Legacy is a concern for many people. There comes a time in one’s life that one is confronted by the reality of one’s mortality. The thought of how one will be remembered becomes a primary concern.
Fifty years after our high school graduation from the Ateneo de Naga in 1966, we found ourselves with the same mindset – How do we want to be remembered? What legacy do we want to leave behind for our alma mater?
Whether it was coincidental or providential, the idea of a Golden Jubilee Legacy Project was conceived September of 2014 during the book launch of The Jesuit Safari: Essays and Interviews on Fr. James O’Brien, SJ at the Ateneo de Naga James O’Brien Library.
After the book launch, Edna San Buenaventura, the Ateneo de Naga University Librarian, gave us – Ernie Verdadero, Goyo Castilla, and Tito Valiente, Director of the Ateneo de Naga Institute of History and Culture – a tour of the library and showed us a room where there is a huge portrait of Fr. James O’Brien.
Out of nowhere, Valiente proposed the possibility of having the room converted into a repository of Bikol books and other related materials on Bikol history and culture. He added that it was also a good way to perpetuate the legacy of the legendary Fr. James O’Brien, who taught his students to appreciate, be proud of, and love Bicol history and culture.
As if on cue, Verdadero and I, both members of AdeN High School Batch ’66, found the suggestion doable and quite timely, since we were about to celebrate our Golden Jubilee in 2016, and we were looking for something to do for our alma mater. Ernie and I proposed the idea to our Naga-based batchmates in a meeting and the group unanimously approved it. The proposal was then communicated to all our batchmates living in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and the Metro Manila area who also expressed their support.
In a subsequent meeting between Fr. Jun Viray, AdeNU President and representatives from Batch ’66, the steps needed to get the project off the ground were discussed and agreed upon. At the end of the meeting, O’Bikoliana received its imprimatur from Fr. Viray.
It was on September 20, 2016 that the O’Bikoliana Section in the Ateneo de Naga University Library, which is currently housed in the second floor, was officially
launched as part of our Golden Jubilee celebrations. The special guests who graced the occasion included Fr. Jun Viray, SJ, AdeNU President; Dr. George Colorado, CHED Regional Director; Dr. Paz Verdades Santos, Literary Historian and Critic. Fr. Gabriel ‘Gaby’ Gonzales, SJ, blessed the newly refurbished O’Bikoliana Section. Batchmates from Canada, Australia, U.S.A., Metro Manila and Naga were on hand to witness the momentous occasion.
O’Bikoliana as an Educational Resource
The name O’Bikoliana was coined by veteran media personality, Ernie Verdadero. It is derived from three words: OB, Fr. O’Brien’s moniker; Bikol, the geographical place that Fr. O’Brien loved so dearly; and ‘aniana’ whose etymology in Spanish translates to “selected items of information.”
The logo of O’Bikoliana was designed by Manny Disuanco.
In its current state, O’Bikoliana is a repository of books, newspapers, magazines, researches, serials, songs, videos and rare Bikol materials on various formats and diverse subjects such as religion, literature, history, arts and culture. It is primarily concerned with the acquisition and preservation of print and non-print materials.
O’Bikoliana is similar to Filipiniana in some ways. But the major difference is that O’Bikoliana will strive to reinforce the connection between the Ateneo and the community by attracting students from other colleges and universities, cultural workers, scholars and researchers to use O’Bikoliana as an educational resource.
Funding O’Bikoliana
To show our commitment to support O’Bikoliana, Batch ’66 initially donated P300,000 to the Ateneo de Naga University in two tranches: fist, in September 2015
and second, in September 2016.
As stipulated in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on September
2016 between Batch ’66 and the Ateneo de Naga University (AdeNU), Batch ’66 donated P50,000 annually, from 2017 to 2021, to O’Bikoliana to buy the latest books, publications, CDs, videos and other related materials that promote Bikol history and culture.
With the termination of the first MOA in 2021, a second MOA was signed between Batch ’66 and AdeNU on March 2, 2022, where Batch ’66 committed again to donate P50,000 annually from 2022 to 2026 to maintain the O’Bikoliana project. When the MOA terminates in 2026, Batch ’66 will turn over to AdeNU whatever amount is left in the O’Bikoliana bank account. In return, AdeNU shall allocate a budget exclusively out of its own funds to support O’Bikoliana in the years to come.
The Annual James J. O’Brien Memorial Lecture Series
As a teacher, Fr. O’Brien wanted to instill in his students love for Bicol – its language, songs, riddles, history, places and people. He did this by practicing what he preached. He patiently learned the Bicol language. He sang Bicol songs. He solved Bicol riddles with ease. He studied the history of the Bicol Region on his own. He visited selected towns in the Bicol Region with his students in tow and would, at the end, ask them to write about the places they visited. Many of these articles would later be included in the collection of readings that Fr. O’Brien compiled to teach Bicol History and Culture at the Ateneo de Naga.
Along the way, he raised his students’ cultural awareness, emphasized the importance and significance of the Bicol culture, and inspired a generation of Ateneans to view the Bicol culture as rich and dynamic. Truly, he was a trailblazer, a gem – though he would not probably like this characterization – and a Bicolano in his full humanity.
In recognition of his contribution in the field of cultural awareness and appreciation, O’Bikoliana launched The Annual James J. O’Brien, SJ, Memorial Lecture Series September of 2017, Fr. O’Brien’s birth month.
The Annual James J. O’Brien, SJ, Memorial Lecture Series was established to immortalize the vision and advocacy of the late Fr. James O’Brien. Speakers of the highest caliber from various professions are invited to inspire and provoke healthy discussions among Bicolanos and instill in their consciousness cultural and social awareness and appreciation.
Since its inception in 2017, lecturers have delivered the following topics: Dr. Dan Gerona, Fr. O’B and the Birth of Bikol Studies (2017); Gemma Mendoza, The Role of Social Media in Social Change (2018); Jesus Federico C. Hernandez, The Bikol Languages: Notes on Scholarship, Variations and Descent (2019); Jaime Jesus
Borlagdan and Joey Gianan Vargas, Ano Daw Idtong sa Gogon: Original Bikol Music from Folk to Contemporary Songs (2020); and Noli Ayo, Peace Building and Social Development through Sports (2021).
All lectures are documented in Hurop-Hurop, a pamphlet designed to serve as a resource material for present and future students, teachers, researchers and cultural workers. Hurop-Hurop is available in the O’Bikoliana section of the James J. O’Brien Library.
Starting 2022, Hurop-Hurop shall be in digital format and is available online
through the O’Bikoliana website.
The Spirit behind O’Bikoliana
Amplifying the advocacy of a man to make it inviting and relevant today is no small task. But the task becomes doable when the man himself, because of his advocacy, has far-reaching influence in an entire region that no one can ever deny.
The man I am referring to is the late Fr. James O’Brien, SJ, who taught hundreds of students at the Ateneo de Naga, and pioneered the teaching of Bikol history and culture. His primary advocacy was to teach his students the supreme value of appreciating, honoring, loving, and promoting the Bikol culture. He never wavered in his advocacy ever since he was assigned at the Ateneo de Naga as a young Jesuit scholastic in the ‘50s.
Fifty years after our graduation in 1966, we came back to honor Fr. O’Brien with a legacy project that truly represents what he advocated for. Simply put, O’Bikoliana is a testament to his undying love for the Bikol Region, its culture and its people.
Leaving a legacy to our alma mater was a defining act for Batch ’66 as we, after 50 years, returned to Ateneo de Naga University to thank the school that molded us, in the words of St. Ignatius de Loyola, “to give and not to count the cost.”