Great dreams come true if God wills it and if we commit to do our share with love, kindness, generosity and hard work. On August 24, 2015 Fr. Manuel A. Uy, S.J. led the opening of The Blue Plate Kitchen in Cubacub Elementary School. Fr. Joel Liwanag, Director for Formation, officiated the blessing which was attended by the administrators of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and Cubacub Elementary School. Visiting faculty and students from Gonzaga Technical School, Taiwan were also present to witness the event together with some faculty members.

In his inspirational message Fr. Manny Uy stressed the importance of nutrition to education. He encouraged the pupils to take good care of their health in order to reach their dreams. For his part, Fr. Joel Liwanag said that “the Blue Plate Project is a dream come true” – it is a project which Ateneo de Cebu has been longing to establish. In response to the inspirational messages, Mrs. Iris Petancio thanked the entire SHS-AdC community for its generosity. She promised that Cubacub Elementary School “would do all its best to make sure that the project would succeed.” Mrs. Annie Abucay, Acting Grade School Principal, expressed her deep appreciation for the school’s initiative, which for her is “a fertile avenue for Ateneo-Hearters to be persons for others, and for SHS-AdC to be a school for others.” She added that the joy of feeding is “a life-giving experience of being God’s heart today.”

After the blessing, Fr. Manny and Fr. Joel led the school administrators, faculty and students in helping the distribution of lunch to the recipients of the feeding program. Parent-volunteers from Cubacub also assisted in the distribution of the meals. Earlier, they were oriented by Mr. Rhoderick John Abellanosa, Social Involvement Coordinator, about the objectives and policies of the feeding program as well as its importance to the beneficiaries’ academic performance. They were also given an orientation about the basics of sanitation and hygiene in food preparation by some teachers of the High School Science Area with the assistance of Mrs. Marisse Daniel, school nurse.

Cubacub Elementary School has been chosen as the beneficiary of The Blue Plate Project this school year. Other schools, however, may also be considered in the future as recipients of the feeding program. True to its motto “Lux Oriens”, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu continues to be a light arising in the land of the morning for God’s greater glory. Towards another sixty years of excellence, leadership and service!