With the yearly increase in the number of students in the country, the public schools face the problem of classroom shortage and poor learning conditions for students. Teachers often times hold classes in basketball courts or under the shade of trees within the school compound. Old and dilapidated classrooms and small storage rooms are also being used by the schools to accommodate shifting classes with over 50 students per class.
To help address the problem on the shortage of classrooms in Iloilo City, Security Bank Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Security Bank Corporation, donated twelve (12) classrooms for Bakhaw Elementary School and A. Bonifacio Elementary School. “We saw how difficult the learning conditions are in the public schools, so we decided to help build new classrooms for needy public schools. By building new learning facilities, we leave behind a legacy that will benefit many students for many years.”, Security Bank Foundation Chairman Rafael F. Simpao, Jr. explains.
With Security Bank Foundation’s donation of new classrooms in Iloilo City, the schools will have more classrooms conducive for learning for their students, class sizes will be reduced to below 50 students per class, shifting classes will be minimized and the number of class hours will be longer.
The twelve (12) classrooms with comfort rooms for the two (2) public school beneficiaries were inaugurated last March 26, 2014. Hon. Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, Chairman on Education Committee of Iloilo City Hon. Councilor Jason Gonzales, DepEd Division of Iloilo City Superintendent Ms. Nelly H. Valerio, Ateneo de Manila University Vice President for Social Development Atty. Jaime Hofilena, Security Bank Senior Vice President and VisMin Region Head Jason Ang, Security Bank Foundation Chairman Rafael F. Simpao, Jr. and Trustee / Corporate Secretary Melissa R. Aquino led the ceremonial ribbon cutting.
In attendance during the event were Security Bank Foundation Program Manager Mel Vigo-Cordova, Security Bank Iloilo Business Managers Lanie Uy and Ann Aguilar with Security Bank Iloilo clients, members of the City Government of Iloilo and DepEd Division Office of Iloilo City, teachers and students of Bakhaw Elementary School and A. Bonifacio Elementary School.
The donation of twelve (12) classrooms to the two (2) public school beneficiaries in Iloilo City is part of the Foundation’s “Build a School, Build a Nation: The Classrooms Project”. The project is a partnership for the construction of Public School Classrooms initiated by Security Bank Foundation in partnership with Ateneo de Manila University over a period of 3-5 years. Funding from Security Bank Foundation will be supported by Ateneo’s design of academic programs that will help improve the academic performance of students in public schools.
Security Bank Foundation’s Classrooms Project also expanded and reached more communities when it partnered with AGAPP Foundation in June 2012 to help build kindergarten classrooms for public schools in communities where Security Bank has presence.
To date, Security Bank Foundation has completed and funded 121 classrooms, inclusive of 40 kindergarten classrooms, 61 classrooms for elementary schools and 20 classrooms for public high schools benefitting 18 schools in Luzon (Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Baguio, Laguna Cavite, Isabela, Bicol) 10 schools in the Visayas (Mandaue, Iloilo, Bacolod, Tacloban) and 10 schools in Mindanao (Davao, Tagum, Davao del Norte, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga).
In response to the Government’s call for support for the new K+12 Education Program of the Department of Education, Security Bank Foundation’s Classrooms Project is committed to build 200 classrooms for public schools nationwide to benefit 10,000-15,000 students every school year and to reduce the gap of over 40,000 classrooms in the country.
For 2014, Security Bank Foundation is committed to build another sixty (60) new classrooms for public schools affected by the 2013 Bohol Earthquake and Super Typhoon Yolanda in the communities of Ormoc and Tacloban in Leyte, Tagbilaran in Bohol and Roxas City in Capiz.
To know more about the Security Bank Foundation, visit www.securitybank.com/foundation.