With the theme One Heart, One Commitment, One Life, the annual Lasallian Mission Week (LMW) commenced last November 18 to 22 through a myriad of social engagement, faith formation, and community-building activities aligned to the Lasallian mission.
With the aim to continue fulfilling St. John Baptist de La Salle’s mission, the Office of the Vice President for Lasallian Mission (VPLM) together with different sectors of the University prepared various exhibits about the history and mission of St. La Salle.
Cultivating peace
Committed to the theme Peace is Always Possible, the University Student Government’s Office of the Vice President for Internal Affairs arranged a forum entitled Champions for Peace, highlighting the importance of cultivating peace in society and oneself in discussions led by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Human Rights Advocate Samira Gutoc, and Spring PH co-founder Bettina Jose.
Hontiveros shared her personal journey of finding peace after the death of her husband and electoral loss in two national elections. “Inner peace is more than spa dates or #TreatYourself,” Hontiveros explained. “With grief comes gratitude…because with darkness comes light. We have to respect the most human parts of ourselves and when we have a bigger picture of who we are, we find peace.”
Meanwhile, Gutoc—who previously served as an representative of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao Legislative Assembly—shared her insight on how peace can be achieved in the country. “For a [democratic] country, we celebrate the idea of an individual. It’s hard to identify what peace is if we do not have goals for it. That’s why it’s so important we have discourse for peace,” Gutoc emphasized.
Jose, a mental health advocate, highlighted the importance of putting up personal boundaries to attain internal peace. She related that she too felt the pressure from social media and college but reassured the audience that “everything will be okay.”
Raising awareness
As part of the week-long celebrations, the Lasallian Mission Exhibit was opened in partnership with the Malate Literary Folio at the Learning Commons, sixth floor of Henry Sy Sr. Hall, to feature stories of Lasallians living out the Lasallian values and the Heroic vow. Another exhibit, opened in partnership with SparkPH in the Br. Bloemen Hall, recounted the stories of LGBTQ+ people and the implications of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression Equality Bill.
A trade fair was set up, featuring products from organizations and communities partnered with the VPLM and the Center for Social Concern and Action (COSCA), as well as Lasallian Social Enterprise for Economic Development. The products offered ranged from microgreens to local crafts and food, to merchandise by the DLSU Professors for the Upliftment of Society’s Animals (PUSA).
DLSU PUSA also conducted their own cat tour on November 23 as part of the LMW celebrations, inviting visitors from all over Metro Manila to a tour of the campus cats and educating them on their advocacies.
To promote volunteerism and health awareness, a blood drive was also conducted by COSCA with the help of student volunteers, in cooperation with the Philippine Blood Center, at the Corazon Aquino Democratic Space (CADS).
The Student Discipline Formation Office also launched a recruitment seminar for Barkada Kontra Droga as part of a national initiative to end drug use among Filipino youth.
On November 19, Phinma Corporation and the Junior Chamber International Manila held its Nation Builders Summit at the Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium as part of the Ramon V. del Rosario Siklab Awards 2019 Roadshow. Themed A Better Nation Tomorrow Through Social Entrepreneurship, Siklab awardees shared the challenges they faced in their ventures for social good.
And on November 20, members of the Lasallian community engaged in a boodle fight lunch dubbed Kainang Bayan in CADS. More than 600 students, faculty, and personnel shared a feast which highlighted the community spirit. On the same day, a worship concert entitled CROSs the Borders was held at the William Shaw Theatre.
Scenes of Lasallian vocation
Students were welcomed to the Brothers’ House on the fourth floor of St. La Salle Hall in an open house to give people a glimpse of the daily lives of the Lasallian Brothers. Aspirants spearheaded the tours of the Brothers’ residence, from the private rooms to common areas, all while explaining the process of becoming a Brother and narrating personal experiences.
The Lasallian Pastoral Office organized a number of donation drives throughout the week. These drives included a rummage sale whose proceeds go to a calamity fund. A donation drive for children’s books was also set up around campus in areas such as Southgate for the benefit of a pre-school managed by the Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC College of Education.
Members of religious congregations also held a room-to-room campaign, in partnership with the Theology and Religious Education Department, to narrate their experiences in their pursuit of the religious life, bringing the spirit of the Lasallian vocation closer to the student body.
