By: Fr. Neil Badillo, OFM, S.Th.D | SATMI Director
One of the many acumens I learned from my many correspondences with Fr. Joel Tabora, SJ, from the beginning of the reconceptualization of this project last year up to its final completion, is that Fr. Joel envisioned this Audio-Visual Room to become “the face of theological research of Mindanao to the world”. Fr. Joel, being true to his second calling as a champion of everything Mindanao, from indigenous rights, the rights of the poor and the marginalized, just politics, academic freedom, cultural and religious diversities, to ethnic and religious arts, finds another gem in Mindanao that we could proudly share with the world: a theology rooted in the lives of the people of Mindanao—a theology that is creative, contextual, dialogical, intercultural, indigenous, and transformative.
The continuation of the ADDU-SATMI consortium, the yearly scholarship grants to our MA and Doctoral students, the allocation of this amazing HISFLEX, and of course this new AVR are his very generous contributions to our shared mission.
The consecration of our new AVR to God unites us all today with immense joy and gratitude. But beyond that, this place will always be a constant reminder of God’s benevolence to all of us through the dreams, achievements, and legacy of Fr. Joel for Mindanao that we are challenged to uphold.