To the heart of the mission, the AUP Academy (AUPA) conducted a 10-day mission trip endeavor dedicated to service and spiritual ministry among the indigenous people (IP) in Barangays San Juan and New Santuan of Sitio Maporak, Zambales, on April 17–26, 2026.

Amid a record-breaking heatwave in which temperatures reportedly reached 54°C, a 66-member delegation from the AUPA, comprising 10 faculty members, 22 students, 12 Home and School Association officers, and 22 medical personnel. 

Janna Lunzaga, a Grade 7 student, shared her initial nervousness and the transformative moments she experienced while working with the elderly and the IP community. “During the medical mission, I was asked to help an elderly woman, maybe around 80 years old. My teammate gave me gloves, and I had to clean her hands with soap and water. I felt nervous because I had never done it before, but as I helped her, I realized that helping people is not always easy or comfortable, yet it is important.” She also shared her reflections that even simple things like singing and visiting can already mean so much to others. “You do not need to do big things to make a difference. Sometimes being there, spending time, and showing care is enough.” 

“On our last day, before we departed for AUP, the children walked all the way from Maporak to our headquarters just to say goodbye, and they brought flowers. Simple, yes, but it was filled with love and that moment made us realize that ministry is about building relationships,” Bro. Dionnel Panague, one of the AUPA faculty members, defined their mission trip through the relationship they had built. He shared how true success in ministry “does not come from our own strength; it comes from our connection to Christ.” 

Sis. Kyna De Castro, one of the AUPA home and school officers, testified that her key highlight was mingling with people. “It’s easy to help and give money to a project or a mission, but it’s different when you are part of the mission. It’s different when you mingle with people, and it’s different when you listen to their cries.”

In Sitio Maporak, an area housing families relocated after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, the mission team encountered deep emotional and physical needs. The team brought the IP to the river and taught them how to bathe and brush their teeth. “Every smile, every time they say ‘thank you,’ God said, ‘I will apply healing remedy to their soul,’” Sis. De Castro shared.