De La Salle University

Br. Blimond Pierre Eilenbecker FSC, Br. Aloysius Gonzaga McGiverin FSC, and Br. Augusto Correge FSC, arrived in Manila[33] on March 10, 1911.[34] In two months time, on May 13, the six remaining Brothers of the Founding Community arrive in Manila. They were Br. Ptolomee Louis Duffaux FSC, Br. Goslin Camillus Henri FSC, Br. D. Joseph FSC, Br. Celba John Lynam FSC, Br. Imar William Reale FSC and Br. Martin FSC. De La Salle College officially opened its doors to 125 pupils on June 16, 1911. By July 10, the total number of students reached 175.[35]

On February 12, 1912, the college was incorporated under the sole ownership of the college director, who was then Eilenbecker.[35] Around this time, four more Brothers arrived to teach in Manila in response to Br. Blimond's request for more Brothers to handle the increased teaching load. There were two Frenchmen – Br. Wilfrid FSC of St. Joseph's College, Hong Kong and Br. Basilian Coin FSC from St. Paul's Institution in Seremban, Malaysia; and two Irishmen – Br. Dorotheus Joseph FSC and Br. Egbert Xavier Kelly FSC, one of the younger Brothers to volunteer to the missions. All of them were from the Penang District which the Philippines was under. The college was permitted to confer high school diplomas in the same year. Meanwhile, it received a charter from the Governor-General of the Philippines, allowing the college to confer associate degrees in commerce.[36] It started offering the degree as a two-year program in 1920.[17]

The college already had 425 students by 1921. Due to the lack of space in the original De La Salle College Paco campus, along with the growing population of its student and faculty, the college moved to its present location in 2401 Taft Avenue, Malate, Manila.[17] In 1931, the college discontinued its two-year commerce program in favor of a three-year Bachelor of Science in Commerce program, which was approved a year earlier.[16][17]

A few hours before the Imperial Japanese Army forcibly took the "Open City" of Manila a contingent of young La Salle boys led by a De La Salle Brother walked from Taft Avenue all the way towards the pre-war Ateneo de Manila, Padre Faura campus, a school with whom it shared a rivalry. During the initial outbreak of the invasion of Manila by the Japanese Marines, several La Salle boys helped secure and save Ateneo's prized "Jesuit Bell" along with several valuable Jesuit religious antiques just before the Japanese shock troops could enter Manila and ransack the Jesuits' pre-war campus.

The American De La Salle Christian Brothers were interred in the Japanese Los Banos, Laguna Prison for the duration of the three-year Japanese occupation of the Philippines while the other non-American Brothers led by then-Brother President Br. Egbert Xavier Kelly FSC and Br. Flavius Leo FSC, both from Ireland, were allowed by the Japanese to stay in the Taft Campus.

Initially, the De La Salle campus served as a secret shelter for several displaced civilians, wounded soldiers and Filipino guerilla fighters at the beginning of the Japanese occupation. However, later on it was occupied by the Japanese forces, and was made into military defense quarters on January 2, 1942.[16] Several repeated bombings severely damaged the DLSC campus. Despite this, classes continued as the Christian Brothers taught on during the Japanese occupation of Manila. During this time, several of the De La Salle boys along with the Ateneo boys had to set their school rivalry aside and share their classrooms with each other along with several other students from various neighboring schools. Several schools in Manila had discontinued their operations and closed down due to the fall of Manila to the Japanese invading forces. The DLSC high school classes were later on transferred to St. Scholastica's College, Manila in 1943.[37][38]

The classes were eventually discontinued at the De La Salle campus. On February 1, 1945, Japanese forces ordered the occupants of the DLSC and the surrounding vicinity to vacate the college. However, Br. Egbert Xavier Kelly FSC refused the order to vacate. On February 7, 1945, he was abducted by Japanese soldiers, and was never seen again. He was believed to have been mercilessly tortured and killed. On February 12 shortly after noontime, 20 Japanese soldiers came and forcibly barged into the DLSC campus and massacred 16 of the 17 De La Salle Brothers residing in the campus, along with 25 other residents.[16] Only one De La Salle Brother (Antonius von Jesus) and 21 other civilians survived the tragic event.[39]

Classes resumed in July 1945 with a class of incoming freshmen that was composed of 60 high school graduates. One year later, the College of Commerce reopened with its three-year BS Commerce program extended to a four-year program.[16][37] The High School Department of De La Salle College on Taft Avenue, Manila was dissolved in 1968 and transferred to La Salle Green Hills on Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong in Metro Manila.[40] The college, together with Ateneo de Manila University, gave birth to the Asian Institute of Management in the same year with assistance from the Ford Foundation and Harvard University.[40][41] Several other units were established in the following years.

