Aside from serving as Pastor and Parochial Vicar of Maria Reyna sa Langit ug sa Yuta Parish in Zamboanguita, Bukidnon, Fr. Kenzlee Ybañez, SJ also serves as School Director of St. Therese School of Miarayon in Talakag, approximately 110 kilometers away. Fr. Bien Cruz, SJ, meanwhile, serves as Chaplain of the Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center in Sitio Bendum, assisting Fr. Pedro Walpole, SJ. Inspired by Laudato Si''s call to listen to, learn from, and uphold the dignity of Indigenous communities, both schools accompany Indigenous learners from the Talaandig and Pulangiyen peoples. Through culturally responsive education, respect for Indigenous identity and wisdom, and holistic formation, the Jesuit mission continues to walk alongside these communities in hope and solidarity. These three Jesuits—Frs. Pedro Walpole, Kenzlee Ybañez, and Bien Cruz—share a common mission received from the Society of Jesus and ultimately from the Lord: to accompany Indigenous communities through education, pastoral ministry, and friendship. Together with dedicated teachers, staff, parents, and community leaders, they seek to nurture young people who are deeply rooted in their culture, committed to caring for our common home, and inspired to become leaders in the service of their own communities. #JoinTheJesuits

𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙤𝙤𝙣: 𝙁𝙋𝙅𝘼𝘼 On the feast of St Ignatius Loyola, 31 July 2026, the Filipino representatives to the 11th Congress of the World Union of Jesuit Alumni (WUJA) held in Yogyakarta agreed in principle to form the FPJAA (Federation of Philippine Jesuit Alumni Associations) in order to formally participate in the WUJA. The five institutions represented were Ateneo de Davao (Lilibeth Arcena), Ateneo de Manila (Steff Baltao-Basilio and Fr RB Hizon, SJ), Ateneo de Naga (Len Fenis-Sucatre and Fr Ari Dy, SJ), Xavier School (Jim See and Fr Harvey Mateo, SJ), and Xavjer University-Ateneo de Cagayan (George Goking and Fr Frank Savadera, SJ). An online meeting will be convened soon to discuss organizational matters and to invite the other Philippine Jesuit schools with alumni associations to join (Ateneo de Cebu, Ateneo de Iloilo, Ateneo de Zamboanga, Loyola College of Culion).

On the Solemnity of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Jesuit candidates, novices, scholastics, and brothers in Metro Manila gathered together with their formators for the annual Scholastics and Brothers' Circle (SBC) Sportsfest. Organized by the SBC Core Team of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific, the event brings the communities together to build friendship, strengthen community spirit, and enjoy healthy competition. 🏀🏐⚽🏸 With the theme “Witnessing to Hope,” this year’s SBC Sportsfest reminds Jesuits of their call to journey together in faith and bear witness to hope in a world often marked by division and uncertainty. St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us. 🙏🏽 Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam! #JoinTheJesuits

Today, the students, faculty, staff, and families of St. Therese School of Miarayon, Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center, and Pangantucan Community High School come together in Pangantucan for their annual Friendship Games—a celebration of faith, unity, sportsmanship, and the shared mission of Jesuit education. For many years, these schools have stood as signs of hope among our Indigenous brothers and sisters in the highlands of Bukidnon. Through quality education rooted in the Gospel and inspired by Ignatian spirituality, they continue to form young leaders who are academically competent, culturally grounded, committed to justice, and dedicated to serving their communities. As we celebrate this joyful gathering, we also give thanks for the many people who accompany this mission, especially the Jesuits serving in the Bukidnon Mission District: Fr. Marlon Fabros, SJ, Fr. Kenzlee Ybañez, SJ, Fr. Melvin Paulma, SJ, and Fr. Bien Cruz, SJ. Together with dedicated lay partners, teachers, parents, and community leaders, they continue to walk with Indigenous communities in building a future of hope through education. May this feast day strengthen our friendships, deepen our commitment to one another, and remind us that education is a mission that transforms lives and communities. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

On 30 July 2026, the Ateneo Junior High School (AJHS) celebrated the Solemnity of St. Ignatius of Loyola with a day filled with meaningful activities and opportunities for students to interact with the Jesuits. The festivities began with the Eucharistic Celebration at 7:30 a.m., presided by Fr. Damjan Ristić, SJ, from Slovenia. From 11:55 a.m. to 1:20 p.m., students gathered at the AJHS Cafeteria for "Heswi-tambay: Jamming with the Jesuits," where they enjoyed conversations, music, and fellowship with the Jesuits.