Picking
up the pieces from the fire that hit its Salvador campus in La Purisima
St last July 7, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, with great resolve,
is now focusing on Rebuilding efforts.
Activities
initiated mostly by ADZU alumni have commenced immediately as early as
the day of the blaze. One of the most anticipated of these initiatives
is the screening of Ignacio de Loyola, the film on the life of the
founder of the Society of Jesus, the religious order that run the
Ateneo.
The
film will have a nationwide premiere on July 27. In Zamboanga City, it
will be shown at Cinema 2 of KCC Mall de Zamboanga and run til August 2.
Ignacio the movie Organizing Team headed by Marco Alfino Miranda, Director of Ateneo Center for Culture and Arts, said that part of the proceeds of the screening will go to the ADZU Rehabilitation Funds. Miranda added that fundraisers
who wish to conduct fundraising activities on behalf of ADZU are asked
to submit a proposal to his office which will be forwarded to the
President for approval. This protocol, he explained, will facilitate
proper accounting and acknowledgement.
The
movie ticket, priced at Php150 for regular screening and Php300 for
special screening, may be purchased from Tricia Manulong, at the Gallery
of the Peninsula and the Archipelago in ADZU.
In
a related development, Fr President, in a letter addressed to students,
faculty, staff, alumni, partners, friends – all who have a stake in
ADZU, rallied everyone to help rebuild ADZU. He said that by helping the
university rise from the ashes, one is also helping ADZU continue its
mission in education and social development in the city and the region.
In
his letter, Fr President presented an overall picture of what
transpired from Day 1 of the fire including the losses and damages
estimated at some Php100M and the overwhelming support received from
those who share the loss. He also gave an update on ADZU’s rebuilding
efforts.
He
reported that Sauras which was severely burned, is currently being
assessed for its structural integrity. He also cited initial ideas of
building a multi-level, multi-purpose building to replace the gym, and
of drawing up a master plan for the entire Salvador/La Purisima campus.
He added that total cost of reconstruction, however, has yet to be
determined.
Putting
into context his appeal for help, Fr President presented the
environment in which ADZU operates, zeroing in on the financial
difficulties the University is currently experiencing which were
compounded further by the fire. He cited the decrease in enrollment and
outstanding loan payments for recent constructions. He added that, of
all Jesuit universities in the country, ADZU is the “smallest and most
financially-challenged.”