St. Miguel Hall (formerly St. Benilde Hall)

The 1970s marked substantial developments in De La Salle College. The school became co-educational in 1973. On February 19, 1975, De La Salle College was granted university status. Since then it became known as De La Salle University (DLSU).[1] It also used the name De La Salle University – Manila.[42] Since 2008, it has since referred to itself only as De La Salle University, being its registered name in the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission.[43] The Grade School Department was deprecated in 1978.[6]

The 1980s were also significant for the institution. In 1981, De La Salle University shifted from the traditional semestral academic calendar to a trimestral one.[16] In 1987, the university, together with four other Lasallian institutions, became part of the De La Salle University System.[44] The system would later be dissolved in favor of De La Salle Philippines, a network of 16 Lasallian institutions. De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) became independent of the university in 1988. Benilde offers college courses not offered in De La Salle University.

An Mk 2 grenade was detonated outside the southern portion of the DLSU campus in front of a popular burger shop along Taft Avenue on September 26, 2010 at around 5:05 pm by opposing rival Law fraternities PST, the same day as the Philippine Bar exams conducted by the university.[45] The blast injured 47 individuals,[46] two of whom required limbs to be amputated.[47] Anthony Leal Nepomuceno was indicted by the Philippine Department of Justice on April 29, 2011, on the charge of detonating the device.[48]

In 2012, De La Salle Canlubang was formally merged with De La Salle University and became an extension of DLSU. It was inaugurated as the De La Salle University Science and Technology Complex (DLSU-STC), and later renamed as the De La Salle University – Laguna Campus.[11][49] In 2015, DLSU announced that it would open its Manila campus for senior high school students in response to the K–12 implementation.[50] The Senior High School (SHS) classes officially opened on June 1, 2016.[51] In December 2018, DLSU announced its plan to launch a new Learning Management System (LMS) called AnimoSpace, built based on the Canvas LMS software.[52][53] AnimoSpace was officially launched on January 15, 2019.[54]

An aerial shot of the DLSU Manila Complex

St. La Salle Hall

St. Joseph Hall

St. Miguel Hall

Velasco Hall

Don Enrique T. Yuchengco Hall

The main campus consists of 19 buildings (nine classroom buildings and 10 other buildings for administrative and auxiliary functions) located on a 5.45 ha (13.5-acre) lot in 2401 Taft Avenue, Malate, Manila. The campus faces to its right the main campus of De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde, a sister Lasallian institution, and the Vito Cruz Station of the Manila LRT Line 1. As part of the University Belt, several other colleges and universities, including St. Scholastica's College, Manila and Philippine Women's University, can be found near the campus.[10]

The buildings have a combined floor area of 136,685.98 m² (1,471,275.6 sq ft),[18] and mostly feature neoclassical design. These include:

• St. La Salle Hall, the first building in the campus. A four-storey neoclassical building,[55] its construction started in 1921 and was completed in 1924.[17] The building was designed by Tomás Mapúa, the first Filipino registered architect and subsequent founder of Mapúa Institute of Technology.[56] St. La Salle Hall was one of the very few Manila Buildings that survived the near total Destruction of Manila during the February to March Battle of Manila (1945). It has undergone retrofitting since 2010, and was completed in 2012.[57] The LaSallian, the official student newspaper of the university, identifies it as "DLSU's most historic building."[49] Likewise, it is the only Philippine structure featured in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die: The World’s Architectural Masterpieces, a book published by Quintessence Editions Ltd. in 2007.[58] St. La Salle Hall also houses the College of Business and School of Economics.[59]
• St. Joseph Hall, a six-storey building completed in 1956.[55][60] It was the location of the DLSU library from 1956 to 1985.[61] It houses the College of Science and DLSU's Discipline Office.[62]
• St. Miguel Hall, a four-storey building completed in 1969.[63] Originally known as the St. Benilde Hall, it was renamed in 1989 and houses the College of Liberal Arts.[44]
• Velasco Hall, a five-storey building completed in 1981.[55] It houses the College of Engineering.[44]
• Don Enrique T. Yuchengco Hall, a nine-storey neoclassical building. Completed in 2002, the building hosts 20 classrooms, six conference rooms, DLSU's administrative offices and the Teresa G. Yuchengco Auditorium, a three-storey 1,100-seater auditorium. It has a total floor area of 12,254 m² (131,900 sq ft).[64]
• Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall, a 20-storey 90-meter (300 ft) tall neoclassical building, making it the tallest academic building in the Philippines.[18][65] It has a total floor area of 28,000 m² (300,000 sq ft), and has parking space for up to 120 cars. The building, completed in 2006, houses more than 100 classrooms and faculty rooms, and the College of Education.[66]
• Enrique M. Razon Sports Center, a ten-storey neoclassical building that serves as the main sports facility of De La Salle University. It was built in 1998 to replace the old Brother Lucian Athanasius FSC Gym that was demolished in 2000 to give way for the construction of the Yuchengco Hall. The Sports Complex stands on a 3,155-square-meter (33,960 sq ft) lot located at the corner of Fidel Reyes St. (formerly named Agno Street) and Noli streets. This large and modern complex houses an Olympic-sized pool and track and field oval with balcony. It has basketball and volleyball courts. It also has table tennis courts, a dance and martial arts studio, and weight training rooms. The lower floors house a sports clinic, canteen, and bookstore. The facility also displays the championship banners and retired jerseys of notable athletes.[67][68]

