The Department of Education has entered into an agreement with the SM Group and a foreign financial institution for the construction of school buildings worth over P17 million in order to address classroom backlog.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro signed the agreement with SM Foundation Executive Director Debbie Sy; Banco de Oro (BDO) Foundation President and Board of Trustees Member Maureen Abelardo; BDO Unibank, Inc. Vice Chairperson and BDO Foundation Board of Trustees Member Cora de la Paz – Bernardo; BDO Unibank, Inc. Adviser to the Board of Directors and BDO Foundation Board of Trustees Member Jesus Tirona; and Deutsche Bank’s Chief Country Officer Enrico S. Cruz and Country Chief Operations Officer Rhoneil S. Fajardo.

Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said the resource gap in the country’s public school system is so huge that any help from other sectors especially private businesses is most welcome.

The agreement between DepEd and SM Prime calls for the construction of a one unit two-storey four-classroom school building with toilets in Dasmariñas, Cavite. Also, six units of a one-storey two-classroom school building with toilet  will be constructed - one each in Davao City and General Santos City; two units in Pampanga; one in Sariaya, Quezon, and; one in Cebu City. The donation will also include armchairs, teacher’s tables and chairs, wall fans, blackboards and signage. The total project cost is P10.8 million.

On the other hand, SM Prime and Deutsche Bank pooled P2.150 million each to build  a one storey two classroom unit in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan and a two-storey, four-classroom unit in Brgy. Tanza,Navotas City.

Meanwhile, SM Prime and BDO Foundation will jointly build a P2.2- million worth one storey four-classroom school building with toilets plus armchairs, teacher’s table and chair, wall fans, blackboards and a signage for students of Banisil National High School in Bgy. Tambler in General Santos City.

All these three agreements will fall under the Adopt-A-School Program, one of DepEd’s most effective and creative ways of enjoining private sector participation in public education.

SM Prime, BDO Foundation, SM Foundation and Deutsche Bank are participants to the private sector-led Bayanihang Pampaaralan of the 57-75 Movement which seeks to generate resources to build 10,000 classrooms within two years.