The Arrupe Office of Social Formation, formerly the Social Involvement Coordinating Office (SICO), launches the “Atenista Ako, Maligdong!” today, celebrated for the whole of month of February. The celebration of the Maligdong Month is an annual campaign to promote the culture of integrity and good governance, a drive that specifically focuses on looking at the issue of corruption as a social malady that seriously demands a thorough understanding and analysis with the hope that, through the reorientation/transformation of value systems and the nurturance of greater sensitivity to it, it can generate social and cultural renewal. The ultimate end of the celebration of the Maligdong Month is to collectively promote and nurture the value of integrity as a way of life that is permeated by a strong desire to transform and regenerate culture that has become the means by which corruption perpetuates. The Arrupe Office aligns the celebration of the Maligdong Month as a way of promoting good governance and cultural regeneration, two of the strategic agenda of the Society of Jesus Social Apostolate (SJSA).
In the vernacular, “maligdong” connotes integrity, it signifies living a life that is in accord with the principles of honesty and uprightness, a life that is lived honourably (“buhay na marangal).” This annual celebration also promotes the search for the truth and fairness in one’s relationship with oneself, with others in a social group, with the structures and institutions where one is a part of, with the material universe and its available resources that provide the nurturance for such life, and ultimately with the living God who commands us to incarnate His love by living a life of honor and integrity.
It is in this context that the Arrupe Office devotes the whole month of February in celebration of the Maligdong Month. As a social arm of the university, the Arrupe Office, with the assistance of its corps of student volunteers, the Arrupe Vols, and in tandem with the volunteers of the NSTP program, the leaders of the Makabayan (the umbrella group of the Ateneo socio-civic clubs), and in partnership with some Theology classes, aggressively promote integrity through various activities spread throughout the month of February. Along this line, the Arrupe Office banners the need to promote anticorruption sensitivity orientation and hopes that the Ateneo community may learn to be mindful not only of the implications of the glaring forms of corruption existing in our society today, but ultimately to participate in this collective effort to fight all forms of corrupt practices that we see around us (both in micro and macro level).
In last year’s celebration of the Maligdong Month, it promoted a theme “iNTEGRITY STARTS WITH “i,” a leitmotif that underscores the living of a life of integrity starting with the self, in this case, the “I.” It was highlighted with a special forum on the 10th year anniversary of the Ehem! Anticorruption Sensitivity Movement, a good governance campaign in which the Arrupe Office, then SICO, has been largely involved in through the years.
This year’s celebration of the Maligdong Month will be formally launched on 10th February at the Thibault Grounds, from 3:40 p.m.-5:00 p.m., showcasing a photo exhibit on integrity and anticorruption initiatives, coupled with a running video that exposes corruption in many forms, shades, and magnitude.
The line-up of activities for the “Atenista Ako, Maligdong!” are the following:
- Mass sponsorship to kick off the Maligdong Month, 3rd February, College Chapel, 12:00 p.m.-12:40 p.m.
- Formal launching of the Maligdong Month, 10th February, Thibault Grounds, 3:40 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Ehem! Anticorruption Sensitivity Training/Orientation for Arrupe Vols, Batch 42, 16th February, D-103 & D-105, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- “Pakighinabi” on Integrity and Good Governance, 19th February, F-705A, 4:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
- Curriculum Integration on Integrity and Anticorruption, in partnership with some Theology classes, 24th-28th February
- FYDP’s Social Consciousness Week, 24th February – 1st March
- Special Forum on Anticorruption, 27th February, F-213, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
The Arrupe Office enjoins the Ateneo community to celebrate the Maligdong Month and to collectively promote integrity as a way of life. (by M. Isabel S. Actub of Arrupe Communications & Advocacy)