From the first day of classes on June 6, 1962, the humble beginnings of De La Salle Lipa blossomed into a golden masterpiece honed from the exemplary leadership of the Brothers to the adaptive skills of the educators and the flexible mindset of the students.
In 1962, De La Salle Lipa was built on a 5.9-hectare lot along the Lipa City National Highway. In January of that year, construction of the three one-story wings of classrooms, a gymnasium-auditorium, and the Brothers’ house began. During its first year of operations, DLSL served as the Boys’ Department of the Maryknoll Sisters’ Our Lady of the Rosary
Academy (OLRA), with 221 students admitted from the first to fourth year. Three Brothers and seven lay teachers composed the first teaching force of the school. Br. Henry Virgil FSC was the first Director and Principal. In its second year of operations, the school obtained a temporary permit bearing the name La Salle High School. During its fourth-year
operations, the school population increased rapidly. In 1967, DLSL opened the grade school department with Br. Vernon Mabile FSC as the Principal.
In the SY 1982-1983, DLSL received its first High School PAASCU accreditation. The College Department began with an enrollment of 130 students in 1985. Because of the institution’s rapid growth in the ’90s, the need for a school president became necessary. DLSL alumnus Br. Narciso “Jun” Erguiza Jr. FSC was appointed as the first-ever President of the
institution in 1993.
Br. Jun reorganized the administrative structure where the major academic and service departments became known as units. Strategic directions were drafted and implemented, emphasizing the college’s pivotal role in the community.
Br. Rafael “Rafe” S. Donato, FSC, succeeded and led De La Salle Lipa on a massive physical plant development program that completely transformed the school. The grade school and high school units were integrated into the Unified School, and a graduate program, Master in Management Technology, was offered. During the time of Br. Rafe S. Donato FSC as president, the school offered programs that are responsive to the needs of the community and the industry.
Br. Manuel “Mawel” Pajarillo, FSC, was installed as the 3rd President of DLSL on 15 May 2003. Under Br. Mawel’s term, the grade school and the high school levels of the Unified School (renamed later as the Integrated School) received their Level 2 “clean” re-accreditation status for five years from PAASCU. The College, in its turn, submitted applications for the PAASCU accreditation of its several programs. Thus, Business Management and Education were granted Level 1 accreditation status in 2005, while the rest had their preliminary visit the year after.
In response to the changing needs of education, while keeping with the Lasallian tradition of excellence, the school ventured into massive improvements of facilities and information technology. The wireless internet connectivity improved the quality of academic and non-academic services. To be fully guided in its operations, the school changed the seal, revised the vision mission, reorganized the structure, and changed some of the nomenclatures in SY 2005-2006. The school launched the Book Mobile Reading Program (BMRP) in the same school year. It was a bus converted into a moving library to reach out and assist the children with reading difficulties in nearby communities.
In SY 2010-2011, Br. Joaquin “Kenneth” S. Martinez FSC became the 4th President of De La Salle Lipa. During his time, physical renovation and maintenance of existing structures and landscaping significantly improved. The school sustained a carefully planned physical development of its learning spaces with a zoning scheme for the institution designating academic, institutional, athletic, and open spaces.
During his term, the school opened its classrooms to the first batch of Senior High School students, two years ahead of the mandated implementation. Also, FAAP and PAASCU granted Level accreditation to the Integrated School and the following College programs: Communication, Psychology, Biology, Mathematics, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, and Accountancy. DLSL Integrated School became the first in the region’s category to gain recognition.
In August 2016, Br. Dante Jose R. Amisola, FSC, was installed as the 5th President of De La Salle Lipa. To date, DLSL is standing on a 16-hectare lot with buildings and infrastructures. Br. Dante embarked on a crusade to introduce and raise awareness about his vision for the institution through the four new strategic directions, or the 4S – Social Innovation in Quality Education, Social Inclusion, Sustainable Futures, and Stakeholders Engagement. In the early months of his term, DLSL adopted the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals approach to align its initiatives and action plans to achieve the school’s strategic goals. In his leadership, DLSL began the ‘Reimagine Education’ that addresses the 21st century teaching and learning .
In his first two years as President, he implemented changes in the curricula and pedagogy to meet the needs of the changing educational landscape. He spearheaded various initiatives and changes in school and management policies. Expansions and developments in infrastructures were notable.
One of the highlights of his term was when he opened the campus and converted the Sports Center into what was termed as DLSL Welcome Shelters that served as the temporary home of almost 400 displaced Batangueños when Taal Volcano erupted last January 12, 2020. DLSL lived up to its vision to be an institution that has an impact on society, focused on developing young people’s minds, hearts, and souls.
De La Salle Lipa continued its mission of providing quality and Christian education through Borderfree Education, the “School of the Future,” empowering students to take ownership of their learning process. It integrates Academics, Campus Life, and Campus Services with online support from faculty, staff, and other shared services personnel offering Education-on-Demand during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Br. Edmundo “Dodo” L. Fernandez, FSC, took office as the 6th president of DLSL, starting SY 2022-2023. Continuing the legacy of his predecessors, Br. Dodo sets out to pursue more innovative measures to strengthen DLSL’s trademark of quality education. One of his goals is to continue integrating technology into the school’s operations by building on the
digital campus initiatives that began several years back. Furthermore, his term adopts the shared services direction of De La Salle Philippines, which aims to promote effectiveness and efficiency. Br. Dodo serves as President of La Salle Green Hills and De La Salle – College of St. Benilde.