Twenty-three Atenean Leaders participated in the recent 25th Buklod Atenista Leaders’ Summit held last October 23-27, 2008. Being the host school this year, Ateneo de Naga University opened its doors to the delegates coming from the five Ateneo Universities around the country. Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU), Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU), and Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU), each sent three student leaders as their representatives. Last year’s host, Xavier University- Ateneo de Cagayan, managed to send five representatives and Ateneo de Naga University completed the delegation with nine representatives.

The Buklod Atenista Summit is an annual national assembly of student leaders from the member councils of the five Ateneo Universities in the country, namely Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral ng Pamantasang Ateneo de Manila, SAMAHAN Central Board of Ateneo de Davao University, Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral of Ateneo de Zamboanga, Supreme Student Government of Ateneo de Naga University, and the Central Student Government of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan. These council members gather once a year to revitalize an alliance that will create a community of Ateneo student leaders who will be drivers of change geared towards the development of a better human society through student movement integration based on Ignatian spirituality.

With the theme: “Silver Years of Molding a Community of Ignatian Leaders for an Ateneo of a Golden Tomorrow”, this year’s summit celebrated its 25 years of coming together as one unified Ateneo. The said 5-day event constituted of sessions, team building activities, resolution making, reports of each student government’s best practices as well as issues or problems encountered during the past academic year, and review of past Buklod manifestos and resolutions. Moreover, socials and fellowship dinners were done every night for the delegates to get more acquainted with each other.

The said event started with campus and city tours for the first day, with courtesy calls from AdNU President, Fr. Joel Tabora and Naga City Mayor, Mayor Jesse Robredo. The opening program was held later during the night at the Arrupe Convention Hall.

Sessions began on the second day. One unique activity performed in the summit was the presentation of each student government’s best practices. Aimed at recognizing strengths and weaknesses of each student government, this activity served as an avenue for effectively handling issues and problems encountered by each member school.

An outreach activity which included a feeding program and house build at Duminorog, Calabanga, Camarines Sur, in coordination with the CCD, was also experienced by the delegates during the fourth day as part of their third session. 

The fourth team building activity, patterned after the Amazing Race, was executed during the last day at Ecovillage, Pili, Camarines Sur. Afterwards; the delegates tried the sought- after wakeboarding experience at the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex.

A turnover ceremony was carried out during the closing program where AdNU’s Ira Sheena Howard and Mailene Clare Mapa, 25th Buklod Atenista Summit Chair and Seceretary General, respectively, handed the Buklod Atenista Seal to Mark Jason Harun and Christian Olasiman of AdZU, hosting committee of next year’s leaders’ summit.