In
the schoolyear 1978-1979, a La Salle Brother, desiring to provide
an opportunity for experiential learning of Christian living
to complement the intellectual knowledge of the Christian Faith
disseminated through the Religion classes, started the Search-In
Program in La Salle Green Hills. Then Brother, Emilio 'Boy' Villarosa
initiated the Search-In Program by offering two Search-In weekend
retreats to some interested third year high school students during
that year.
The
Search-In Program, whose basic and principal activity is the
psycho-spiritual weekend retreats offered to third year high
school students, continued and expanded its activities throughout
the following school years. Aside from the basic Search-In retreats,
follow-up activities, such as renewals and recollections, were
offered to the student and alumni graduates of the program.
Brother
Emilio Villarosa directed the program together with the active
support of the search-inners until the end of the school year
1979-80. The program was continued in the following years by
a Core-Group of responsible search-inners together with Brother
Bernard S. Oca, FSC.
The
Search-In developed and progressed through the years leading
to a more expanded program of activities benefiting even alumni
search-in members and other groups and organizations. Renewals,
recollections and seminars were offered to search-inners on an
annual or bi-annual basis. Retreat and recollection services
were offered to other groups by active members of the program.
During
the school year 1984-1985, the Green Hills Search-In community
expanded the Search-In program by offering the same program to
the students of De La Salle Bacolod, St. Scholastica's Bacolod,
and De La Salle Zobel. The Search-In retreats in these schools
were started and run by a team of alumni search-in members together
with Brother Bernard S. Oca, FSC.
Attempting
to foster unity, friendship and camaraderie among the search-inners
from the different alumni and high school year levels, the Search-In
started an annual two-day summer sporstfest starting the summer
of 1983. This activity later expanded to include the alumni,
alumnae and student search-inners from the different schools
to provide an opportunity for fraternal interaction, understanding
and cooperation. This activity was held regularly until the mid
1990's.
Brother
Bernard S. Oca, FSC, was succeeded in his role as Search-In Green
Hills Retreat Adviser by Brother Mawel Pajarillo, FSC, during
the school year 1984-85,. Brother Rolando Dizon, FSC, then succeeded
Brother Mawel for the school year 1985-86. Working together with
the Brother Advisers in directing and guiding the program, a
La Salle Green Hills alumnus member of the Search-In, Louie Aguinaldo
of Circle 8, had served as Search-In Moderator and had been running
the program from 1984 to the mid 90's.
By
the school year 1984-85, an Advisory Council of active and responsible
alumni and high school search-in members was formed to supervise
and evaluate all the activities of the Search-In program. The
Advisory Council is also responsible for creating and finding
venues for Christian commitment renewal, re-strengthening and
expression for the members of the Search-In community.
Through
the years, the Search-In, as community, has involved itself in
various activities that served as expressions of the Christian
commitments of its members. A support program for the Adult Night
High School, which included scholarship grants, began in the
mid 80's and lasted until the early 90's. Civic activities such
as relief operations during the 1990 earthquake and the Pinatubo
eruption were also organized and run by the Search-In. Concern
for clean elections were consistently demonstrated through consistent
involvement with the NAMFREL Operation Quick Counts. Other activities
such as fund raisings for worthy causes, visits to Tala Leprosarium,
and other social concerns were held throughout various years
of its existence.
From
the late 80's to the 90's a number of Search-In communities were
formed throughout the country. With the communities of La Salle
Green Hills and the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod serving
as mother communities, the Search-In was founded in St. Theresa's
Cebu, Assumption Iloilo, St. Mary of the Woods in Makati, and
St. Benilde school Bacolod. In the late 1980's the Search-In
was resurrected in La Salle Academy Iligan, the site where it
all began. Previous to 'Boy' Villarosa's founding the program
in Greenhills, he had already started the retreat in Iligan.
Unfortunately, it did not last long and it was only when it was
started in Greenhills did the program mushroom into a community.
The
Greenhills community initially served as mother community for
the program. Facilitators from Greenhills went around the country
to assist in the retreats and to offer training seminars and
workshops to the various other communities. The Greenhills community
also served as the main resource for materials such as music,
workshop modules, prayer services. Later on, the community in
La Salle Bacolod, as it grew, shared the responsibility as mother
community serving most of the communities in the Visayas and
Mindanao.
In
1991, the Councils of the Search-In communities throughout the
country sent representatives to the first National Congress of
the Search-In. Present were most of the Brother Advisers who
have been part of the Search-In and the leaders of the various
communities. Through the congress ties between communities were
strengthened and guidelines for the running of the Search-In
were established.
The
Search-In community Celebrated 100 Circles in 1998. This was
marked by a heartwarming reunion of nearly 400 search-inners
visitng the Search-In and taking part in commemorative activities.
In the same year, we also celebrated 20 years since Search-In's
founding.
After
the the mid 1990's, a decrease in alumni involvement and community
activities has been noted. Inspite of this, the Search-In program
is still very much alive continuing to touch the lives of numerous
students.
Other
persons who served running the Search-In program either as Brother
Adviser or as Moderator are Brother Kenneth Martinez, FSC; Brother
Albert Entao, FSC (circle 5); Brother Danter Amisola, FSC; Brother
Dodo Fernandez, FSC (circle 4); Mr. Jess Nemenzo (faculty); and
J.R. Estrellado (circle 28). At present, Brother Ricky Laguda,
FSC of circle 6 La Salle Bacolod, serves as Spiritual Adviser,
while Carlo Carrascoso (circle 68) and Louie Aguinaldo circle
8) serve as Alumni Consultants.
The
new millenium has begun with the Search-In still alive and strong.
Through numerous ups and downs, it still survives by God's grace.
Even after over twenty years, it continues to have deep meaning
for students and alumni alike.We look forward to the day that
we celebrate 200 circles.
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