In 1989, Rev. Fr. Rogelio B. Alarcon, O.P., then Rector and President, thought of introducing a program that makes use of a community as an educational resource. He initiated the practicum program (on-the-job-training) or application of what the Letran collegiate students learned from their academic subjects like Sociology, Theology, Marketing, Accounting, etc.

The initial stage was an immersion of the students by bringing them to Tala and matching the class with economically deprived families for learning-partnership. The program was intended to be a long-range plan that would establish a lasting relationship between the students and the adopted community. The choice of the place, to quote Fr. Roger, was because, “Tala is a welcoming community.”  The Martinian Brothers, a group of Dominican Missionaries stationed in Tala who were conducting a similar program were requested to assist in the implementation of Letran’s practicum program.

In 1992, the predecessor of Fr. Alarcon, Rev. Fr. Ramon Cercado, O.P., formalized the creation of the office which will be in-charged of this kind of program, the Extension Services Office. He likewise believed that the academe must include a feature, which would enable the Colegio to connect with the community and to learn altruism.

In 1999, a new Rector and President was elected, Rev. Fr. Edwin A. Lao, O.P. He shared the same vision as his predecessors, in addition to his dream of making the Colegio known for its “academic excellence with social relevance”, that is “to promote the importance of the extension services in realizing the Vision-Mission of the school.” The community service area of the Colegio’s Extension Services was expanded to include not only the immediate residents of Intramuros where the Colegio is located, but also to other poor communities in Metro Manila and as far as the Babuyanes Group of Islands. In the year 2000, the elementary department adopted the community Brgy. 655 in Intramuros while the high school department adopted the community of SAWATA in Dagat-dagatan, Navotas, Caloocan City. Also in the same year, the collegiate departments adopted the community of Brgy. 399 in Sampaloc, Manila. And on the year 2001, the Camiguin Mission Island in Calayan, Cagayan was included as one of the adopted communities of the Colegio.

In the year 2003, the collegiate departments adopted two new communities after leaving Brgy. 399. The College of Business Administration and Accountancy adopted the community of LOBACA in Brgy. San Antonio, Parañaque City and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences adopted the school community of Manila High School in Intramuros, Manila.

The year 2004 marked another breakthrough for the Extension Services. The Graduate School Department through the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) adopted the community of Brgy. 28 (KAWAL/LANDASKA) in Caloocan City. In the same year, as the Colegio de San Juan de Letran played a vital role in social development, the name Extension Services was changed to Center for Community Development. The Colegio is seen here as an institution committed to freely devoting its resources for the sake of others through its community development program, PUNLAD (People United Nurturing Love through Active and Dedicated service), directed towards the promotion of sustained improvement of the quality of life of the Filipino Poor.

Vision

Mission

The Center for Community Development (CCD) is responsible for building community awareness, directing and motivating the students and employees of the Colegio toward community service. It is responsible for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of the Colegio’s community development programs and projects, and the establishment of linkages for program assistance. It aims to contribute concretely to nation building through community involvement. It is tasked to support the Colegio’s aim of making Letranites dynamic builders and leaders and integrally formed individuals.

Specifically, the Center aims to:

1. Provide the Letranites the opportunity to be involved in community development works, as part of their formation.
2. Empower the people of the Colegio’s adopted community to work for the improvement of their quality of life.
3. Expand and strengthen networks of the Colegio with the external communities and organizations.

The logo bears the silver inscription of the name of the Colegio’s structural response to all its community development concerns, CENTER FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (formerly EXTENSION SERVICES DEPARTMENT), which was formally established in 1992.

This is to make known the Colegio is for “academic excellence with social relevance.” The circular pattern of the logo bordered in green color bespeaks of a Letranite who is a catalyst of change, ever hopeful, ever growing in meeting the challenges of real life situations.

The nurturing hand symbolizes the Letranite, a Filipino, who is proud of his heritage, customs and traditions and who works for the betterment of the marginalized members of the Filipino community. The green seedling at the center represents the Colegio’s community development program PUNLAD (People Nurturing Love through Active and Dedicated service) directed towards the promotion of sustained improvement of the quality of life of the poor. The cross with the Colegio’s colors, blue and red, shows the perfect pattern from which PUNLAD is rooted, active concern for others, uncompromising passion for social justice and Christ’s teaching of love of God and love of neighbor. The golden globe and the community of people where the Colegio belongs represents the dynamic Christian community, ever hopeful of tomorrow.