Building from the World Health Organization’s Constitution which states that “good health is a state of complete physical, social and mental well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” and in line with the launching of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) last September 2015; the De La Salle University through the Center for Social Concern and Action (DLSU-COSCA) has developed the Lasallian Health Education, Accessible Resources, and Training Services Project.

The HEARTS Program serves as a community engagement mechanism for DLSU to mainstream SDGs # 3, 5, & 16.

• Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.
• Goal 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
• Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

As an educational institution and a development partner, DLSU intends to collaborate with various stakeholders in improving the wellbeing of its partner communities through:

• Capacity-building aimed at empowering community health workers and/or advocates
• Partnerships with public and private institutions, professional groups, and the academe in providing basic health services to the marginalized sectors in Leveriza, Manila.

The HEARTS Project focuses on preventive healthcare and the family as the primary unit of intervention. Its key elements are the following:  Community Capacity Building, Public and Private Partnerships, Preventive Healthcare Advocacy.