PBSP to help Basilan, Tawi-Tawi schools through Brigada Eskwela

PBSP to help Basilan, Tawi-Tawi schools through Brigada Eskwela
By Danny Escabarte, PBSP
May 20, 2010


Butuan City (20 May) - Thirty-nine (39) schools in conflict-affected areas of Basilan and sixty-two (62) other schools in farflung Tawi-Tawi will get assistance from the Philippine Business Progress (PBSP) through its Brigada Eskwela initiatives.

At least 234 schools from the most-needy areas in the country have been identified by PBSP to benefit from the Brigada Eskwela assistance. Companies, partners and other donors are encouraged to support this initiative through PBSP.

As an expression of corporate social involvement PBSP have gathered and mobilized donations from its member companies and partners, for the repair and cleanup of public schools through the Department of Education?s annual Brigada Eskwela.

Brigada Eskwela is part of the bigger education program of PBSP. 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 improve the quality of education and equip schools with Information Technology (IT) capabilities, PBSP members and donors spent P101 Million last year.

Of this amount, P 1.5 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. PBSP pulls these donations together and ensures that they reach the intended beneficiaries.

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 sausages from CDO Foodsphere, Inc.

PBSP members and partners are encouraged to join Brigada Eskwela by donating cleaning materials, books and school supplies, slippers or shoes and school bags, food for baon, among others. Employees are also encouraged to share their time as volunteers to scrub floors, fix damaged desks, and repaint walls.

More than 43,000 public schools nationwide are preparing to welcome millions of elementary and high school students for the start of the school year in June. This year's Brigada Eskwela will be held from May 24 until 28. (PBSP/PIA-Caraga)