DLSP Commits Classrooms to Yolanda Rehabilitation

As part of De La Salle Philippines’ (DLSP) on-going involvement with post-Yolanda rehabilitations, the Lasallian Justice and Peace Commission (LJPC) attended the Post Yolanda School Rebuilding: Gathering of Partners and took part in the signing of the Pledge of Commitment with the Department of Education (DepEd) last 22 January. Representing all of the 16 La Salle schools, DLSP pledges to rebuild nine classrooms across Tacloban City, Eastern Samar, and Northern Negros Occidental. Donations received by DLSP, though the Central House Administration and schools, will be put to use in the rebuilding of said classrooms.

The signing was held at the Department of Education Central Office. Br. Kenneth Martinez FSC, president of De La Salle Lipa, stood as the signatory for DLSP and Br. Armin Luistro FSC, Secretary of the Philippine Department of Education, for DepEd. Other groups and corporate foundations were also present in the gathering: the Coca-Cola Foundation, Rotary Club, and BDO Foundation, to name a few.

LJPC Bulletin: Yolanda/Haiyan Updates as of 02.12.2013

Operasyon Yolanda (USLS)

Relief operations in Bacolod still on going as they focus on the areas in Northern Negros. They will be distributing relief goods to Cadiz this Saturday.

Coron, Palawan

Fr. Ed Penafiel, relief coordinator of Task force Tulong Calamian, has sent his message of thanks to the Lasallian Family for the relief goods we shipped for the affected families in Northern Palawan. He expressed his gratitude and mentioned that the relief packs sent will benefit thousands of families in their area.

Abuyog and Tanauan, Leyte

Our schools have once again consolidated the donations in kind that we received for the past days to be able to cater to the affected families in Leyte. We have partnered with the Parishes in Abuyog and Tanauan for distribution of relief goods in their respective areas. All of which will happen late this week, with volunteers from LSGH joining in the Leyte dispatch. 

One La Salle Medical Mission in Pandan, Antique (early December 2013)

Plans are shaping up for this project, thanks to our partners in DLSHSI! We have also partnered with the Diocese of Antique to ensure the organised conduct of the Medical mission. Specific dates will be released soon after travel to Antique has been finalised. For the meantime, we are asking for donations in the form of medicine specifically for cough and colds, fever, asthma, COPD, hypertension, diabetes, antibiotics, anti - tetanus, anti - fungal, nebulizers, vitamins, and heart medicine. You may drop off the donations in the DLSP Central House in La Salle Greenhills. Please look for Mr. Randy Casayuran.

Rehabilitation Projects on rebuilding schools and centers of learning

Br. Jose Mari Jimenez FSC, De La Salle Philippines President, released a letter to the Presidents of La Salle Schools encouraging our them to come up with creative ways of generating funds for the rehabilitation plans. The Lasallian Justice and Peace Commission (LJPC) will continue to assess which areas we will respond to as we commit to rebuild schools.

LJPC Bulletin: Yolanda/Haiyan Updates as of 19.11.2013

Operasyon Yolanda - USLS Bacolod

Our fellow Lasallians in Bacolod have distributed more the 12,000 relief packs over the past days to Sagay, Cadiz and Manapla in Negros Occidental, Bantayan Island in Cebu and in Panay Island – Roxas, Iloilo to name a few. They continue to collect and pack relief goods for distribution in Northern Negros.

Guiuan, Eastern Samar

We have already dispatched more than 6,000 family relief packs for Guiuan, Eastern Samar. Once it reaches the Port of Borongan, the Diocese will be handling its distribution to the affected families. The donations (in kind) of this batch of relief goods sent to Guiuan was collected from our La Salle schools in Luzon and through DLSZ's partnership with our friends and alumni from St. James Parish, Brgy. Ayala Alabang, AAVA and the Diocese of Parañaque.

Coron, Palawan

After the Guiuan dispatch, our focus is now on Coron Palawan. We were able to speak to Fr. Eddie Penafiel (Relief Coordinator in the five Parishes in Coron and Busuanga), and he says they are badly in need of relief goods for 20,000 families. We are currently mapping out a dispatch plan from Manila to Coron Palawan. Just like what we did for the batch of relief goods sent to Guiuan, we will ask the Luzon schools for the number of relief packs they can commit to share by Thursday. Realistically speaking, I think the consolidated goods from our Luzon schools can reach 5,000 relief packs until Thursday. 

One La Salle Medical Mission

DLSHSI is now in contact with communities where a Medical Mission can be done, an isolated area somewhere in the Antique province is being considered. Details about this plan will be clearer within this week. 

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Schools in Luzon remain as drop off points for donations. Most of them are doing their own re-packing already and will send the repacked to DLSU for the Coron dispatch. 

Visayas and Mindanao schools have also initiated efforts in soliciting monetary donations. The amount that we will be able to pool from our La Salle schools and various donors will be used for the rehabilitation projects.

