To a great extent, LBASS has always been about going beyond boundaries. It all begun during its conception in 1997, when the founders of our school pioneered the concept of a “school within a village,” and LBASS intended to serve the educational needs of children residing at Laguna BelAir Subdivision. Parents need not fear for the safety of their children since the school is just a walking distance from the home and within the confines of a gated and well-secured community.

Those of you residing at LBA Subdivision benefited so much from this “school within a village” concept.

In the early years of its existence, LBASS once again went beyond boundaries to establish itself as the first private Science high school, a concept that was unheard of then. High school Science education as we knew it was limited to a select few, those who were considered as “the best and the brightest” among incoming high school students, and provided under the auspices of the Department of Science and Technology.

Yet LBASS dared, so through the provision of adequate Science laboratories equipped with advanced laboratory facilities, and the crafting of a Science curriculum in partnership with the Philippine Science High School, LBASS was granted recognition by the DepEd to operate as a special Science high school in 2001. The renaming of Laguna BelAir School to Laguna BelAir Science School in 2012, albeit belatedly executed, was but a feather on the cap for our school, a way of signifying to the world what BelAirian education is all about.

We hope that our Science background will motivate our students to pursue Science-oriented courses and careers in the years to come.

When the K to 12 basic education program was implemented by the government, our school again took another bold step available only to a select group of schools. The Board of Directors posited that since the quality of LBASS education was above par and its curriculum was far-advanced, its students need not go through a whole 13-year basic education cycle. Instead, they can move up the education ladder through a recalibrated curriculum that would reduce their years spent in basic education while still mastering the same competencies required by K to 12. Thus, students from Grades 5 to 9 in SY 2014 – 2015 benefited from the recalibration program, saving them time, and saving money for our parents.

Our G12 students are the last batch of recipients of this recalibration program.

Capping our breakthrough efforts is the implementation of the Senior High School program. The Board of Directors fully supported Senior High School, and through the efforts of the school’s Management Team, teachers, and employees, who laid the groundwork for the program, LBASS was among the first schools to apply for and be granted permission to implement Senior High School. In fact, LBASS was the first school in the City of Santa Rosa to actually put into effect Senior High School, having rolled out the program in SY 2015 – 2016, a full school year ahead of the general rollout.

It has been four school years since, and our first batch of SHS graduates have graduated or will be graduating from college this year or the next, depending on the number of years required from them by the courses that they pursued.

Our students are the beneficiaries of all these pioneering efforts, all these breakthroughs, all these efforts to go beyond boundaries.

And it is this same pioneering, breaking-through, going-beyond-boundaries spirit that we want our students to sustain as they go through online distance learning this school year.

These are indeed very challenging times. Challenging times for humanity. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; the continuous warming of the climate; the challenges of poverty and hunger; the disregard for human and child rights; and the restlessness between nations over borders – all of these and more are challenges that will have an impact on all of us as well as on our school. But let them not limit us. We will go beyond these boundaries. Better yet, we will go beyond these boundaries and be a part in surmounting these challenges. For ourselves. For the whole of humanity.

To our parents, we express our heartfelt gratitude to you for allowing us to be a partner in the rearing and molding of your children. We hope that we will be able to exceed your expectations, and we also hope that the trust that you have bestowed upon us will be rewarded by the excellence and stewardship that your children will eventually possess.

To our students, we still have one whole school year to be with each other, for you to be educated and to appreciate and live the value of stewardship, and for all of us to celebrate twenty-five years of BelAirian Science education and stewardship.

LBASS shall be sterling at 25!

From this day forward, wherever circumstances may lead all of us, let us always bear in our minds and in our hearts, that Laguna BelAir Science School has been and shall always be Our School, Our Home!

Thank you and good day!

7 June 2021

Dear Parents:

Greetings!