Construction of the Henry Sy Sr. Hall began on December 2, 2010 as part of the university's Centennial Renewal Plan, a project that aims to construct and renovate facilities inside the campus. A 14-floor building, it replaced DLSU's football field and was completed by December 2012.[69][70] It is estimated to cost ₱1.4 billion (US$32.5 million).[7][71] In line with this, DLSU entered an eight-year agreement with the Philippine Sports Commission. Under the contract, DLSU will fund the ₱7.4 million (US$171,000)[7] renovation of the Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium. DLSU will get to use the facilities in return.[72][73][74]

The DLSU campus which is relatively small in size for its large student population, suffers from limited space. According to The LaSallian, each student had only 7.1 m² (76 sq ft) for himself in 2009. Crowding is expected to only get worse as the university's population has been continuously growing with the growth for 2008–2009 amounting to 27.7 percent. It has also expressed concerns regarding fire safety, citing possible evacuation difficulties should a fire occur at the Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall, and accessibility issues for fire trucks given the lack of wide roads to major buildings. At least three fires have occurred in the campus, including two at St. Joseph Hall.[75] To address the problem of limited space, DLSU has resolved to vertical expansion. However, this has resulted in overcrowded elevators.[18]

The Laguna campus is an extension of De La Salle University since 2012 and is located in Biñan City, Laguna, Philippines. The 50-hectare (120-acre) campus was built on land donated by the family of the late National Artist for Architecture De La Salle alumnus Leandro Locsin. It was originally known as De La Salle Canlubang (DLSC), a district school of De La Salle Philippines that provided science and technology-based primary, secondary, and tertiary education. In 2012, the administrations of DLSU and DLSC approved the integration of DLSC into DLSU, becoming the De La Salle University – Science & Technology Complex (DLSU-STC), and later renamed as the De La Salle University – Laguna Campus.[11]

As of 2018 only 0.6 ha (1.5 acres) of the Laguna campus is developed. Under the proposal, DLSU would expand the Colleges of Engineering, Computer Studies, and Science to DLSU Laguna due to its location inside the Laguna Technopark.[76] DLSU fears, however, that it might lose some of its students due to the distance of DLSU Laguna from Manila (around 42 km). The Laguna campus has two football fields, and offered 18 undergraduate degree programs by 2017.[49][77]

The Makati Extension Campus is an extension campus of DLSU in RCBC Plaza, Makati City, Philippines. The campus primarily serves the university's graduate business students.

In September 2013, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has awarded to De La Salle University the lease and development of a 1,395-square-meter (15,020 sq ft) institutional lot in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City. DLSU signed a contract with BCDA in October 2013. It is now the DLSU Rufino Campus College of Law provided by the Rufino family.[78][79]

In 2011, the Ortigas Extension Campus of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business moved from La Salle Green Hills in Mandaluyong City to the Ortigas Business District. The campus was located at the Wynsum Corporate Plaza, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines. The extension campus ceased operations in 2015, as their contract of lease expired on May of that year.

