06 MAY 2005

BATCH 25- YearEnd Evaluation Seminar
By: Nikko Viquiera, B25
Notre Dame of San Jose, Koronadal, South Cotabato

On the cool and breezy last days of March and with the calm and smooth waves of Misamis Oriental for a postcard-perfect backdrop, JVP Batch 25 celebrated the completion of their year of service. The 31 volunteers, sent to various parts of the country, gathered at the Villa Arcadia Resort for their Year-End Evaluation Seminar that gave them the opportunity to evaluate their work in their respective areas for the last ten months. The seminar also allowed the volunteers to bond with their batchmates through games, programs and stories of teary-eyed students waving goodbye at teachers they would never forget, of indigenous children of Bendum who could now communicate in English, and of volunteers leaving their barrios wounded but very much enriched.

The second half of the Seminar saw the volunteers looking towards an uncertain future fraught with questions and fears. But through the comforting hands and words of Fr. Rudy Fernandez, who led them into a prayerful reflection, each one began to focus the eyes of their hearts on the path to which God calls them. The seminar and Batch 25's year of service formally ended with a graduation that recognized Pamela Joy Mariano, who was assigned in Bendum to teach, as this year's Batch Valedictorian who exemplifies the values of Simplicity, Solidarity, Social Justice, Service and Spirituality that JVP upholds.

The Year-End Seminar appropriately ended with a Thanksgiving Mass at the Xavier University sponsored by the JVP Cagayan Local Community. The local community prepared a feast to welcome the new members of the JVP Alumni Community. The JVP community gathered in Cagayan also expressed gratitude to Tess Quijano and Kang Sonza whose years of service as Program Officer for Volunteers Service and Assistant Program Officer for Volunteer Service of the JVPFI Central Office would end this May. The members of Batch 25 felt new strength and inspiration surge through them, thanks to the celebration prepared by the local community who encouraged them to continue serving our brothers and sisters in need as we move on to the next stages of our lives.