Please be informed that the Laguna BelAir Science School 24thCommencement Exercises of Grade Six and Grade 12 will be held on 23 June 2021, Wednesday, online. It will be telecast at 8:00 A.M. via Zoom.In this regard, please take note of the following:

A. Format of Telecast and Rehearsal
1. The telecast will be done via Zoom.
2. Parts of the ceremony will be pre-recorded while some parts will be live.
3. In particular, the “receiving” of the diplomas will be done “live.” Each graduate will be “spotlighted” when his/her name is called. This means that the graduate will be the “primary active participant” to be seen onscreen when his/her name is called.
4. To facilitate locating the graduate being called for spotlighting, the graduate should log-in following this name log-in format:
Section (space) Class Number (space) Surname (space) First Name
e.g. 6P B1 dela Cruz Juan
5. To make it easier for the host to spotlight the graduate being called, only ten graduates will turn on their cameras at a time. The graduate should turn off his/her camera after being called and spotlighted.
6. There will be a rehearsal for the ceremony on 16 June 2021 (W) at 9:00 AM.

B. Setting, Attire, and Toga Rental
1. Since graduates will be spotlighted, the student’s background should be presentable and clutter-free.
2. Graduates will be wearing a toga (no cap). Toga rental is P500.00 (P250.00 refundable upon return of the toga). The toga may be claimed as soon as the rental fee is paid at the Accounting Office. Kindly pay for and get your toga until 18 June 2021 (F).
3. For the spotlighting, the gadget should be in landscape orientation. The graduate should be near enough to the device as to be captured half body. Kindly see the attached photo for reference.

We look forward to seeing you at the 24thCommencement Exercises.

Thank you and God bless!

Sincerely,

Mr. Joel L. De Castro
Registrar

Noted by:

Romel R. Obinario
Principal

30 April 2021

Dear Parents:

Warm greetings from the management, teachers, and staff of Laguna BelAir Science School!

School Year 2020 – 2021 is at its end. We venture to say that we have accomplished what we promised to you at the start of the SY – that no matter what hurdles and challenges the school may face, education shall progressively continue at LBASS! Through prayer, reflection, and action, our spirits have remained undaunted, and through sheer resilience and a firm belief in God, we have made a school year of quality and relevant education possible.

Through our online distance learning (ODL) modality, our teachers have covered much of the DepEd’s Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs), together with infusions of our own as only the meaningful and relevant LBASS Science-and-Math-oriented curriculum can provide. Acronyms like OTLS, SOGA, TBIA, and IOGA have become familiar to you, and these approaches to learning have helped our teachers to provide quality instruction and for your children to be independent, self-direc ted, and self-propelled.

Through our computerization of service delivery, you were able to transact with the Accounting Office and Registrar’s Office without leaving the comfort of your homes. Your children were able to borrow books, consult with our nurses, and conduct conferences with our guidance counsellors without sacrificing their health and safety.

This is not the ideal set-up, but it is necessary to adjust and cope. Be that as it may, life must go on! And life goes on at LBASS as well! But the management, teachers, and staff of LBASS still intend to fulfil the school’s responsibility of youth formation, human values transformation, and societal transformation, even as it closes in 2022.

We thank you, dear parents, for entrusting the education of your children to LBASS and for partnering with us to ensure that your children continue to learn in this unsettling environment. We hope and pray that we were able to satisfactorily meet your expectations despite the limitations of ODL. Your support to and trust in the school is what moved us to face the hurdles and challenges head on. And it is this support and trust from you that we hope and pray for, so we encourage you to enroll your children* with us for SY 2021 – 2022. We promise to maintain the same quality and relevant education that LBASS has been providing and that your children have been enjoying. Your children are already very acquainted with our online learning system, so there will no longer be any adjustments for them next school year.

As a way of thanking you for your support, there will be a 5% discount on tuition fees. All other discounts will continue to apply.

