Alyansang Atenista (AA) is the premier student-led socio-political organization in Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan. Founded on 10 February 1987, AA is the second longest-running student socio-political organization in the Philippines. Rooted in Jesuit formation, it aims to develop and produce competent, conscientious, and committed student leaders who have great passion for service and will be
come the next generation of community leaders rippling changes in their chosen fields of endeavor. AA lays foundation on its four pillars—Pro-Student (Maka-Estudyante), Pro-People (Maka-Tao), Pro-Country (Maka-Bayan), and Pro-God (Maka-Diyos). Alyansang Atenista is home to most diverse and flexible pool of student leaders in Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan. Student leaders affiliated with it currently perform important leadership functions in various organizations inside and outside the university. Some of its student leaders are into organizations oriented towards policy studies and governance; education development; disaster risk and reduction management; community engagement and social involvement; campus culture change; leadership formation; business through social entrepreneurship and livelihood capacity-building; among others. In its 38th year, AA continues to become XU’s premier student leadership venue. Ingrained with AA core values on Academic Excellence, Peaceful Student Activism, Patriotism, and Ignatian Spirituality, these AA student leaders are not only academically-competent but are also socially-conscious and politically-inclined individuals. They not only hold key leadership positions in campus and in the greater communities but also exposed to leadership opportunities (conferences, congresses, summits, and trainings) here and abroad. For the past decades, AA is the largest network of student leaders imaginable. With its ‘elders’ (student leaders who have already graduated and are now playing significant roles in the social sectors of local and national governance, media, academe, business, non-government organizations, private sectors, etc) who still support the Alliance, AA asserts its socio-political identity through its unwavering commitment in the integral development of student leaders by upholding shared socio-political responsibility. Proof to this is AA’s continuing efforts in raising the university and community consciousness regarding socio-political realities affecting Northern Mindanao and the ASEAN region through online and print publication, thematic lecture-talks, sectoral consultative zonal symposia, focus group discussions, and other effective, peaceful dialogical means.