De La Salle University is the oldest member of De La Salle Philippines, a network of 16 Lasallian institutions established in 2006. DLSP is the successor of the De La Salle University System, a similar organization.[14][15] De La Salle Philippines is a member of an international network of Lasallian educational institutions. In 2021 the La Salle Worldwide website stated that the Lasallian order consists of about 3,000 Brothers, who help in running over 1,100 education centers in 80 countries with more than a million students, together with 90,000 teachers and lay associates.[91]

DLSU is also a member of several international university associations such as the ASEAN University Network, Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia, Association of Southeast and East Asian Catholic Colleges and Universities, Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning, International Association of Lasallian Universities, International Association of Universities, International Federation of Catholic Universities, United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia and University Cooperation for Internationalisation.[3][4] The university is also a member of local organizations, including the Philippine Association for Technological Education[5] and the South Manila Inter-Institutional Consortium.[6]

The University Student Government (USG) is the highest governing student organization. Under it are College Student Governments and Batch Student Governments for each of DLSU's colleges and student batches, respectively. The Legislative Assembly is the highest policy-making body.[92] Prior to a constitutional change in 2010, the USG was known as the Student Council. Among such changes with the new system is the Judiciary Branch, which was created to ensure the accountability of the elected officers in the University Student Government.[93] Among its activities were prohibiting the use of polystyrene in food packages in food kiosks along Agno Street, and raising ₱200,000 (US$4,630)[7] for the Archer Achiever Scholarship program.[94] It had a total endowment of ₱1,424,790.08 (US$32,900)[7] in 2010, including ₱558,000 (US$12,900)[7] appropriated by the university.[95]

Academic performance is rated from 4.0 (excellent) to 0.0 (fail). Grades 4.0 to 1.0 are separated by increments of 0.5, while 0.0 is immediately after 1.0.[114] Students who attain a grade point average of 3.8, 3.6, 3.4 and 3.2 are awarded upon graduation summa cum laude, magna cum laude, cum laude and honorable mention, respectively.[115] Graduation occurs every February, June and October.[116] DLSU had 1,050,[117] 1,114[118] and 734[119] candidates for graduation for its June 2010, October 2010 and February 2011 graduations, respectively.

DLSU has used the trimestral academic calendar in favor of the traditional semestral calendar since 1981.[16] An academic trimester usually lasts 14 weeks.[120] In contrast, the previous system employed 18-week semesters.

De La Salle's tuition fee is one of the highest in the Philippines in terms of annual payment and may vary in different colleges within the university. In 2013, tuition per trimester ranged from ₱57,000[121] (US$1,285)[7] for the College of Law to ₱90,000[122] (US$2,035)[7] for the College of Engineering. Meanwhile, the average graduate tuition fee per year in 2009 ranged from US$2,560 for Filipino students to US$2,610 for non-Filipino students.[123]

DLSU offers multiple scholarship and financial aid programs in both the undergraduate and the graduate levels.[124] High school valedictorians and salutatorians of all De La Salle Philippines schools are automatically exempted from paying fees under the Br. Andrew Gonzalez Academic Scholarship program.[125] Also, dependents of military personnel who died or became incapacitated during duty enjoy similar benefits through PD 577.[126] Meanwhile, children of faculty and staff, university athletes and performing artists, and senior editors of DLSU student publications are provided tuition fee discounts. Further financial assistance may be provided to students with annual family incomes less than ₱500,000 (US$11,600).[7] Aside from these, the Top 100 of the De La Salle College Admission Test (DCAT) are given full scholarship under the Archer Achiever Scholarship program.[127][128]

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) currently ranks DLSU in the 801-1000 bracket of its World University Rankings and 166th on its Asian University Rankings.[26] Times Higher Education (THE) included De La Salle University as the only Philippine private university in its list of World University Rankings and Asia University Rankings, where DLSU is currently placed in the 1001+ and 301-350 brackets, respectively.[130] Presently, De La Salle University holds the distinction of being the lone Philippine private university to appear in both the QS World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. The university has yet to appear in any edition of the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). DLSU is also currently ranked third in the Philippines by the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, after the University of the Philippines System and University of the Philippines Diliman, and ahead of Ateneo de Manila University and University of Santo Tomas.[131]

In March 2020, DLSU was recognized as the country’s most productive research institution based on publications indexed by Scopus. De La Salle University has produced more than 600 Scopus-indexed publications in 2019, which is the highest output on record for any Philippine institution in a single calendar year. DLSU’s publications comprise an estimated 15% of the national research output.[132][133] By June 2020, DLSU was able to list 4,113 indexed publications on the database, which is the second highest among Philippine higher education institutions or HEIs. Scopus’ most recent citation database stated 2019’s DLSU statistics reached 729, making it still the country’s leading research institution.[134]