On its twenty-fifth year, education at LBASS shall be sterling, as it has always been over the past twentyfour years! See you in School Year 2021 – 2022

Sincerely,

Romel R. Obinario
Principal

IMPORTANT DATES

• 3rd Trimester PTC (PS-G10) / 4th QTR PTC (SHS) (release of Report Cards in the EC1 Parent Portal)	: May 14, 2021 (F)
• Virtual Ceremonies
Kinder Moving-up	: June 21, 2021 (M)
Recognition (G1-G10) and G10 Moving-up	: June 22, 2021 (T)
Grade 6 and G12 Graduation and G11 Recognition	: June 23, 2021 (W)
• SY 2021 – 2022 Rollout
Enrollment Period	: June 14 – July 9
Start of Classes for SY 2021 – 2022	: August 9, 2021 (M)

eShift 2020: LBASS Education Systematically Ensured
School Year 2020 – 2021

Background and Rationale
The LBASS educational philosophy states that “LBASS believes in the responsibility of the educational system to play its role as an active agent in the formation of the youth, the transmission of human values, and the transformation of society.” It is this responsibility that LBASS takes to heart as it opens School Year 2020 – 2021 amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic, political, social, cultural, spiritual, and health and well-being concerns that the disease has engendered.

Believing that it is in the best interest of every child to be educated and that every child has the right to quality, relevant, and meaningful education, LBASS shall systematically ensure that learning continues for its students, taking into consideration the following:
(1) the context of the community within which the school and its students resides;
(2) the mandatory regulations imposed on schools by the relevant government authorities, especially on matters concerning safety, health, and well-being;
(3) the unique and evolving capacities of its students;
(4) the prevailing conditions in the home and the readiness of parents to support a home-supervised and technology-enhanced learning set-up;
(5) the capacities of the school’s employees to deliver instruction and provide essential services; and,
(6) the preparedness of the school’s infrastructure to support learning under the new normal.

The core value to be highlighted in SY 2020 – 2021 is SPIRITUALITY, and the SY’s theme is “Making a Better and More Resilient World Possible through Prayer, Reflection, and Action.”

School Calendar
SY 2020 – 2021 will open on 24 August 2020 and will end on 30 April 2021. Preliminary activities such as parents’ orientation sessions and training on the learning modalities, students’ orientation sessions on the use of the digital platforms and student conduct under the Distance Learning approach, and others will be conducted in August 2020.

Celebrations and commemorations will still be observed although these will be done online and no mass gatherings will be held. Co-curricular and extra-curricular time will be devoted to online engagements and the pursuit of hobbies and other interests.

Year-end rites will be held in May 2021.

Enrolment Procedure
Enrolment will be conducted online and will commence in the second week of June 2020. An enrolment portal will be accessible through the school website. As their data have already been encoded during enrolment in SY 2019 – 2020, old students will simply update their basic information. No new documents will be submitted.

Application for admission will also be conducted online through the Application for Admission portal accessible through the school website. Applicants will fill up the Application Form and Interview Form (Google Docs) and submit a digital copy of the applicant’s birth certificate and report card.

All students should also fill up the DepEd’s Learner Enrolment Survey Form.

Modes of Learning
In the meantime that the traditional face-to-face classroom set-up is not feasible, LBASS will implement eShift 2020, a Distance Learning approach to learning where “classes are conducted by correspondence using an online platform, without the teachers and students meeting in a physical classroom.”

Given the limitations prescribed by whatever quarantine measures the government may warrant for the City of Santa Rosa, eShift content delivery will be done online using Schoology as the learning management system (LMS). Classes will be conducted by video conferencing. Communication between the teachers and students will be done through Schoology’s messaging function or through email.

Teacher-student-content interaction will be synchronous or asynchronous depending on the content to be delivered and the delivery of instruction designed by the teacher.

Under synchronous learning, learning occurs at the same time but not in the same place. The teacher will be in a “classroom” while the students will be at home. Online learning takes place and students learn from their teachers and classmates in real time, but not in person. Video conferences, interactive webinars, lectures, and demonstrations are broadcast at the same time they are delivered.

Under asynchronous learning, instruction and learning occur not only in different locations but also at different times. Learning materials (e.g. pre-recorded videos, online videos, textbook pages, or handouts) are provided by the teachers and students engage with the materials on their own, keeping in mind the scheduled submission of outputs that the learning material requires.

Students will be primarily using e-textbooks and other digital resources as aids to learning. They may also purchase printed textbooks.

