From a simple idea born from the desire to share and to give more, a menagerie of success stories have sprung forth throughout the years.
The Ateneo de Zamboanga University community celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Siu Hua Yu / Pan Cada Dia Food Subsidy Program through a launching of a special exhibit held last February 1, 2025, 10 AM to 12 NN, at the Gallery of the Peninsula and the Archipelago (GPA), Salvador Campus, La Purisima.
Dubbed “Pan Cada Dia: Dos Decadas”, the exhibit highlights the incredible history of the Siu Hua Yu / Pan Cada Dia Food Subsidy Program which, through the help of generous sponsors, has been instrumental in bringing hope and sustenance to students of less-fortunate backgrounds ever since its inception. Through testimonials of former and current beneficiaries, the program has proven to be a most transformative and powerful movement which has changed lives and perpetuated the cycle of generosity and the paying forward of blessings.
Opening the event is the Director of the Alumni and Career Excellence Office (ACE) Mr Conrado “Shing” Z Balatbat who reminisced Pan Cada Dia’s beginnings. As the former director of the AdZU College Admissions and Aid Office, he has experienced students knocking on his door for simple forms of aid especially for food. He expressed his gratitude to all those who made this program possible and encourages everyone to donate and keep the movement alive.
AdZU Board of Trustees member and the founding benefactor Ms Ruth Yu Owen shared how she honored the memory of her late sister Ms Siu Hua Yu through the creation of this program and expressed her joy in seeing its continuous growth throughout the years. Being a student from a less-fortunate background herself, she understands how it is to be hungry and how a helping hand can go a long way.
A current recipient of the Pan Cada Dia food vouchers, Ms Jia Tarabi from the Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering, offered words of gratitude to those behind the program for their graciousness and generosity. These simple meals not only nourished her, but also empowered her to push on with her dream to becoming an engineer.
Rounding up the event was a motivating closing speech delivered by University President Fr Ernald M Andal SJ. He emphasized the power of sharing meals and how it creates connections, strengthens bonds, and builds communities. He also shares his hope for more people to support the movement and ensure more generations of scholars will be supported and given hope.
A ceremonial ribbon-cutting rite followed suit to formerly open the exhibit and usher in guests into the GPA.
With God’s will and the ever-giving hearts of donors, AdZU hopes that this incredible cycle of sharing will be sustained and keep supporting students for more decades to come.
In AdZU, no one is left behind. Through faith and the power of the community, we continue to change students’ lives and give them a fighting chance to reach their most cherished dreams. Pro deo et Patria!
More photos here – https://photos.app.goo.gl/9GfTA2SnCUKvYp9YA
