Finding leadership in humility and courage: APC in the ILEAD program

“I never thought I could do it, but when I stood in front of everyone to present our institutional plan, I realized that even if I was shy, I had something important to say.”

With these words, Eneriza Menaling, a Pulangiyēn youth and Coordinator of Balay Laudato Si’ in Bendum, captured both the vulnerability and courage that shaped her journey in the Ignatian Leadership Empowerment and Development (ILEAD) Program of the Jesuit Bukidnon Mission District (BMD). What began as a daunting challenge became for her a turning point – learning to speak from the heart, and in doing so, discovering that her voice as an indigenous youth could carry the mission of the Jesuits into her own community.

From February to June 2025, the ILEAD Program gathered lay partners, religious, and clergy from across Bukidnon in a five-month formation process. Held at the Jesuit Retreat House in Malaybalay, the monthly workshops blended prayer, practical training, and shared discernment—grounding leadership in the Ignatian spirit of service.

Participants came from across the province—Bendum, Zamboanguita, Cabanglasan, Miarayon, and Pangantucan—representing a wide range of ministries: parishes, schools, Indigenous leadership programs, and pastoral initiatives. Among them were four from the Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center (APC): Melizel Liaban, Liza San Mateo, Risajean Berdesola, and Eneriza, each discovering new dimensions of leadership in their own lives.

For Melizel, mathematics teacher and in charge of the dalēpaan in APC, the key lesson was about humility. “Being a leader, we need to accept our weaknesses and be open-minded to even the negative comments we hear. Being talented but lazy is not a quality of a good leader,” she reflected.

Liza, who manages APC’s operations, realized that what might seem like technical, behind-the-scenes work was in fact deeply spiritual—her way of serving mission through quiet dedication.

For Risajean, APC teacher and school registrar, leadership meant becoming the kind of example that inspires others. “Good leaders are products of good examples of leadership. You become who you admire and imitate. A good leader adjusts to the needs and the environment of the people they serve. Being a leader is both a gift and responsibility from God,” she shared.

The program was not just about personal growth but also practical formation. Workshops covered self-knowledge, apostolic planning, financial and human resource management, while mentors guided participants as they implemented ministry projects in their own communities.

It all culminated in a Ministry Project presentation and a five-day Ignatian retreat, a time to gather the graces of the journey, consolidate learning, and renew commitment to the mission.

For APC and the wider Bukidnon Mission District, the ILEAD Program was not simply a training—it was hope. At a time when there are fewer Jesuits and more lay partners called to leadership, ILEAD modeled a way of forming leaders who are spiritual, rooted in community, and ready to guide the Church’s mission into the future.

Programs like ILEAD are made possible by the generosity of many, and their impact reaches far beyond the participants. They remind us that leadership is not about authority, but about service, humility, and courage. It is about finding one’s voice, like Eneriza did, and using it to carry forward the mission with faith and love.