Amid the quiet expanse of the Riverside Campus Arboretum, a new story began to take root on October 1—a story of growth, stewardship, and collective responsibility. Through the LPU Green Project, the Community Extension Office (ComEx), in partnership with First Gen, Energy Development Corporation (EDC), and BINHI, the Lycean community gathered to plant more than trees—they planted purpose.
The event began with words from Dr. Alex Ylagan, Director of the ComEx, who spoke about how each seed symbolizes the university’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and social impact. Dr. Cecille Pring, Vice President for Academics and Research, followed with a warm welcome that celebrated the partnership between education and advocacy, a bridge that connects learning with living purposefully.
Carrying this message forward, Dr. Conrad Dotong, Assistant Vice President for Academics and Research and Chair of the LPU Green Project 2025, shared how environmental action grows stronger when anchored in shared vision and collective effort.
Adding an industry perspective, Mr. Rich Paul Cosio, representative of the Watershed Management Office and Forester Corporate Relations of EDC, underscored how collaborations like these sustain not only the environment but also future generations. Through BINHI’s reforestation and biodiversity initiatives, this partnership ensures that every Lycean’s contribution echoes through ecosystems and communities alike.
As the morning sun broke through the canopy, students, faculty, and partners knelt to press seedlings into the soil—each one a promise of tomorrow. The Arboretum came alive with movement and hope, a living testament to what education can cultivate when knowledge meets care.
The day concluded with Mr. Eric Orolfo, Overall Chair of the 59th Founding Anniversary Celebration of LPU-Batangas, who expressed his gratitude to everyone who took part in the initiative. His closing remarks encapsulated the spirit of the celebration, one that honors the past while sowing the seeds for a greener, more sustainable future.
Each leaf that sprouts, each tree that thrives, and each mind inspired continues the cycle of change that begins here, rooted in purpose, reaching for the future.
