Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) and Ideal Vision sealed a partnership to provide free vision screening and eyeglasses to 1,000 elementary pupils with potential eyesight problems studying at SBFI’s school building beneficiary schools.

The program was piloted last October 18, 2024 at SM Center San Pedro in Laguna involving 200 elementary pupils of Laguna Resettlement Community School (LRCS) checked by Ideal Vision’s resident optometrists.

The program was an expansion of SBFI’s flagship programs in education focusing on donating school buildings for public schools and training their teachers and school principals. During SBFI’s conduct of its training programs, teachers raised that poor eyesight is one of factors for their pupils’ low academic performances as it hinders their ability to see visual aids and read effectively.

Of the 200 pupils screened, 187 or 95% were found to need eyeglasses, which will be provided for free and matched to their corresponding eye grades and conditions by Ideal Vision.

The school actually has prior efforts to conduct vision screening and provide eyeglasses to their pupils but is challenged with limited funding. “Our school has a small program funded by collecting and selling empty plastic bottles to provide eyeglasses to pupils with eyesight problems. However, this initiative can only do so much. Many pupils still don’t have access to eyeglasses, so we’re truly thankful for the opportunity,” said Rosalie Mabale, LRCS Principal.

SBFI and Ideal Vision will distribute the eyeglasses one month after the screening. Beneficiary pupils will be assessed by the Ateneo Center for Educational Development, SBFl’s current training partner, to determine if their reading abilities have improved after receiving the eyeglasses.

#BetterBankingIsSustainable #SBFIVisionScreeningProject #IdealVisionCollaborationProject