In 2010, De La Salle University was identified by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as a Center of Excellence in seven disciplines (namely biology, chemistry, Filipino, information technology, literature, mathematics, physics), teacher education, and a Center of Development in the field of political science and engineering (namely chemical engineering, civil engineering, industrial engineering, electronics and communications engineering, computer engineering and mechanical engineering).[135] The university is also among the 40 institutions granted autonomous status by CHED as of 2010.[23] Autonomous institutions have the privilege to determine their own curriculum, and offer new courses without prior approval from CHED, among others. By 2016, 14 programs have been identified as Centers of Excellence and 5 programs have been identified as Centers of Development.[22] In 2018, De La Salle University ranked third in the university rankings based on Centers of Excellence and Centers of Development awarded by CHED, after University of the Philippines Diliman and University of Santo Tomas, and ahead of University of San Carlos and Ateneo de Manila University.[136]

It is the first of the only two institutions (the other being Ateneo)[137][138] granted the highest-level accreditation (Level IV) by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities.[1][24] In 2011, all of its undergraduate programs that are accredited by PAASCU are designated Level III while graduate programs are designated Level II.[139] As of 2021, 13 programs of DLSU hold a Level IV accreditation status according to the PAASCU website. These are Accountancy, Business, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Economics, Electronics Engineering, Elementary Education, Industrial Engineering, Liberal Arts, Mechanical Engineering, Sciences, and Secondary Education. Meanwhile, the Graduate Programs in Liberal Arts, Science and Education have a Level III accreditation, and the Manufacturing Engineering and Management program has a Level II accreditation. The master’s and doctoral programs in Business Administration are designated Level I.[140]

The facade of the former DLSU Library (now the Faculty Center) built in 1985[141]

The library of De La Salle University, now called The Learning Commons, transferred to the Henry Sy Sr. Hall in 2012[142]

The college library was established in 1956 upon the merger of the high school and college libraries. It was located on the first two floors of St. Joseph Hall with a seating capacity of 100 persons and a collection of almost 10,000 books.[141] Its collection includes 21,218 titles and 33,741 volumes on language and literature as of 2008,[143] 3,751 titles and 4,898 volumes on fine arts and music as of 2006,[144] and 17,999 titles and 26,526 volumes on philosophy and religion as of 2005.[145] A 2001 assessment places its number of periodicals at 14,362 titles.[146] The library has among the highest borrowing limit per person (30 books), longest loan period (14 days) and highest overdue fine (₱20 per day; US$0.46 per day).[7][147] The De La Salle University Learning Commons (University Library) is presently housed in the 14-floor Henry Sy Sr. Hall – the largest university library building in the Philippines. The Learning Commons occupy the 5th to the 13th floors.

The University Archives grew from its early beginnings in 1973 as the College Archives to a major department/unit in 1989, occupying the fourth floor of the DLSU Library. It holds materials of historical significance to the university (many of which were lost during the Second World War), and acts as its "official memory".[148] The Archives now holds not only the theses collection and the university records, but also the special collections (consisting of books as well as non-book materials, manuscripts and personal papers), faculty publications, De La Salle publications, LaSalliana collection, and museum artifacts among others. Its museum collection includes over 600 ceramic artifacts from Southeast Asia dating back as early as 200 BC, almost 400 specimens of rare Philippine banknotes and coins, over 200 artworks.[149] In addition, it has 298 volumes of film scripts, 766 audio tapes, 66 video tapes, 1,205 volumes on health and nutrition, and 1,050 books and journals on neurology and related disciplines, among others. Several of these collections were donations previously owned by various notable Lasallians, including Senator Jose Diokno, Don Francisco Ortigas Jr., José Javier Reyes, and Senator Lorenzo Tañada.[150]

The Museum is the university's collection of Philippine modern art donated by the heirs of Doreen Fernandez, a food critic. The collection comprises more than 400[151] works by several artists, including ten National Artists of the Philippines (namely Fernando Amorsolo, Benedicto Cabrera, Botong Francisco, José T. Joya, Ang Kiukok, Cesar Legaspi, Arturo R. Luz, Vicente Manansala, Jeremias Elizalde Navarro and Hernando R. Ocampo).[152]

The De La Salle University Chorale is "the premiere chorale group in the university."[186] Since its establishment in 1987,[44] it has won several awards from different international choir competitions, including the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in 1992 and 2010 for the chamber and folk music,[187][188] and the grand prize in the Tampere Vocal Music Festival in 1995,[189] among others.[190][191]

