Mission Areas

Bukidnon is a landlocked province in the north central region of Mindanao island. The land consists of wide plateaus punctuated with rugged hills and mountains as well as rolling highlands cut deep by canyons and rivers. Blessed with rich soil and favorable weather conditions, it is a major producer of rice, corn, coffee, sugar, fruits, vegetables and livestock. Major agricultural plantation and food manufacturing companies operate in the area. Many forestal areas are sites of former logging operations.  

The mission communities are located in the rural areas along the base of Mt. Kalatungan, Mt. Kitanglad and the Mt. Pantaron range that straddle the border of Bukidnon and Agusan del Sur and are inhabited by indigenous people (also known as Lumad, in the regional dialect), whose tribal ethnicities are mostly Talaandig, Higaonon, Manobo, Umajamnon, Matigsalug, Pulangiyen and Tigwahanon. 

Our mission areas include the parishes, high schools and chapels in Cabanglasan, Miarayon and Zamboanguita, Pangantucan Community High School and Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center in Bendum, and the Jesuit Retreat House in Malaybalay which serves as the Ignatian spiritual formation center. The Missionary Congregation of Mary, the Carmelite Sisters of Our Lady and the Ursuline Missionaries of the Sacred Heart assist us in the academic and administrative services of the high schools.

With their Mindanao Roadmap as guide, the Bukidnon Jesuits’ strategic priorities include: the alleviation of poverty among the Lumad peoples; their protection from the pervasive effects of conflict between government and rebel forces; the prevention of the degradation of the natural environment and protection of natural resources; the realization of lasting peace through education, human development, justice and inter-faith dialogue. 

For under P9,500 per year, a donor can help send a deserving student to junior and senior high school – that’s less than $20 per month over the course of a 10-month school year. That amount includes tuition which is net grants and assistance provided by the government, school uniform, school supplies, budget for school project expenses, local transportation and meal allowance for lunch and snacks.  

At the donation level of P24,000 per year (less than $500 per year), the scholarship fund includes dormitory expenses with breakfast and dinner plus medicines and hygiene products, school retreats, excursions or field trips plus a pair of good shoes. The dormitories support Lumad students who live in villages far from the schools.

Please support our multi-purpose chapels. There are 30 in Cabanglasan, 15 in Miarayon and 20 in Zamboanguita, reaching out far across communities in the Bukidnon hinterlands. They also function as literacy and catechism centers providing early education to children not served by the provincial elementary schools.  (in photo - Miaray literacy center in Cabanglasan) 

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 P50K ($1000) for materials and labor.