The eShift 2020 (Distance Learning) approach will stay in effect for much of the school year and (1) until such time that the health situation in the City of Santa Rosa improves (i.e., there is no local transmission in the city); (2) the concerned government authorities declare that it is safe to proceed with the traditional face-to-face classroom set-up; and (3) the Health Declaration and Disclosure Statements submitted by all employees and parents on behalf of their children indicate no possible cause for concern.

Curriculum
The Academic Team will develop an adjusted curriculum map using the DepEd’s Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs) as basis, keeping in mind the limitations set by distance learning, the school’s core values and green orientation, and the evolving capacities of children, while not losing sight of the school’s Science orientation. In order to give more meaning to the thousands of competencies listed in the MELCs, subject integration and competency webbing will be maximized.

Class Schedule
Under eShift 2020, a formal structure to the learning process will still be followed. Classes will be held from Monday to Friday. On hours assigned for synchronous learning, the classes will begin with the usual Routines followed by fixed minutes for subjects assigned for the day. There will be short breaks in between periods. After the synchronous learning periods, while students are engaged with coursework on self-paced, independent study mode, the teachers will be available for consultation through the LMS message board, text, or call. On a daily basis, students will be on synchronous learning mode from 1 to 4 hours depending on their level, as indicated in the table:

Level	No. of Hours per Day of Synchronous Learning*	No. of Hours per Day of Asynchronous Learning**
Preschool	1	1
G1 – G3	2	2
G4 – G6	3.5	3.5
G7 – G12	4	4

* This more or less conforms with the Screen Time by Age guidelines as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization.
** The teachers will ascertain that the tasks assigned for the day can be finished by the student within this number of hours.

The video conferences during the synchronous periods will be recorded so that students who will not be able to attend real-time will be able to view the recording some other time.

Assessment of Learning
Assessment of learning will be based on DepEd guidelines and the LBASS Science Curriculum Standards. The emphasis will be on the attainment and mastery of the skills and competencies.

Requirements for the Conduct of Distance Learning – Home
In order to fully benefit from eShift 2020, students should have access to a desktop or laptop computer with camera and microphone. Office productivity software for word processing, spreadsheets, presentation and publishing tasks should be installed. An internet connection with a minimum of 5 MBPS or more is ideal. Prepaid data connectivity may also work. Smartphones can be used to access the LMS and videoconferences but there are limitations and most of the tasks cannot be done using these gadgets. Peripherals such as printers, headphones, and the like can also significantly enrich the students’ eShift 2020 experience.

The full support of the parents to learning during the new normal is greatly expected. The school will provide parents’ orientation sessions and trainings so that they will be in sync with eShift 2020 and will be able to provide the necessary assistance to their children.

Safe Return to School Policy
In the event that the DepEd and other relevant government authorities declare that the traditional face-to-face classroom set-up is feasible, LBASS will proceed with caution, keeping in mind and implementing all the safety measures required. In order to reduce the volume of students within the campus to a manageable level, there will be a maximum of 20 students per class. The synchronous-asynchronous learning set-up may still be adapted, with the synchronous periods being held in school. Other options like AM/PM shifts and every-other-day reporting can also be pursued.

In a press conference on 11 May 2020, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones stated that “Education must continue even in times of crisis, whether it may be a calamity, disaster, emergency, quarantine, or even war.” There has been no crisis in recent memory that has had the same impact – both in terms of breadth and magnitude – as the COVID-19 pandemic. The narrative of the pandemic is still unfolding and its end is not in sight. But this should not derail us from fulfilling the right of our students to quality, relevant, and meaningful education. We must remain resilient so no one among our students is left behind!

The crisis may be the best opportunity for us to teach our students resilience and other life skills. We believe that it is in the best interest of our students to learn. In SY 2020 – 2021, we will systematically ensure that learning continues at LBASS!

First Edition. 29 May 2020.
LBASS reserves the right to make changes to the contents of this issuance. Parents will be informed immediately should any changes be done.

