand coffee; c) achieve sustainability with each community having its own retail shop and production facility; d) provide stability to our communities through employment and economic activity.
We aim to empower our IP communities through collaboration and inclusivity; establish self-sufficient and sustainable community retail shops; replicate our initial successes to target communities; educate our communities through actual business experience and practical self-learning; and challenge our performance through the adoption of best practices.
Computers for Our Scholars
With much gratitude, we acknowledge the donation of fifty (50) Lenovo ThinkPads from Chevron Philippines, Inc. in partnership with the American Chamber Foundation, Inc. (AmCham) last December 2021. Intended to benefit the indigenous students under our IP Ministry, these were received through the Fr. Leoni Mission Foundation, Inc. We also thank Business Process Outsourcing International, Inc. (BPOI) for providing the needed operating system and Microsoft Office software for the computers.
Due to the transportation constraints brought about by the pandemic, the laptops were received in Bukidnon early March 2022. Of the 50 units, 40 units will be distributed among our high school dormitories and college dormitory. The remaining 10 units have been allocated to our Tagbanua Ministry under the auspices of the Loyola College of Culion in Palawan.
Multi-Purpose Mission Chapels
Multi-Purpose Mission Chapels
Our multi-purpose chapels, 30 in Cabanglasan, 15 in Miarayon and 20 in Zamboanguita, reach out to the Bukidnon hinterlands. They also function as literacy and catechism centers providing early education to children not served by the provincial elementary schools. Many chapels are temporary structures waiting to be upgraded. The old chapels need to be repaired as they are weather beaten or have simply deteriorated. Some community devotees have attempted to rebuild their chapels on their own but ran short of funds because of the economic downturn. In general, the budget for new chapel construction, renovations or structure expansion run about P75K for materials and labor (adjusted for inflation). We thank our donors - parishioners of the Mary the Queen Parish in San Juan, MM, friends of the mission from the Ateneo de Naga, Univ. de Sta. Isabel (Naga) and Ateneo de Manila.
FLMFI Updates
100-in-10 Project
This is our flagship project that aims to produce 100 indigenous professionals by 2028 (our 10th year since the establishment in 2018). So far, our college scholarship program for indigenous youth has produced 18 professionals already. These graduates are now gainfully employed in their hometowns as teachers, health workers, tourism officer, etc. while actively assisting the program in various capacities. We currently have 54 scholars studying in various colleges and universities in Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, and Davao. We may even exceed the 100 professionals come 2028. Hence, we will have 72 graduates by 2026. We will be ushering in at least 28 new scholars in the next two years in order to reach our goal of at least 100 indigenous professionals by 2028. These hopeful projections would not have been possible if not for your faithful donations in the last 5 years.
Maayad Ha Pagsaulug Hu Bulan Hu mga Lumad!
On October 15-16, 2022, the Kapawa Hu Paglaum scholars with the Assisi Grantees, gathered to celebrate Indigenous People’s month with the theme "The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge", which aims to re-emphasize, highlight and recognize the important roles of Indigenous women. A ritualist from the Umajamnen Tribe of Cabanglasan, Datu Samuel spearheaded the ritual which has always been part of our rich traditional heritage. It is a reminder that whatever we do we must always ask for guidance of the “Mu ulin ulin’ and pay deep respect to the spirits dwelling and existing around us. May this celebration open their interests to strive hard to be caretakers and leaders as they follow the footsteps of our IP Elders after understanding the core values of seven tribes of Bukidnon.
Cabanglasan IP Youth Organization
Cabanglasan IP Youth Organization
Cabanglasan IP Youth Organization
One of the fruits of the Kahimunan, the annual weeklong formation for IP Scholars is the establishment of the Cabanglasan Indigenous Peoples Youth Organization (CIPYO). During the weeklong gathering, scholars are provided with leadership, spiritual, cultural, organizational, and social activities that will prepare them for their future roles. One of the highlights of the event is the project that each tribe will propose to implement during the next school year. CIPYO is the product of such program. The core members and prime movers of the organization are Kapawa scholars. It is now recognized as a legal entity. More recently, it has been awarded some seed fund to further their reforestation project in Sitio Tagbacan.
Our Three Strategies
Cabanglasan IP Youth Organization
Cabanglasan IP Youth Organization
We now focus on three strategies: The IP Leadership Enhancement and Development (IP LEaD) focuses on youth formation and education from high school until the IPs become young professionals. The 100-in-10 falls into this strategy and covers out-of-school IPs, too. The IP Socio-Economic Enrichment and Development (IP SEED) provides capacity building, mentoring, and seed capital for IP communities and cooperatives. Finally, the IP Regeneration of Environment, Arts, Culture, and Health (IP REACH) will focus on uplifting the tribes we are journeying with and to help them deal with issues like the environment, ancestral domain, indigenous culture deterioration, and the empowerment of the tribal chieftains and elders.
In the Footsteps of St. Ignatius
Meet the Jesuits of the Bukidnon Mission
1st row, L-R
- Fr. Jereme Asunto – Parish Priest, St. Therese of the Child Jesus; Chaplain, San Francisco Javier Mission Station
- Fr. Alex Badiola - Retreat Master, JRH
- Fr. Marlon Fabros - President, PCHS
2nd row, L-R
- Fr. Ambrosio Flores – Mission Superior; Director, JRH
- Fr. Guy Peter Guibelondo – Parish Priest, Our Lady Mary Mediatrix of All Grace
- Fr. Nikki James Lee – Parish Priest, Nuestra Señora Guadalupe
3rd row, L-R
- Fr. Melvin Paulme - School Chaplain, PCHS
- Fr. John Lester Tajon - Exec. Director, Fr. Leoni Mission Foundation, Inc.
- Fr. Pedro Walpole – Director, APC
4th row, L-R
- Fr. Kenzlee Ybañez - School Supervisor, STSM; Parochial Vicar, St. Therese of the Child Jesus
- Fr. Mateo Sanchez – Spiritual Guide and Confessor, JRH
Where we serve:
- Cabanglasan – Fr. Leoni Memorial School (FLMS) and Nuestra Señora Guadalupe parish
- Malaybalay – Jesuit Retreat House (JRH) and Fr. Leoni Mission Foundation Inc. (FLMFI), the legal entity of the Jesuit Bukidnon IP Ministry
- Miarayon, Talakag – St. Therese School of Miarayon (STSM) and St. Therese of the Child Jesus parish
- Pangantucan – Pangantucan Community High School (PCHS)
- Zamboanguita, Malaybalay - St. Isidore High School (SIHS) and Our Lady Mary Mediatrix of All Grace
- Bendum, Bgy. Busdi, Malaybalay – Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center (APC)
As featured on the Global Jesuits website:
- The spirit and the life of the people in Bukidnon
- Young Filipino Jesuits make their dreams come true
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