{"id":3433,"date":"2026-02-26T16:47:46","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T08:47:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jvpfi.org\/?p=3433"},"modified":"2026-02-27T15:57:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T07:57:31","slug":"what-it-actually-looks-like-to-love-your-motherland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jvpfi.org\/?p=3433","title":{"rendered":"Answering the call to serve and defend the Motherland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Reflections of a Jesuit Volunteer on the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

by Blas S. Descallar<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Photo by John Chua<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesuit Volunteers Philippines (JVP) was born in 1980 at a crucial moment in our nation\u2019s history. During the difficult years of Martial Law under Ferdinand Marcos Sr., many young people were searching for ways to love and serve the country. Some were drawn to revolutionary movements as an expression of their desire for change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JVP offered another path \u2014 a courageous, faith-filled, and transformative direction. It invited young college graduates to become agents of change not through armed struggle, but through service, solidarity, and nation-building. It was, and continues to be, a movement rooted in Ignatian spirituality: forming men and women for others, committed to justice, integrity, and love of country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By its sixth year, in 1986, JVP volunteers \u2014 together with former volunteers from Batches 1 to 5 \u2014 were already deeply grounded in advocacy and social transformation. Many actively participated in the historic People Power Revolution, standing peacefully with millions of Filipinos along EDSA to reclaim democracy. Their presence was not born of anger, but of hope; not of violence, but of moral conviction. They believed that loving the country meant standing for what is right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forty years after that peaceful revolution, JVP remains anchored in the same core values \u2014 though expressed today in the language of social justice, good governance, and responsible citizenship. The call is the same: to form servant-leaders who work for integrity in public life, who reject corruption and political dynasties, and who uphold the dignity of every Filipino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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JVP Executive Director Blas S. Descallar (B16)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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JVP staff at the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Former JVPs reunite at the 40th anniversary of EDSA People Power Revolution.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Former JVPs reunite at the 40th anniversary of EDSA People Power Revolution.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today, as we commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the People Power Revolution at the People Power Monument, JVPs once again stood in solidarity with fellow citizens \u2014 not to shout in anger, but to affirm with conviction our shared hope for ethical leadership, transparent governance, and genuine service to the Filipino people. Our presence was a quiet yet firm witness that the spirit of EDSA lives on whenever people choose truth over convenience and service over self-interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are grateful to Ces Bulos<\/strong><\/a> B14, Bob Guerrero<\/strong><\/a> B15, Blas B16, Love Dorero<\/strong><\/a> B21\/22, Neil Delos Reyes<\/strong><\/a> B42\/43, Renz Nikolai Cornelia Flores<\/strong><\/a> B43\/44, Carmelo Garcia<\/strong><\/a> B43\/44, Oman Deramas B44, Atty. Jomar Revilla<\/strong><\/a> B45, and other JVPs who joined this meaningful gathering. Your presence reflects the enduring mission of JVP: to form citizens who do not remain indifferent, who engage responsibly in democratic processes, and who continue to work for a more just and compassionate Philippines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, JVP was born to give young people a better direction \u2014 not merely to respond to the times, but to help shape the nation\u2019s future. Forty-six years later, that mission continues. And as long as there is injustice to address, communities to serve, and hope to protect, JVP will remain steadfast \u2014 faithful to its calling, committed to what is right, and devoted to the Filipino people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blas Ofelie S. Descallar is a JVP (B16) and now serves as the Executive Director of Jesuit Volunteers Philippines Foundation, Inc.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reflections of a Jesuit Volunteer on the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution by Blas S. Descallar Jesuit Volunteers Philippines (JVP) was born in 1980 at a crucial moment in our nation\u2019s history. During the difficult years of Martial Law under Ferdinand Marcos Sr., many young people were searching for ways to love […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,5],"tags":[40],"class_list":["post-3433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news-and-events","category-stories","tag-socialjustice-activism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jvpfi.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jvpfi.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jvpfi.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jvpfi.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jvpfi.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3433"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/jvpfi.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3447,"href":"https:\/\/jvpfi.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3433\/revisions\/3447"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jvpfi.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jvpfi.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jvpfi.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jvpfi.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}