In 2001, the De La Salle Brothers of the Philippine District established a transformation center for children in conflict with the law in Bacolod City. The facility sought to nurture young children to become well-adjusted, responsible, well-educated, and confident individuals who are able to positively contribute to community and country. After years of operation, the center produced good results and became a milestone in Western Visayas.
The vision to have a similar facility in the island of Luzon became a reality when the groundbreaking ceremony for the Bahay Pag-asa Dasmariñas took place at the De La Salle University-Dasmariñas (DLSU-D) Campus on May 22, 2008. This endeavor was a joint undertaking with the De La Salle Health Sciences Institute (DLS-HSI) and support from the PLDT SMART Foundation, Inc.
The Center is DLSU-D's response to the call from the Center of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Rome and the Philippine District Chapter to all De La Salle Brothers and Lasallian partners addressing the needs of our youth-at-risk and brings hope and help them become responsible individuals of our society.
The Bahay Pag-asa has crafted several programs for its residents including:
- Basic Education
- Spiritual Formation and Values Education
- Livelihood and Skills Training Program
- Post Release Program – parent education, family counseling, home visits, job referrals and placement, scholarships, guardianship, hotline services, cooperative learning groups, legal assistance, peer support networking, entrepreneurial skills, and homecomings.