DLSU centennial celebrations to start June 16

The De La Salle community kicks off its year-long centennial celebration on June 16, 2011. Various events are lined up to commemorate the humble beginnings and proud achievements of the Lasallian Brothers in the Philippines. Bro. Narciso S. Erguiza FSC, the 21st President of DLSU, best captures this milestone in his inaugural speech: "We celebrate a long standing tradition of academic excellence; we celebrate our achievements in serving the nation; we celebrate our social transformative contributions to making the Philippines a better place to live in; we celebrate the many lives touched and we further celebrate because these lives have served as exemplars of quality Lasallian education. Truly, we have every reason to celebrate." The Lasallian Brothers’ Living Legacy On February 1, 1911, Br. Adolphe Alfred FSC, director of a Brothers' School in Barcelona, Spain bought the house at 417 Nozaleda St. in Paco, Manila for 86 pesos. It took only four months for the founding Brothers to come in from different parts of Europe and turn this house into a school for boys. On June 16, 1911, they took in their first batch of 100 students. Presently, there are 17 De La Salle schools nationwide with over 196,000 enrolled students.

A Promising Kick-off The achievement of the Lasallian Brothers is indeed remarkable. On June 16, the community will remember this moment with a bang through Eucharistic ceremonies, food, music, and poetry. In the afternoon, 1,000 representatives from different sects of the Lasallian community will form a human chain facing Taft Avenue to unfurl centennial banners. In the evening, De La Salle alumnus Gary Valenciano will head “The Isang Daan Sangangdaan Centennial Concert." The concert features guest artists such as The Akafellas, Barbie Almalbis, Kitchie Nadal, Edu Manzano, Iya Villania, and Mike Enriquez among others. Other events like the Animo Street Party and Strings & Stanzas: Acoustic Music and Poetry Reading will also take place. The former is the first ever street party in DLSU grounds. It will feature local bands such as Bloomfields, Taken by Cars, Wednesday After, and DLSU's very own AJKA, winner of the 2010 Nescafe Soundskool Competition. On the other hand, Strings & Stanzas will feature members of the Lasallian Youth Orchestra and Malate Literary Folio. Other events throughout the day include: the enshrinement of St. John Baptist de La Salle’s Relic, a community salu-salo, CHEERS! Dance and Band Concert, a Pyromusical Show, and weeklong celebrations such as the Green Bazaar, the centennial exhibit and selling of centennial merchandise. One Million Trees and Beyond Project For a few years now, the De La Salle schools have been pushing for a literally green Philippines. Tree planting activities and reforestation programs are ongoing to meet the goal of planting and sustaining one million trees by June 2011. At 4:45 p.m. on June 16, the 1,000,000th tree will be planted in DLSU grounds. The Future Begins Here When the pioneering Brothers came to the Philippines in 1911, they envisioned a nation where quality education is available to all. The Brothers are still fulfilling this mission through the One La Salle Scholarship Fund. Over the years, profits of DLSU events have been donated for the benefit of future Lasallian scholars. Likewise, the proceeds of the centennial celebrations for the whole year will be donated to One La Salle. The main aim of this project is that next year, at least 18,000 or roughly 20% of all Lasallian students nationwide will granted full scholarship. By carrying out this mission for the future, even more Lasallian leaders can serve for God and country. The year-long centennial celebration is not only a time to remember past achievements. It is also time to think about the coming times. As for the One La Salle Scholarship Fund, the Brothers are determined that this project will be sustained for the next 100 years. For more information, visit http://centennial.dlsu.edu.ph/. — Gayna Kumar