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THE WILL TO SERVE Paula Bianca Abiog Heavy gray clouds threaten to pour rain over our heads as we make our way into the foothills of Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro. The rocky dirt path leading to the village is only accessible by motorbikes and owner-type jeepneys, and as our driver carries his motorbike over yet another stream, I ask, “Paano kapag umuulan dito, may nakakadaan pa ba?” He looks up, and, not quite meeting my eye, answers, “Ay wala na. Kasi umaapaw na yung ilog.” The Will to Serve 1

Save for a few wood and few thatch houses, the landscape looks untouched by civilization. Gnarled trees tower over everything while the growl of rushing water sings in tandem with the chirping of birds overhead. After four hours of commute, we are greeted by a site of kids running around a makeshift basketball court. As soon as we get off the bike and photographer Jun’s camera is brought out, the kids come closer. The Will to Serve 2

They crowd around him and his camera, obviously curios, but not daring to say anything. We have reached barangay Batangan, a small but lively community where JVP (Jesuit Volunteers Philippines) volunteer Bianca Roble will be staying for a couple of days. The Jesuit Volunteers Philippines (JVP) Foundation Inc. is a volunteer organization that sends out fresh graduates and young professionals to under-resourced communities around the country for one year. The Will to Serve 3

Founded in 1979 by William Kreutz, SJ and other Jesuits based at the Ateneo de Manila University and the Loyola House of Studies, JVP answers the urgent need for more people to actively participate in social development. Every year, JVP sends out around 20 volunteers from different universities across the country. Ranging from 18-35, these young men and women take that yea out of their lives in the hope of making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. The Will to Serve 3

In its 28 years of existence, JVP has yielded over 800 volunteers in such places as Payatas in Quezon City and Lawaan in Eastern Samar to Lake Sebu on Cotabato and Impasug-ong in Bukidnon. The Will to Serve 3