“Investing in education is investing in our future.”
This phrase echoes in countless policy speeches and campaign promises—but its weight becomes painfully real when we step into overcrowded classrooms, where one teacher manages 50 or more students, or when we confront statistics revealing persistent gaps in literacy, math proficiency, and graduation rates.
Reports from the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) paint an alarming picture: nine out of ten students struggle to comprehend simple text; 62 percent of teachers are assigned outside their subject specialization; only seven percent of students complete the full education pathway from Grade 1 to college; and 39 percent of college students drop out before graduation.
With outdated learning materials, insufficient infrastructure, and inadequate teacher training, the education crisis in the Philippines deepens. This is not just a national concern—it is a disheartening reality that affects every Filipino.
Education is more than a budget line; it is the foundation for innovation, equity, and opportunity. Every under-resourced school and every student who falls behind represents a loss for our shared future.
Investing in education is not just a choice but a responsibility—a vital commitment to the society we hope to leave for the next generation. It is a principle that the late Delfin J. Wenceslao Jr., a visionary in real estate, long advocated.
“My father believed that progress was measured not just in concrete, but in opportunities—opportunities to learn, to work, and to grow,” shared Delfin Angelo “Buds” C. Wenceslao, director of Wendel Holdings Co., Inc., during the groundbreaking ceremony of the newest state-of-the-art campus of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) in Aseana City, Parañaque.
The new campus will bear the name of Buds’ father, who was the former president and chairman of D.M. Wenceslao & Associates, Inc. (DMWAI), a company that Delfin Sr. founded in 1965 and that pioneered land reclamation projects that shaped the Philippine real estate industry.
DLS-CSB chairman Cezar Consing recalled meeting Delfin Sr. nearly a decade ago, noting that even then, the late patriarch “viewed building infrastructure as noble—a tool for national development—rather than an opportunity to maximize personal gain at the expense of taxpayers.”
Currently in its early design stages, the campus is envisioned by Architect Ed Calma, the creative force behind the college’s iconic Design + Arts Campus along Pablo Ocampo Street in Malate, Manila.
Situated on about 3,845 square meters, the new building is designed to connect spaces “vertically and horizontally,” with learning areas linked to gardens, open-air lounges, collaborative zones, and light-filled studios, Benilde president Br. Edmundo Fernandez, FSC, said. It will feature layered terraces, integrated green spaces, and a clean, contemporary façade.
The campus will house the School of Environment and Design, the School of Management and Information Technology’s ACI Cluster, and freshman classes under the School of Multidisciplinary Studies.
“Naming this campus after my father honors his achievements and his belief in education as nation-building,” Buds Wenceslao said, calling the project a partnership between “the builders of cities and the builders of minds.”
Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez said the development offers young Paranaqueños a new pathway to quality, globally competitive education. Chairman Consing hopes to welcome students to the Delfin J. Wenceslao Jr. Campus by the 2027–2028 academic year.
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Meanwhile, DLS-CSB has upgraded its Airbus A320 cabin installation with Business Class seats and a Premier Lounge, unveiling the enhanced unit under its new name, Salle de Blagnac, after the Airbus headquarters in France.
The school partnered with SkyArt in 2022 to build the mock-up aircraft, which meets international standards and serves as the Cabin Service Trainer for SHRIM students. Built to scale, it replicates Airbus features, including panels, overhead bins, and a lavatory.
The upgrade adds Business Class and Premier Lounge components, functional BE Aerospace Sicma Lie-Flat First Class seats, and refurbished cushion covers. It also includes Passenger Service Units with reading lights and crew call buttons, oxygen mask compartments, intercom handsets, and safety systems.
“By upgrading the mock cabin to mirror real-world airline standards, we provide students with a more authentic, industry-relevant learning environment,” Benilde Tourism Management Program chairperson Frederick Ang said.
With these initiatives, DLS-CSB continues to prepare students to meet real-world challenges with confidence and practical skills.
