About TALAB

In preparation for the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, and in line with Ateneo de Manila University’s continuing journey as a Laudato Si’ University by 2030, this year’s theme for Talakayang Alay sa Bayan (TALAB) is Walking with the Excluded. As one of the Jesuit Universal Apostolic Preferences, this theme calls us not only to hear the voices of those who are marginalized but to journey with them in solidarity, embodying the Ignatian mission of being persons not only for others but with others.

The excluded are not only those who are materially poor or deprived of basic needs but also those who experience discrimination, consciously or unconsciously, and are prevented from fully participating in society. They include those who find themselves powerless in shaping decisions that deeply affect their lives. To walk with the excluded is to affirm their dignity, to stand with them in their struggles, and to help create spaces where all can flourish.

This year’s TALAB becomes even more meaningful as we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI) and the Tulong Dunong Program, two pillars of Ateneo de Manila’s commitment to community engagement. Through talks, workshops, trips, film showings, and performances, we are invited to reflect on exclusion in its many forms and to discover concrete ways of accompanying the excluded, whether within our homes, our communities, our university, our nation, or the larger world.

Previous TALABs

Integral Ecology: Caring for Our Common Home ('24-'25): Marking Laudato Si’s 10th anniversary, this TALAB urged the Ateneo community to embrace sustainability and recognize the interconnectedness of all life.

Renewing our Commitment: Persons for Others @ 50 ('23-'24): TALAB 2023 called on us to understand what it means to be a person for others today and assess how we can deepen this commitment.

Amplifying Hope, Voting for Change ('21-'22): Focusing on the approaching National Elections last 2022, this TALAB specified its approach on electoral advocacies and democracy.

2021 and Beyond: The Road Ahead ('20-'21): Confronting the disruptions faced amidst an uncertain future, this TALAB remembered events that caused disruptions themselves.

Ateneo @ 160: Agenda for Hope ('19-'20): Highlighting spaces of hope in the midst of significant global and national challenges, this TALAB provided hopeful avenues for the youth.