In a major effort to maintain supportive learning environments with regional partner schools, Saint Louis University (SLU) completed a series of mission-driven outreach activities from November 2025 to January 2026. The University’s donation of high-quality wooden bookshelves and tables to several Catholic and small private schools in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) marked this initiative.
Led by the SLU President, Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, CICM, PhD, (concurrently serving as Regional Trustee of CEAP-CAR and Regional Program Director of PEAC), the initiative was part of fulfilling the commitment to improve learning conditions at nearby schools.
With help from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) through Vice Admiral (VADM) Caesar Bernard N. Valencia, PN and RNQ Construction through Engr. David Rullan, some furniture reached as far as Kalinga and Ifugao provinces. The recipients include Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) member schools from the Diocese of Baguio, the Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk Schools Network, the Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe Educational System, Casiciaco Recoletos Seminary, and Diocese of Baguio Schools (DOBS) Office, along with several Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) member schools such as Christian Legacy Academy, Living Epistle Christian Academy, Easter College, Pines Montessori Learning Center, EDUCARE Learning Center, and Free Believers in Christ Academy.
This donation was an important part of the STAR Program (School Training for Advancement and Recalibration), a key initiative launched by Fr. Sales to support schools in achieving academic excellence. Besides providing physical equipment, the STAR Program offers a framework for growth. It gives partner schools technical guidance, teacher training, and management adjustments. Through this outreach, SLU continues to act as a school for others, ensuring that the mission of quality Catholic education reaches beyond its campus to empower the broader educational community in the Cordilleras and beyond.
By providing classrooms with sturdy, useful furniture, SLU helped create better spaces for student learning and literacy. This reinforces the university’s dedication to educational fairness, SDG 4: Quality Education, and the CICM advocacy for Justice. (Article and Photos by Joselito C. Gutierrez, PhD)
