Fr. Leoni Mission Foundation, Inc. (FLMFI) was initiated in 1990 by Fr. Mateo Sanchez, SJ in honor of the late Italian Jesuit, Fr. Ferrucio Leoni, SJ as a response to the growing concerns of the Lumads in Bukidnon. Fr. Leoni, a victim of war himself being exiled from China after the civil war in 1949, he knew what it was to be displaced by an event nobody ever wanted. Ending up in Bukidnon, Fr. Leoni saw little difference from being exiled by war to being neglected by government on provision of opportunities for work and other basic necessities that will constitute LIFE. This deprivation only fueled to their further exploitation by politicians and traders. Thus, Fr. Leoni started the literacy, livelihood and education program for the Lumads.
For a time, the literacy, livelihood and scholarship programs run successfully even with the constant change of the foundation leadership as appointed by the Society of Jesus. However, as many non-profit organization faces, sustainability has challenged the organization to its limits. The foundation has recently been further stretched by the US and Europe financial crisis where majority of its donors came from.
With the leadership of its new president, Fr. Braulio M. Dahunan, SJ, the foundation is embarking on reviving the program to continue the mission as it stands. LUMAD (Life for the Underprivileged and Marginalized through Advocacy and Development) Program aims to not only to continue the literacy, livelihood, and scholarship programs of the foundation but also achieve sustainability by gradually entering into social enterprises that will eventually support its programs in the future. It carries on the vision of seeing a vibrant lumad community able to sustain life on its own with well-meaning and educated leaders and residents responding to the changes and needs of the times.
LIFE FOR THE UNDERPRIVILEGED AND MARGINALIZED THROUGH ADVOCACY AND DEVELOPMENT OR LUMAD PROGRAMS
LUMAD is a Visayan term that means “native” or “indigenous” person. They are more referred specifically to the native/indigenous people that can be found in the Mindanao Region of the Philippines, a region that has often been associated with war and violence over the years. While many LUMADS suffer first-hand, the collateral damages of war such as displacement, loss of basic necessities, livelihood and housing, many also suffer neglect and exploitation brought about by loss of opportunities and inability of government to provide the basic necessities that would constitute what we call LIFE.
1. Community-based Literacy program (KAHUNGYAMAN Literacy Centers)
This program aims to provide non-formal basic education to lumad/IPs (Indigenous Peoples) communities. Since many of the children and adult IPs are unable to read and write because of lack of access to formal basic education, they are vulnerable to the deceptions of lowland traders and politicians. We have literacy centers for day care pupils and alternative learning system for adult and out-of-school youth. These centers are ran by volunteer para-teachers who reside in the area. Educational materials and food during school days are provided to help the learners in their learning and to free themselves from household chores that may take them away from learning. It is hoped that with this program, we will lessen the percentage of illiteracy among IP communities.
Our Kahungyaman Literacy Centers are located in three IP villages in Maraguing, Tagbacan and Saluringan. There are also other villages who would want to have literacy centers so that their children will be taught how to read, write, and count. We need Php 200,000.00 every year for para-teachers’ allowances, school supplies, and feeding program in our three literacy centers.
2. Formal basic education scholarship program (Binhi Te Peglaom Lumad Scholars Dormitory)
This program aims to provide formal basic education to lumad/IP youth who have the capacity to go through the rigors of formal education. Since public schools are far from their homes, most often they would stop schooling due to lack of sufficient food for their weekly consumption. Thus, we have taken scholars to live in the “Binhi Te Peglaom Lumad Scholars Dormitory” to go through formal education in a nearby public school in the Poblacion for elementary students and in Fr. Leoni Memorial School for high school students. Aside from providing them with quality education, the dormitory provides holistic formation to the scholars with the hope that they will become future leaders who will serve in their respective communities.
We now have 38 scholars living in the dormitory. They come from far-flung villages in order to pursue their elementary and high school education. We need Php 570,000.00 every year for the scholars’ food, school supplies, toiletries, and other school needs.
3. Volunteers for IP communities & enhancement (VOICE) program
This program aims to develop our scholars who graduated from high school to become more equipped and ready for college education as they prepare to take examinations for scholarship grants while they are also engaged in teaching, organizing, social enterprise and entrepreneurial activities of Fr. Leoni Mission Foundation, Incorporated. This program will also serve as an on-going formation with regard to personal development, as well as, leadership and communication skills of our scholars.
4. College aid and vocational support (CAVS) program
This program aims to facilitate our high school graduate scholars to get scholarship grants or sponsorships either for college or voc-tech courses according to their capacities and/or capabilities. They will still continue to be closely monitored by Fr. Leoni Mission Foundation, Incorporated, while at the same time they will continue with their involvements with FLMFI activities and formation programs. We instill a sense of responsibility to our scholars so that they will hopefully go back to serve their own people and develop their communities. 
We now have five college scholars who get scholarship grants but we are supporting them for their living allowances: Jession Diwangan is a DOST and XU scholar taking up BS-ECE in Xavier University; Mitchell Ayawon is a Monark Foundation Technical Institute scholar; Reymond Ally, Margie Tumalas and Gia Sarinao are BIC scholars taking up BS-Religious Education in San Isidro College. We need Php 100,000.00 every year to support them in their studies.
5. Sustainable Organic-agriculture, Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SOLED) program
This program aims to sustain all our programs by generating income through organic-agriculture and social enterprise. This will also provide sustainable human and community development through trainings on organic-agriculture and entrepreneurship that will ensure food security and livelihood. This program will also ensure the protection of the environment and proper management of natural resources. Apparently this program develops a deeper sense of cooperation and solidarity amongst the Indigenous Peoples for sustainable development of their particular communities and for lasting peace at large.
We just started this year, and so we need assistance in order to develop this further and be able to produce more products. Thus, we need a start-up capital of Php 200,000.00.
6. IP leadership enhancement and development (IP-LED) program
This program aims to empower IP leaders who will be responsible in realizing sustainable development and lasting peace in their communities in the spirit of solidarity and in the promotion of the common good. Thus, it is crucial to accompany these leaders in their process of becoming credible and trustworthy leaders: who will safeguard their beautiful cultural heritage and tradition; who will have vision for their people; and who will carry-out their mission in the manner befitting of a good IP leader. Seminars, workshops, trainings, and formation programs will be provided in order to capacitate and equip leaders.
We need Php 100,000.00 every year in order to support the activities of IP leaders in their Social, Political, Economic, Communal and Spiritual (SPECS) formation. We are also facilitating seminars, workshops and trainings that will capacitate and equip them as leaders. 
In order to continue our mission and programs, we rely on the generosity of individuals and institutions for support. We ask that you make a commitment to support our appeal by making a cash/ check donation. Every school year we need to raise Php 1,170,000.00, and we hope that you will be able to help us. Your generosity will make a difference in the lives of our IP brothers and sisters.
You may course your donation through FR. LEONI MISSION FOUNDATION, INCORPORATED, with its Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Checking Account # 2061-0119-11.
The Fr. Leoni Mission Foundation, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit organization duly registered under SEC with registration number H199700455. For more information, you may contact FR. BRAULIO M. DAHUNAN, SJ (Executive Director) at braulz@yahoo.com or 09361807903. You may visit the Philippine Jesuit Aid website here.