References

Department of Education. (2020, May 11). DepEd virtual press conference [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-TiVtoofdY

Great Schools Partnership. (2013, August 29). Synchronous Learning. Retrieved from https://www .edglossary.org/synchronous-learning/

San Antonio, Diosdado M. (2020, May 22). Making learning happen during COVID-19 emergency [Webinar]. In Department of Education Webinar series. https://www.deped.gov.ph/

Saulo, Cristina G. (2020, May 8). Gear up for the new normal: Distance learning using TekTeach LMS [Webinar]. In TechFactors Inc. Webinar Series. https://www.techfactors.com/

21 May 2020

Dear Parents:

Warm Greetings! We pray that this message finds you and your children well. We are hoping that our current condition will improve in the next few weeks.

We will be releasing the final report cards digitally starting 25 May 2020 (Monday). Please bear with us as the advisers are working from home so some reports may be posted early while some may be delayed. You will receive a message via email (Preschool students), EDU 2.0 (for G1 – G3 students), or Schoology (for G4 – G12 students) from your child’s class adviser. The message will be either (1) a student’s clearance for students who still have some accountabilities to settle, or (2) a digital copy of the report card for students who have no accountabilities. A separate letter for awardees will also be included.

In the meantime that we are not able to hold assemblies, we will be conducting a virtual ceremony for our Grade 6 and Grade 12 graduates. Congratulations, graduates!

We will be recognizing the achievements of our G1 – G10 students based on their First and Second Trimester performance. Where applicable, we will be recognizing the Top 10 students, the Best in the Subject awardees, the Conduct awardees, and the Outstanding Club Member awardees. Senior high school awards will be based on the students’ First Quarter to Third Quarter performance.

Formal ceremonies (Moving Up, Recognition, Commencement Exercises) may be held on a more auspicious date in the future.

As a consideration to some of our students who for varying circumstances were not able to perform or complete the tasks and assessments given during the online classes period, a passing rate was given for every unaccomplished or non-submitted work. For students who submitted online tasks, the lowest possible grade was pegged at 80%.

The online application for new students is already accessible through the school’s website.

We intend to commence the enrolment procedures by the second week of June 2020. We will be enhancing the DepEd’s pronouncements on the 24 August 2020 school opening based on the prevailing situation in our area, with the health, well-being, and capacities and existing conditions of our students and parents as utmost considerations. We will message you regarding these matters in the days to come and post announcements on our website.

Graduating students who will need their transfer credentials for college entrance are requested to contact the Registrar’s Office via email, lbasinfo@yahoo.com.

Thank you for all your support and understanding. Uncertain as the times are, we are certain of one thing: we will continue to be of service to our students and we will systematically ensure that learning continues at LBASS!

Sincerely,

Romel R. Obinario

10 April 2020

Dear Parents:

Greetings! We hope this letter finds you and your family safe. We pray that all is well as our country continues to address COVID-19 and keeps us from doing our normal activities.

It has been almost four weeks since we shifted to online instruction. Most of our students have completed their tasks and our teachers are busy checking their work and still waiting for the rest of our students’ submissions.

As indicated in our letter dated 31 March 2020, the final examinations will be conducted from April 13 to 24, 2020. We have kept the number of final examinations/final performance tasks to a minimum so that our students will not be overwhelmed and will still be able to perform at their optimum level. Please note that only the subjects whose number of written works and performance tasks (PTs) need boosting have written or performance-based final examinations. PTs will be rolled out on 13 April (M) while written final examinations will start on 20 April (M). The teachers will be posting the details through Schoology and EDU 20.

Here is a summary of the final tasks and assessments:

