ABOITIZ Group—a Filipino conglomerate cited by the Department of Education as the Philippines’s biggest contributor to public education in 2015—once again gave its share in the national preclass opening spruce-up drive, expected to benefit over 20,000 students all over the country.
Heeding the government’s call for volunteerism, the organization rallied more than 1,500 team members nationwide from 24 business units (BUs) for its yearly groupwide Brigada Eskwela activity this year.
“Brigada Eskwela is a major part of the Aboitiz Group’s annual team-member engagement program and is likewise an embodiment of our Group Purpose: To drive change for a better world. We have always stood firm in our belief that it is in our schools that we can make a big difference in the lives of many,” said Erramon I. Aboitiz, assistant executive vice president and CEO.
“We ultimately do our part in cocreating safe, empowered and sustainable communities by providing students with an environment that not only provides safe and well-maintained classrooms, but also fosters lifelong learning,” he added. On May 20, a total of 318 volunteers in Manila volunteered to repaint the interior and exterior walls, ceilings, doors, blackboards, grills, desks, armchairs and windows of classrooms at Upper Bicutan and Ricardo P. Cruz Sr. Elementary Schools in Taguig City. Joining them were several Aboitiz scholars and Aboitiz Future Leaders Business Summit alumni.
The Aboitiz Brigada Eskwela in Manila leg was supported by the local government unit of Taguig City, led by Mayor Lani Cayetano and Vice Mayor Ricardo Cruz Jr., who also helped repaint chairs during the activity.
“There’s a saying that ‘it takes a village’ to raise or educate a child, and now we can really see that. We can see the whole community actually working together for our students. Aboitiz is not just a company with a focus on their own business, but we can really feel—not just in this school, but in many other schools in Taguig City—the programs of Aboitiz, and we’re very happy about that. This will surely inspire our students to study well,” Cayetano said.
Outside of Manila, volunteers from other Aboitiz BUs in Luzon (123) Visayas (514) and Mindanao (532) also participated in this annual classroom-rehabilitation program conducted in public schools nationwide. Following the first wave of Aboitiz Brigada Eskwela activities, more will be undertaken by other BUs in the next few weeks.
Participating BUs this year included Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Aboitiz Foundation, AboitizPower, Balamban EnerZone, Cotabato Light, CitySavings, Davao Light, East Asia Utilities Corp., Hedcor, LiMA EnerZone, Luzon Hydro Corp., Mactan EnerZone, PETNET, Pilmico, SacaSun, Subic EnerZone, SN Aboitiz Power, Therma Luzon Inc., Therma Marine Inc., Therma Mobile Inc., Therma South Inc., Therma Visayas Inc., WeatherPhilippines and VECO.
The group has long been backing up and participating in this initiative as part of its team-member engagement programs since 2008.
As of end-2016 all the 11,100 of them have helped repair and repaint 1,234 public schools nationwide in nine annual Brigada Eskwela activities. Its corporate arm, the Aboitiz Foundation, has also been a supporter of Philippine education reform. By putting up more Aboitiz BetterWorld schools, it aims to achieve universal public education.
This, in turn, aids achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, specifically on quality education to guarantee inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.