De La Salle Lipa
EN-10: Community Partnerships

The Hanunuo Mangyan Livelihood & Consumers Cooperative or HAMALICON Coop is located at Brgy. Benli, Town of Bulacao, Province of Oriental Mindoro. It is a cooperative of the Hanunuo Mangyan tribe that was registered last February 17, 2020 at the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA MIMAROPA, Calapan City, Orr. Mindoro), through the cooperation of the members and as guided by De La Salle Lipa (DLSL). The purpose of establishing the cooperative is: (1) to develop and uplift the livelihood of each member through a sustainable income generating establishment (store), (2) increase the knowledge of each member through continuous workshops that other partner agencies will grant, (3) restore the forest/mountains and conserve the remaining forests which are flooded with water, and (4) improve the health of each family through clean and orderly communities.

BMRP Book Loan anchored on DLSL’s strategic direction which is Embracing our Shared Humanity and Championing Social Inclusion and Justice Initiatives specifically on increasing access to quality education particularly on sharing of best practices in teaching-learning with partner Lasallian, parochial, and public schools. The program aims to share Lasallian education through BMRP Book Loan. Likewise, it aims to develop the love and interest in reading of public school children in order to improve their reading skills. To support the school’s advocacy on literacy by providing relevant BMRP activities to students in the wider community. To establish a strong relationship with the communities particularly the public elementary schools. To date, De La Salle Lipa has partnered with four (4) public elementary schools: Paninsingin Elementary Elementary School, San Carlos, Elementary School, and San Lucas Elementary School.

De La Salle Lipa (DLSL), together with 15 other member schools of De La Salle Philippines (DLSP), responded to the call for positive climate action and to arrest forest cover loss in the country. The One Million Trees and Beyond (OMTB) program was launched in 2006, with the aim of planting and nurturing one million trees all over the Philippines by 2011. The DLSP schools have surpassed their target and to-date have planted over 1.4 Million trees all over the Philippines.

De La Salle Lipa, being 40-km from the coast of Batangas Bay, made a commitment, continued the program and adopted a 9-hectare area for mangrove reforestation. In partnership with the local government of Barangay Palanas, Lemery, Batangas, DLSL to-date planted a total of 34,911 mangroves over an area of four (4) hectares. Beyond mangrove planting, DLSL’s partnership with the local community is an essential component of the initiative. Not only has DLSL contributed to the greening of the Philippines, it has likewise helped a community grow in resilience.

The One Million Trees and Beyond (OMTB) program is a tree planting activity and reforestation program with a primary goal to plant and nurture one million trees by the year 2011. Philippine native trees, both indigenous and endemic, are to be planted to promote biodiversity and conserve endangered tree species. In partnership with the local community of Barangay Palanas in Lemery, Batangas, Philippines, DLSL made a commitment to the OMTB initiative through reforestation program focusing on mangrove reforestation over a 9-hectare area. The local community committed to managing the seedling nursery, prepare the planting site, and undertake monitoring and maintenance of the reforested area. Meanwhile, DLSL student volunteers, Lasallian Partners (employees of the school), and external partners committed to assisting with clean-up activities and planting of seedlings. To date, a total of 34,911 mangrove seedlings have been planted over an area of 4 hectares. This is a 2.5% contribution to the total of 1.4Million trees planted by the entire network of 16 Lasallian schools in the Philippines.