For more information on where and how to donate, please feel free to share the following links:

• One La Salle Relief Drive: Yolanda/Haiyan
• Brothers of the Christian Schools Website (for donors abroad)

LJPC Bulletin: Yolanda/Haiyan

Over the weekend, the Central House and our DLSP schools have called out for donations in cash and in kind for the Typhoon Yolanda victims. Together with the Lasallian Justice and Peace Commission (LJPC) and our contacts from the different Social Action Offices of our schools, we have identified the University of St. La Salle (USLS) in Bacolod to be our main relief centre and DLSP will be sending to USLS the donations we've gathered. The location of USLS in the Visayas region will be very strategic given that our priority areas for relief are Sagay and Cadiz in Negros Occidental, Batayan in Cebu, Iloilo and Roxas. The aforementioned areas are not that publicised in the news, but are equally in need of relief goods like that of the areas in Tacloban and Samar. Currently, we are also in touch with contacts from Guiuan Eastern Samar, the area where Typhoon Yolanda had made its first land fall.

We have yet to get more precise information as to how long will relief be needed. Though we expect it to take a long time since the ones drastically affected have no homes to return to and that the evacuation centres will be their only refuge for now.

As to our plan for the rehabilitation phase, we are looking at rebuilding the public schools in the affected areas. We will be more specific with details regarding this plan soon after we discuss the project.

With all these plans for relief and rehabilitation, we continue to ask for donations from various groups and individuals. Below are the bank details for monetary donations:

• Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) Bank (NOT RCBC SAVINGS)
• Account Name: De La Salle Brothers, Inc. - Yolanda
• Peso Account: 1296-714778
• US Dollar Account: 8296-001156 
• Swift Code for Dollar Account: RCBC PHMM

For tracking and monitoring purposes, we also wish to request the donors to email the deposit slip to bee.cruz@delasalle.ph or fax it to +63 2 721 5049. 

Please feel free to contact Mr. Keane Palatino at +63 917 500 5323 or Mr. Gladstone Cuarteros at +63 917 843 9468 for any questions or clarifications.

For the specific details of each La Salle schools' relief operations, click here.

Thank you very much.

One La Salle Relief Drive (Maring) Updates

DLSZ

By 23 August, De La Salle Santiago Zobel School (DLSZ) has distributed relief packs around Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, and Parañaque and helped over 3,000 families. 150 students, 70 faculty and staff, and 17 parents, friends and alumni volunteered in the relief efforts.

DLSU-D

The LCDC of De La Salle University-Dasmariñas reported that, as of 27 August, they were able to help 1,291 families in eight areas (Dasmariñas, Rosario, Naic, Noveleta, Kawit, Gen Trias, Cavite City, Indang). DLSU-D wishes to acknowledge DLSZ for their support.

DLS-CSB

As of 23 August, there were a total of 167 volunteers from the school. DLS-CSB also reached out to five of its neighboring barangays (Brgys. 43, 728, 730, 746 and 760) and delivered a total of 595 relief packs.

DLSHSI

On 21 August: Php 5000 worth of relief goods were given to the families of Barangay Zone 1, Dasmarinas City, courtesy of Dr. Charles Yu.

On 22 August, we went to Ligtong, Rosario and delivered around 500 packs of relief goods ( 2 kilos of rice, bottled water, various groceries and clothes/blankets) to 261 families in Barangays 2 & 4. Said areas were referred to by the Social Action Office of the Diocese, in coordination with the Barangay Officials who guided us along coastal lines of said barangays. Student volunteers from the four Colleges, academic staff, hospital employees, faculty members and PPRV volunteers helped prepare and distribute the goods.

As of 23 August, DLSZ has turned relief goods, approximately for more than 500 households, to be donated to calamity victims in Naic, Cavite.

On 26 August, a medical mission and relief operation was held in Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite in coordination with Our Lady of Fatima Parish. A joint program of the Medical Center and Social Action Office.

Renewed Call for Transparency and Accountability

At this extraordinary time in our nation's life, we Lasallians hear again the call to renew our commitment to good governance. As one Lasallian Family, let us participate in the efforts to ensure that our government will be transparent, accountable, honest, and principled in the use of our nation's resources. We invite all to join the mass action calling for transparency and accountability in the use of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF)/Pork Barrel on 26 August 2013, Monday at the Luneta (Km 0, Carabao).

• Assembly Time: 7:30 am
• Assembly Point: De La Salle University (Taft Campus) at the Cory Aquino Democratic Space, Ground Floor of the Henry Sy, Sr. Hall
• Attire: White shirts and green armbands/ribbons

We will walk as one towards Luneta at 8:00am. Facilitators will be identified by the Lasallian Justice and Peace Commission (LJPC) of De La Salle Philippines to lead the group discussions on the nature and use of the PDAF/Pork Barrel allotted to our lawmakers. It is our hope that our action as a Lasallian family will lead to a deeper commitment to our nation's good and be based on an educated understanding of the deeper issues involved.

We also ask our schools in Visayas and Mindanao to join the mass action in your respective communities as there are groups who are calling for similar mobilization in major cities/towns outside of Metro Manila.

You are advised to coordinate with Mr. Gladstone Cuarteros of LJPC at +63 917 843 9468 or gladstone.cuarteros@delasalle.ph regarding the participation of your community.

Let us proudly proclaim our being Filipino by seeking to lift our people into their better selves.