The La Salle Dance Company – Street is the first champion of the UAAP Street Dance Competition, an annual event organized by the University Athletic Association of the Philippines since it was first introduced in the second semester of UAAP Season 73 in 2011.[192][193] They have won the most number of titles in the seniors' division of the UAAP Street Dance Competition with four championships.[194][195] They also represent the country as frequent finalists in the World Hip Hop Dance Championships. Other groups in the company specialize in contemporary and folk.[196]

Established around 1966, the Harlequin Theatre Guild is the official theater organization of DLSU.[197] It has performed plays written by Palanca Awards laureates, including Unang Ulan ng Mayo (Tagalog for First Rainfall of May) by John Iremil Teodoro, which was staged for the fourth time in December 2011 in line with the LGBT month of Metro Manila[198] and Rizal is My President: 40 Leadership Tips from Jose Rizal by Joshua So based on the book written by Napoleon G. Almonte and staged during the May 2009 Presidential Elections.[199][200] Other notable organizations include the De La Salle Innersoul, Green Media Group, and Lasallian Youth Orchestra.

Green Archer Statue

The De La Salle Green Archers in 2010

De La Salle has several varsity teams and sport clubs participating in different sports competitions, most notably basketball, volleyball, football and cheerleading.[201][202] The university was a founding member in 1924 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), in which it won five General Championships (1972–73, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1977–78, and 1980–81) until La Salle withdrew from the league in 1981. Br. John Lynam FSC, established the first De La Salle basketball team. In 1924, he was one of the organizers of the pre-war National Collegiate Athletic Association as the first and oldest collegiate athletic association in the Philippines composed of De La Salle, San Beda, Ateneo, Letran, UP, UST, FEU, NU and UM. In 1986, De La Salle University was admitted into the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), an intercollegiate sporting association formed in 1938.[44][203] Ever since joining the UAAP in 1986, DLSU has won three UAAP General Championships – Season 75 (2012–13),[204] Season 76 (2013–14),[205] and Season 78 (2015–16),[206] giving the university a combined eight General Championship titles in the seniors' division in the NCAA and UAAP.

The DLSU Animo Squad was originally known in its pre-war NCAA years as Br. John Lynam's 1924 LaS Rah! Rah! Boys, then in 1926 as the LSC Yell Commanders. The DLSC Squad was the first and oldest Collegiate Coed Spirit Team in the Philippines. It was renamed decades later on as the post-war DLSC Cheerleading Squad, then in the 1980s as the DLSU Pep Squad until 2008, when it was renamed by Br. Bernard Oca FSC, as the present DLSU Animo Squad. The DLSU Green & White Spirit Team has since then won five cheer dance podium finishes in the span of its UAAP participation, in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2011 and 2013. The original Lasallian cheerleading spirit team was formally established in 1924 to 1926 with four LaS Rah! Rah! Boys / LSC Yell Command pioneers. Br. John Lynam's pre-war LaS Rah! Rah! Boys, as well his LSC and DLSC Yell Commanders up to Br. Bernard Oca's present DLSU Animo Squad has been continuously cheerleading for 95 years.

The first members of the LaS, LSC and DLSC cheerleading squad were all male until the inclusion of female cheerleaders in the early 1970s. The DLSC cheerleading squad was the first spirit team in the NCAA and the UAAP to have female cheerleaders. The first female DLSC cheerleaders were cross-enrollees from St. Scholastica's College, Manila before De La Salle College turned co-educational in 1973. During De La Salle's pre-war years in the old NCAA, Lasallites enjoyed singing several battle songs such as "Men of La Salle!, "On Into The Fight - Green Archer Song", "Cheer! Cheer! For O'l De La Salle" and several more.

In 1941, the DLSC Green & White yearbook featured a vintage black and white photo of four elementary school boys who proudly wore their Green Archer costumes that formed the first Green Archer Grade School boys mascot cheerleading squad. The tradition of singing Br. Stephen Malachy and Br. Bonaventure Richard's "Hail to De La Salle" Alma Mater Song (composed in 1961) after every Lasallian gathering, event and varsity game while doing the defiant raised, clenched fist "HAIL!, HAIL!, HAIL!" salute has been performed since 1964. This famous Lasallian tradition was defiantly initiated by the DLSC cheerleading squad during the final buzzer of the Green Archers' only winless 1965 NCAA basketball season. At that historical moment, the DLSC Yell Command proudly showcased the indestructible "Invictus La Salle!" school spirit. De La Salle started the tradition of proudly singing the De La Salle Alma Mater Song at the end of all its then NCAA matches which were later followed by other rival universities and colleges in the NCAA and UAAP.[207]