PBSP to fix schools for opening of classes

BRIGADA ESKWELA
PBSP to fix schools for opening of classes
Cebu Daily News, Community section
May 7, 2010


More than 43,000 public elementary and high schools are preparing to welcome the start of the school year.

The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) will help gather donations for the repair and cleanup of public schools through the Department of Education's (DepEd) annual Brigada Eskwela. This year, Brigada Eskwela will be held from May 24 to 28.

The PBSP has identified 234 schools from the most-needy areas in the country that will benefit from the Brigada Eskwela assistance.

The largest corporate-led foundation in the country, PBSP aims to help reduce poverty by improving the quality of education in public schools, bringing children to school and keeping them from dropping out.

To imrpove the quality of education and equip schools with Information Technology (IT) capabilities, PBSP members and donors spent P101 million last year.

Of this amount, P1.5 million worth of donations were mobilized for Brigada Eskwela.

The donations included paints and repair materials, books, school supplies, food provisions and first aid kits.

This year, PBSP has received early donations of educational magazines from Diwa Learning Systems, storytelling books from The Bookmark Inc., and assorted books from Goodwill Bookstore and Adarna House.

Other donations are notebooks from Sterling Paper Products, pencils and paper from Manila Bankers Life Insurance and Jopa Enterprises  Inc., and Vienna canned sausages from CDO Foodsphere Inc.

For schoolbuilding repairs in the Visayas, Union Galvasteel Corporation will donate roofing materials, while Virginia Foods Corporation will provide additional supplies.

Golden Prince Hotel also donated a one-classroom schoolbuilding to the pupils of Cabancalan Elementary School, which will be officially turned over to the school during the conduct of Brigada Eskwela.

PBSP members and partners are encouraged to join Brigada Eskwela by donating cleaning materials, books and school supplies, slippers, shoes, school bags and food for snacks, among others.

Employees are also encouraged to share their time as volunteers to scrub floors, fix damaged desks and repaint walls.

For details, please contact Maricar Olivia Jabido of PBSP at 2325270 or 2325283 or through email at MGJabido@pbsp.org.ph.