Twenty-eight public elementary Mathematics teachers from Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI)’s partner schools across the Visayas and Mindanao officially launched Year 3 of the Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building Program at the Ateneo de Manila University campus, held from June 2 to 6, 2025.
This teacher development initiative is a key component of SBFI’s flagship Build a School, Build a Nationprogram, which has been addressing the nationwide shortage of classrooms since 2011. More than just building physical learning spaces, the program invests in developing educators to drive long-term, sustainable change in Philippine education.
“Mentorship is not just a ‘nice to have.’ It is the only way this work of transforming the nation through education becomes sustainable,” emphasized SBFI Chairman Rafael F. Simpao Jr. “It is the only way we build schools that do not collapse when one excellent teacher leaves or gets promoted.”
The three-year mentoring journey is designed to equip teachers not only with instructional innovations but also with leadership skills that create ripple effects within their schools and communities.
This final year emphasizes a shift from rote memorization to critical thinking and problem-solving. Classrooms now include reasoning-based prompts such as, “How did you get the answer?”, “Do you agree or disagree?”, and “Can you solve it another way?”
Among the promising action plans is “Take-Home Math Kits” by Gloria Tejero of Sabang Elementary School. This initiative aims to strengthen learners’ addition and subtraction skills through active collaboration between parents and teachers. The kits allow students to practice Math at home, with guided support from parents trained through teacher-led orientations and activities.
Another project, “Using Parents to Help in Comprehending Word Problems” by Liza Vallente of Jose Vicente Ferriols Elementary School, trains parents to support their children in solving word problems through simple workshops and take-home guides, enhancing both comprehension and confidence in Math.
The culminating output for Year 3 is the development of an innovative Community Engagement Plan, to be implemented and showcased by April 2026. These plans aim to go beyond traditional initiatives like Brigada Eskwela by mobilizing parents, barangay officials, LGUs, alumni, partner schools, and other stakeholders in a unified effort to improve numeracy outcomes.
#BetterBankingIsSustainable #MentoringFutureLeadersForNationBuilding #MathTeachersTraining #SecurityBankFoundation