Fr. Alberto V. Ampil, SJ, or Fr. Bert, as he is more commonly known, is the perfect example of a person dedicated to honing his craft and sharing it with others at the same time.

In a little over four decades, Fr. Bert studied a variety of subjects, including Sociology, Education, Humanities, Philosophy, Sacred Theology, Psych Counseling, Communications, Management, Social Administration, and Media Education. He explains that all this studying was part of his formation and training as a Jesuit. “Books are a very natural instrument to refine and hone oneself,” he says.

As early as third year high school, when he was just 13 years old, Fr. Bert already wanted to be a Jesuit. He wasn’t sure why but he figured that it was because he was always surrounded by Jesuits. He says that if his teachers were PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) players or movie stars, he would probably have wanted to be a basketball star or a matinee idol as well. “They were the heroes,” he says.

Fr. Bert was very amazed at how the Jesuits handled them. After class, they took off their sutanas and played basketball with him. “They looked like a happy bunch and made a difference in the lives of people.” This, he thought, was enough to make life good and meaningful.

Fr. Bert is equally passionate about learning and teaching. He studied all those things because, he says, “we are in a continuous process of learning and that is what we are meant to be and to do.”

“Even if the content doesn’t come from you, you help in the process of leading another person to a better understanding of what is, so that hopefully it would lead to a better understanding of who is [the self],” he says about teaching.

There was a time when Fr. Bert became the principal of Xavier School, among other administrative posts. He shares that he did not really know anything about being a principal and that the biggest qualification he had was that he looked the part. He succeeded Fr. Ishmael Zuluaga, SJ, a foreign Jesuit, who said in a farewell party that he did not know a better man for the job than Fr. Bert himself. Fr. Bert risked looking arrogant as he admitted on stage that he was, indeed, better than Zuluaga.

After a few polite claps from the audience he clarifies that he just looked better for the part, he had a flat oriental nose as compared to Fr. Zuluaga’s aquiline Caucasian nose. He also added that he was also a man of better stature. The audience was naturally taken aback. But he adds that, “With Fr. Zuluaga’s 5’7”, and my 5’3 ½, I have a better chance of looking at your children eye to eye.” With this remark, Fr. Bert successfully won over his audience.

This he says was a cardinal rule in communication: One has to win over his audience for a greater chance of working with them, getting them to work with you, “moving them, leading them, to where you would like things to be.” Fr. Bert has always been an active media advocate. He was the director of the Film Institute of the Philippines in the 70’s, and founding member of groups such as Pambansang Akademiya ng Telebisyon sa Agham at Sining (PATAS), and the Philippine Association of Media Educators (PAME).

Fr. Bert shares that he thinks it is important to educate young people about media especially now that we are living in a mediated society. “Learning media is as important in the total education of the child as English, Science, or Math,” he says. According to him, it is what human beings living in a mediated society need.

For Fr. Bert, the biggest lesson he can teach others is the ability to always look back and reflect. “Don’t just be involved but reflect on the activity you are engaged in and ask: why, how, what for, and how this affects my life and others,” he says.

When asked if he is happy, he will gladly say, “Yeah! I’m getting what I thought was the reason why I entered 51 years ago.” He also adds that young people should accept the possibility that the context of what they’re doing now will still change. “You have to prepare for these career changes.”

Fr. Bert says in a mix of Filipino and English, “What’s important is your life has meaning for you and for others.”