Notre Dame of Greater Manila @46

The Oblates Education System

The Oblates Education System (OES) is the alliance of the four schools owned and operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in the Philippines-Notre Dame University (NDU) in Cotabato City: Notre Dame of Midsayap, Cotabato City: Notre Dame of Jolo College (NDJC) in Jolo, Sulu: and Notre Dame of Greater Manila (NDGM) in Grace Park, Caloocan City. Among these four Oblate schools, about 13,000 young people, as well as faculty and staff, are ministered to by the Oblates and their partners in mission. The Oblates of Mary immaculate-Philippine Province runs these schools as the part of its charism in the Church and in the world to “bring the Good News,” especially among the poor and most abandoned.

Though each school in the system is governed by its own Board of Trustees, the Oblates in these schools imbibe a sense of the Oblate direction in the education ministry through the guidance of the Provincial Council, which in turn, is mandated by the Provincial Congress of the OMI Philippine Province to ensure the fidelity of all Oblate institutions to the Vision of the Oblates in the Philippines. The members of the Board of Trustees come from the leadership of the Oblate Provincial Council, the school administration, Oblate partners in mission, and the local community in which the school is located.

The Oblate Education System brings together in a priviledged convergence mission and evangelization: ministry with and to the poor, especially the youth: community life: collaboration with lay people: inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue and harmony: and calling forth vocations to the Oblate mission.

The OES is called to serve those to the margins of society and to offer them quality education as a way out of their poverty into their proper dignity as a children of God.

The OES basks in a tradition of serving the cause of justice and peace in society, and constantly challenges its constituents to nurture a culture of peace and to practice actions in behalf of justice and integrity of creation.

The OES strive to live dialogue and harmony, given the privilege they have of pluralism of faiths and cultures. It is not always easy to deal with biases and prejudices, but the diversity in which we live must be seen as a God-given situation, an opportunity for each one to be a true human being and, especially for Christians, to be true disciples and witnesses of Jesus Christ, who crossed borders in reaching out to people.

The OES takes pride in the witness of dedicated lay people, young and old, as one of its greatest strengths. The faculty and staff retirees point to the kind of dedication to one’s faith and profession that the system is built upon. The younger generations of faculty and staff too, are not lacking in people who know and understand what the Oblate mission is all about, how it started, and why they are in the ministry.

The OES is privileged to minister to the young. St. Eugene de Mazenod, founder of the Oblates, himself served young people and served them devotedly during his lifetime. Today’s young people need special attention. They are poor in many ways-materially, emotionally, and spiritually. Yet they also possess enormous energy and capacity to transform their own situations and to contribute to a better future for the society.

The OES attempts to live community, caring and loving each other in good times and in bad. As with all human communities, there are times when people hurt each other, and live indifferently towards each other. But like the Oblates, community life is the way to grow and be witnesses of God’s goodness. This will entail conversation of thought, heart, and action on each one’s part. It will also necessarily involve forgiveness and compassion, the genuineness of which can only flow from a felt personal experience of being forgiven and shown compassion by God.

The OES, calls young people to Oblate life and mission, as well as to happy married and family life, to single-blessedness, and to that most basic of all relationships-authentic and life-giving friendship.

The OES supports the oblate mission in the Philippines not only through its annual financial support for the Oblate scholarship program and the Oblate Missionary Foundation.