Key Stage	Subject	Details
Preschool	No Final Examinations
Primary	No Final Examinations in all subjects, except that there will be additional tasks as indicated in the details column.	To be rolled out on 14 April (T)
		Gr 1: MAPEH (integrated tasks), Computer, MTB
		Gr 2: APEH (integrated tasks), MTB
		Gr 3: MAPEH (integrated tasks), MTB
Intermediate	ESP 4	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Science 4	Written exam + PT	(release: 20 Apr)
	Art & Health 4	Integrated PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Math 5	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Music and Health	Integrated PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Science 5	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Math 6	Written PT	(release: 20 Apr)
	AP 6	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Art and Health 6	Integrated PT	(release: 13 Apr)
Junior High School	Gen Math 7	Written PT	(release: 20 Apr)
	Prac Math 7	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Nat Sci 7	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	AP 7	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	ESP 7	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Gen Math 8	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Art and Music 8	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Nat Sci and Health 8	Written PT	(release: 20 Apr)
	Biology 8	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Art and Music 9	Integrated PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Gen Math 9	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Trigonometry 9	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Physics and Health 9	Integrated PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Arts & Music 10	Integrated PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	TVE-IT 10	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	AP & ESP 10	Integrated Written PT	(release: 20 Apr)
	Nat Sci 10	Written Test	(release: 22 Apr)
	Sci Res 10	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
Senior High School	Grade 11
	Basic Calculus	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Biology 2	Written PT	(release: 20 Apr)
	DRRR	Written PT	(release: 21 Apr)
	MIL	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	PFPL	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Statistics & Probability	Written PT	(release: 20 Apr)
	Grade 12
	21st Century Literature	Written PT	(release: 20 Apr)
	Entrepreneurship	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Chemistry 2	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Physics 2	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Programming	PT	(release: 13 Apr)
	Personal Development	Written PT	(release: 20 Apr)

We hope our students will be able to do well in these final tasks and assessments. We hope that we are still able to give what is best for our students, given the limitations dictated by our current circumstances.

Inquiries, concerns, and suggestions may still be coursed through our official email, lbasinfo@yahoo.com. Online payment options can be availed; just inquire for the process through our official mobile number 09175754874.

We are one with you in praying for an immediate resolution of this crisis. Let us do our part as citizens of our nation and the whole world in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, we shall overcome!

Thank you very much and good day!

Sincerely,

Romel R. Obinario

Principal

31 March 2020

Dear Parents:

Greetings!

We hope you and your children are well and safe from COVID-19. We also pray that you are slowly adjusting to the limitations set by the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) as this has caused some distress among all of us who have been locked in our homes for the past two weeks.

We would like to thank you for bearing with us as we went online in response to the ECQ and the prevailing crisis. We know that it has not been easy for you adjusting to the set-up, as it has not been easy for our teachers as well. We have received many comments and suggestions and we have tried our best to address them and make the necessary adjustments. Many students have been able to comply with the tasks. Those who have not been able to complete the tasks may continue working on them. We will be reaching out to some students who have not submitted any requirements to find out how the school and the home can help each other in managing the submissions.

Following is an update on the progress of our online classes as well as a calendar of activities from today until 24 April 2020 (F), the last day of classes per our adjusted school calendar.

1. The first set of activities was posted on 16 March 2020 (M). This set was supposed to be accomplished by 21 March (F) but the deadline was extended to 25 March (W).

2. The second set of activities was posted on 25 March 2020 (W). The submission of this set is until 1 April (W). Prior to its posting, the set was reviewed by the Academic Team to make sure that the engagement time of the students is limited to two hours per day, based on the work load that was given.

3. 2 – 7 April 2020 will be “catching up” week. Some of the subjects will not be giving new tasks although some subjects will be giving assessments (long test, quiz, performance task, etc.) The time will also be devoted to catching up for those students who have not yet finished the previous tasks. The teachers will also do a catching up with the students who may have missed some topics or need more consultations, should some topics need re-teaching. A “tie-up” of loose ends is needed at this point.

4. Starting 8 April 2020 (W), no more new lessons will be given. This will allow our students to prepare for the final examinations.

5. 13 – 24 April 2020 will be devoted to the final examinations. The scheduling and format of the final exams will be contingent on what is most practical and workable given the current set-up, and subject to the pronouncements of the government on the ECQ and the COVID-19 situation in our municipality.

The summary of tasks (Online Activities) may be accessed through our website. We hope our students will be able to accomplish them until 8 April 2020 (W). We hope that we are able to give what is best for our students, given the limitations dictated by our current circumstances.

Inquiries, concerns, and suggestions may still be coursed through our official email, lbasinfo@yahoo.com. Online payment options can be availed; just inquire for the process through our official mobile number 09175754874.

We are one with you in praying for strength and wellness during this time of great need. We are one with you in hoping for better days to come. Together, let us join the community of nations in looking forward to a better world for all of us.

Thank you very much and good day!

