MANILA, Philippines, June 6, 2008 – The PLDT Smart Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PLDT and Smart, the country’s leading telecoms group, today announced a gift of P10 million to help fund a juvenile rehabilitation center on the campus of De La Salle University-Dasmariñas. The official groundbreaking of the center, to be called PLDT Smart Bahay Pagasa, was held last week.

The center will be the first of its kind in Luzon. La Salle has a similar juvenile rehabilitation center at its campus in Bacolod.

 “Juvenile rehabilitation is a long-neglected area and we are determined to help and change the lives of these young people,” said Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of the PLDT Smart Foundation.

 “This is an urgent task we need to address. Thousands of juvenile delinquents today-not helped and reformed-will be our nation’s criminals tomorrow, and hardened at that,” added Brother Augustine Boquer, DLSU Cavite President and Bacolod Bahay Pagasa founder.

 “We plan to complete this center by November of this year. We hope this will be the first of many transformation centers for children-in-conflict with the law,” said Anthony Pangilinan, Executive Director for Juvenile Rehabilitation of the PLDT Smart Foundation.

Among those present at the groundbreaking ceremony were Br. Victor Franco, Chairman, Board of Trustees, DLSU-D / DLSU-HSI; Br. Augustine “Gus” Boquer, President of  DLSU-D / DLSU-HSI; Mr. Anthony Pangilinan, Executive Director for Juvenile Rehabilitation of the PLDT Smart Foundation, and PLDT group’s student campers; Congressman Elpidio Barzaga of the 2nd district Cavite; Mayor Jenny Barzaga of Dasmariñas Cavite; Bing Diaz of DOJ’s Juvenile Justice Welfare Council; Br. Dante Amisola and Br. Felipe who represented the La Sallian community; Benefactors Gretchen Cojuanco, Menchu Henson, Lanniebel Javelosa and Ms. Gloria Rodriguez.

The PLDT Smart Foundation is one of the major philanthropic institutions in the Philippines. The Foundation is an undertaking by PLDT and Smart Communications, the leading fixed line, wireless and information and communications technology companies in the Philippines. The Foundation aims to assist in the country’s overall development with particular emphasis on poverty alleviation, microfinance, disaster recovery management, juvenile rehabilitation, education and sports.

The Bahay Pagasa program is in line with the PLDT group’s 80th year anniversary theme, “We’re changing lives.”