Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) turned over its first two-storey, ten-classroom school building donation on December 10, 2019 to Tikay Elementary School in Malolos City, Bulacan. Through its “Build a School, Build a Nation: The Classrooms Project,” SBFI helps the Philippine government address classrooms shortage in public schools by donating classrooms while complementing it with trainings for teachers and school heads – holistically improving the quality of education. In 2019, Security Bank Foundation expanded its classrooms donations to include two-storey, ten-classroom school buildings to further bridge the gap for public schools with significant classrooms shortages.
The principal of the beneficiary school, Nova Santiago, shared a poem aptly titled “SBFI” – the acronym of Security Bank Foundation, Inc. – to describe her appreciation of The Classrooms Project: “S – Salamat ang unang salita sa mga taong nagsimula, ibinahagi ang lakas, dunong at tiyaga, upang ang gusali ay sa Tikay maibigay. B – Buong kumunidad inyo pong napahanga, ganda at tikas tunay na nakakamangha. Bawat matang makakita, sila’y napapatulala. F – Forever po namin kayong pasasalamatan, sa anuman at kailanman di po malilimutan. I – Iuukit po sa puso’t isipan, Security Bank pasasalamat magpakailanman, hiling sa buong Maykapal na pagpalain at magpatuloy ng tunay ang inyong higit pang tagumpay.”
Security Bank Foundation was established as Security Bank’s corporate social responsibility arm with the aim of uplifting the quality of life in various communities where Security Bank has a presence. “We focused our advocacy on education because we believe that education is the greatest equalizer in life for it will give every person the opportunity to succeed in life, no matter what his or her social and economic background may be. We also found wisdom in an old Chinese Proverb, which I quote: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,” explained Rafael F. Simpao, Jr., chairman of Security Bank Foundation.
“Katulad po ng Chinese proverb na binanggit ni Mr. Simpao, ito pong ginawa ninyong ito ay dadami at magiging binhi. Isang daang higit na marami ang bunga dahil ito ay inyong itinanim sa mga mamamayan. Sila ay uusbong at muli nila itong ihahasik sa iba ang kabutihang ito,” said Hon. Gilbert Gatchalian, mayor of Malolos, Bulacan. “Kaya sa ngalan ng 260,000 mamamayan ng lungsod ng Malolos, Bulacan, salamat dahil hindi niyo lang dinagdagan ang halaga ng inyong sarili ngunit inyo ring dinagdagan ang halaga ng mga taong nasa paligid ninyo,” Hon. Gatchalian added.
Dr. Norma Esteban, schools division superintendent of Department of Education (DepEd) Malolos City, highlighted the critical role of DepEd in maximizing the impact of Security Bank Foundation’s The Classrooms Project: “The challenge now is on how we [in DepEd] translate this beautiful building into the improvement of the academic performance of our students.”
Since 2011, Security Bank Foundation’s The Classrooms Project has already turned over 499 classrooms benefitting 95 schools in 51 cities and municipalities nationwide. Security Bank Foundation has also trained 1,387 teachers and 94 school principals in partnership with Ateneo De Manila University and De La Salle Philippines.
To know more about the Security Bank Foundation, visit www.securitybank.com/foundation.” by the end