Sincerely,

Romel R. Obinario

Principal

Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya
sa pagka-dalisay at pagka-dakila
gaya ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa?
Aling pag-ibig ba? Wala na nga, wala.

Thus were the words of Andres Bonifacio in his poem Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa, an exhortation to the Filipino people to join the crusade for Philippine independence. The struggle to be free from foreign oppression and the desire to be a sovereign state united the Filipino people to forge a nation. One-hundred twenty-one years after our declaration of independence from Spanish colonial rule, and seventy-three years after our struggle for freedom from American colonial rule, we Filipinos stand proud among the host of nations, a sovereign nation carving its own destiny and building a just and humane society.

The school’s theme for SY 2019 – 2020 is “Pilipino Ako. Mahal Ko ang Bayan Ko.” It highlights the LBASS core value national pride, which means a sense of shared identity and loyalty, based upon common history, language, culture, and traditions. National pride turns devotion to the nation into principles or programs. It thus contains a different dimension from mere patriotism, which can be a devotion to one's country or nation devoid of any project for political action.

Here are the words of eminent Filipino nationalists, inspiring us be proud of who we are – Pilipino Ako –and to love our country – Mahal Ko ang Bayan Ko.

On consistently identifying oneself as Filipino
I am a Filipino. In my blood runs the immortal seed of heroes–seed that flowered down the centuries in deeds of courage and defiance. In my veins yet pulses the same hot blood that sent Lapulapu to battle against the first invader of this land, that nerved Lakandula in the combat against the alien foe, that drove Diego Silang and Dagohoy into rebellion against the foreign oppressor. – “I am a Filipino” by Carlos P. Romulo

It looks impossible for my people to get out of this trap. But we will. I know my people. Even if we have to wade through blood and fire, we will be free. We will develop. We will build our own societies. We will sing our own songs. - Jose W. Diokno

On appreciation of an authentic Filipino tradition and culture
Such arrogance to say that you own the land, when you are owned by it! How can you own that which outlives you? Only the people own the land because only the people live forever. To claim a place is the birthright of everyone. Even the lowly animals have their own place…how much more when we talk of human beings? - Macliing Dulag

On love of country based on a historical perspective
Nationalism is nourished by a sense of history. It is of its essence to know profoundly the past, so that we may be in complete openness with the men who made that history and in intimate communion with their thoughts, their deeds and their noble lives. - Claro M. Recto, Jr.

Do not forget. We Filipinos are the first Asian people who revolted against a Western imperial power, Spain; the first who adopted a democratic republican constitution in Asia, the Malolos constitution; the first to fight the first major war of the twentieth century against another Western imperial power, the United States of America. There is no insurmountable barrier that could stop us from becoming what we want to be. - Jose W. Diokno

On identification with the needs, interests, and aspirations of the Filipino people
Education is a vital weapon of a people striving for economic emancipation, political independence and cultural renaissance. We are such a people. Philippine education therefore must produce Filipinos who are aware of their country's problems, who understand the basic solution to these problems, and who care enough to have courage to work and sacrifice for their country's salvation. - Renato Constantino

On social awareness and an analytical understanding of Philippine society
In our history as a nation, our best years were when we took our destiny in our own hands and faced the uncertain future with boldness and hope and faith. - Jovito R. Salonga

On the ability to distinguish our own interests from those of other nations
There is no greater nation on earth than our Motherland. No greater people than our own. Serve them with all your heart, with all your might, and with all your strength. - Ninoy Aquino

We should be on guard against a policy on foreign investments that has no well-defined safeguards. The urgent need for vigilance in this respect becomes obvious when we observe what has been happening here. Foreign investors have entered fields that can be run and in many cases have already been pioneered by Filipinos. - Lorenzo Tanada

On looking at the world from the point of view of the Filipino
When the UN official seal, which depicts the world, was being selected, Romulo looked it over and demanded, “Where is the Philippines?” “It’s too small to include,” explained US Senator Warren Austin, who headed the committee. “If we put in the Philippines it would be no more than a dot.” “I want that dot!” Romulo insisted. Today, if you look at the UN seal, you will find a tiny dot between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.

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