FundLife Opens the Dulag Dream Academy, A Climate-Resilient Learning and Sports Hub for Youth in Leyte

On January 17, 2026, FundLife officially opened the Dulag Dream Academy (DDA), a newly constructed integrated learning and sports facility in Barangay Rawis, Dulag, designed as a climate-adaptive hub for education, sports, and youth leadership.

Built in a disaster-prone and climate-vulnerable context, the Academy is expected to reach more than 800 children and youth, providing safe, resilient spaces that support education, wellbeing, and community preparedness. The opening marked the formal launch of a facility intentionally designed to respond to climate risks, environmental pressures, and limited access to safe public spaces, while strengthening local capacity through shared ownership and youth leadership. Once fully operational, the Dulag Dream Academy is expected to support over 2,500 children and youth per year through education, sports, and play-based programming.

In addition to serving as a dedicated community learning and sports hub, the Academy will include a small, community-oriented coffee shop designed to generate modest income to help sustain operations, maintain the facility, and ensure long-term impact for Dulag residents.

Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Integrating Learning, Sport, and Circular Design

The Dulag Dream Academy project combines the construction of a dedicated learning facility with the refurbishment of an existing multi-sports court, transforming the site into a multifunctional, climate-resilient community asset. The upgraded court enables regular futsal and sport-for-development activities while providing a durable, safe space that can be used year-round despite increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

A defining feature of the Academy is its integration of circular and climate-adaptive design principles. The building incorporates recycled plastic louvers, demonstrating how locally relevant waste materials can be repurposed into functional infrastructure that reduces environmental impact while enhancing durability and ventilation.

In total, 900 plastic louvers, each weighing 0.5kg, were installed as part of the construction, resulting in 450kg of plastic waste diverted from the environment and reused as a permanent architectural element. This approach directly contributes to plastic waste reduction, climate mitigation, and adaptive infrastructure development.

The climate-responsive design and use of recycled materials were made possible through the support and technical guidance of Common Goal and the funding of Adidas Move for the Planet, aligning the Academy with global efforts to embed climate action within community sports and education spaces.

Plastic for Play: Community-Led Climate Action Through Circular Solutions

A central moment of the opening was the symbolic signing of the Plastic for Play Initiative, a youth-led climate action partnership between FundLife International, the Municipality of Dulag, and the Department of Education Leyte Division. Plastic for Play links environmental action directly to education access by mobilizing children, youth, schools, and communities to collect plastic waste and donate it to the Dulag Plastic Recycling Facility managed by the Solid Waste Management Office of Dulag. Collected plastics will be processed and transformed into durable school chairs for public schools, addressing both plastic pollution and classroom shortages.

The initiative aims to support the production of 500+ recycled plastic chairs for schools in Dulag that currently lack adequate seating for learners. While the formal agreement remains under legal review, the symbolic signing reflects partners’ shared commitment to advancing locally driven, climate-adaptive solutions that improve learning environments.

Plastic Recycling Workshop: Building Climate Awareness Through Experiential Learning

To reinforce climate adaptation at the individual and community level, a plastic recycling workshop was conducted alongside the opening program, engaging more than 20 children from the community.

Each child brought plastic bottles from home and participated in hands-on learning activities focused on waste reduction and reuse. The children transformed plastic bottles into coin banks, demonstrating how everyday materials can be repurposed rather than discarded. The workshop emphasized practical climate action, environmental responsibility, and youth agency, key pillars of FundLife’s climate education approach.

Activating Climate-Resilient Sports Infrastructure

The opening culminated in a futsal exhibition game held on the refurbished multi-sports court, formally activating the space as a climate-resilient sports and learning environment. The exhibition involved more than 40 students from Rawis Elementary School.

The game illustrated how safe, well-designed sports infrastructure can serve as a platform for physical activity, social connection, and climate education, even in communities facing increasing environmental stress.

Community Leadership Driving Climate-Responsive Development

The development of the Dulag Dream Academy was led through strong local governance and youth leadership, ensuring the facility responds to real community needs and climate realities.

A local school enabled the project by allowing the use of land, while the Barangay Local Government Unit of Rawis and the Sangguniang Kabataan played active roles in shaping the Academy’s design, concept development, approvals, and preparatory work. Youth leaders were instrumental in presenting the project to community stakeholders, advocating for local approval, and supporting the signing of partnership agreements with FundLife.

The opening ceremony was attended by representatives from the FundLife Board, the Municipal Mayor of Dulag, the Solid Waste Management Coordinator of Dulag, the Barangay LGU of Rawis, Youth Council and Sangguniang Kabataan Federation representatives, and the Department of Education Leyte Division, reinforcing shared accountability for the Academy’s long-term sustainability.