DepEd receives over Php 8.4M worth of donations during Brigada Eskwela Kick-off

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Private partners turn over bicycles, boats, solar-powered lamps, school supplies, and ceremonial library keys to Department of Education officials during the Brigada Eskwela kick-off program at Sta. Cruz Pingkian National High School, Nueva Vizcaya.

With the Brigada Eskwela 2016 kick-off and the preparation for the opening on June 13, various partners from the private sector donated boats, bicycles, solar-powered lamps, and school supplies that amounted to at least Php 8.4 million.

San Miguel Foundation, Inc. donated 1,000 bicycles worth Php 3,000,000 for several schools nationwide. 81 bicycles were distributed to students of Sta. Cruz Pingkian National High School, while 150 bicycles were given out to students of Kakiduguen National High School in Nueva Vizcaya.

Meanwhile, a boat was donated by Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation to ferry 24 children to and from school in a remote community in Nueva Vizcaya.

ICAD Foundation donated 1,443 solar lamps while One Meralco Foundation, Inc. donated 10,000 lamps.

The Latter Days Saint Charities likewise donated a total 2,825 solar-powered lamps worth Php 847,500.00.

In addition to these, the National Bookstore Foundation, Inc. donated an additional 5,000 sets of school supplies and also pledged to build libraries in 5 schools in Nueva Vizcaya.

The donations amounted to Php 8,397,500 benefitting thousands of students from various elementary and secondary schools.

Brigada Eskwela kick-off program

The bicycles, boats, solar lamps, and ceremonial library key were turned over to the Department of Education (DepEd) officials at Sta. Cruz Pingkian National High School, Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya, where the Brigada Eskwela 2016 natonal kick-off program was held.

Brigada Eskwela is a nationwide program that aims to bring together teachers, parents, and community members to prepare schools for the start of classes in June. 

In his welcoming remarks, DepEd Nueva Vizcaya Schools Division Superintendent Samuel Soliven expressed gratitude to all the donors “who have come here to share their resources to the last, the least, and the lost.”

DepEd Region II Regional Director Estela Carino said she is deeply thankful for giving her office the chance to hold the Brigada Eskwela kick-off program before DepEd Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC steps down as education chief.

“We have decided to hold Brigada Eskwela here in Nueva Vizcaya. Every year, we bring the national kick-off ceremonies to different regions to convey the message that Brigada Eskwela is for all,” Undersecretary for Partnerships and External Linkages Mario Deriquito said.

Deriquito added that, “We have been doing this for 14 years since 2003. Let us make sure that everything in our schools gets fixed... let us emphasize and give priority to safety. Let us identify the underserved schools and let us help them.”

“Brigada Eskwela is not just for schools but for the whole community,” Luistro said. 

‘Kayang kaya pa’

In a separate press conference, Luistro said that DepEd wanted to hold the Brigada Eskwela kick-off program in an indigenous community.

Sta. Cruz Pingkian National High School caters to learners from indigenous communities.

“K to 12 is about the last mile also. It’s also about non-formal education. It’s also about the IP (indigenous peoples) communities. It’s also about 6th class municipalities,” Luistro said.

“If you look at the map of where we are putting up the senior high schools, we wanted to make sure that all the way to the 6th class municipalities, there are senior high schools. The special groups that we have included in the last mile efforts—street children, those with disabilities, IP groups—they are all part of this,” he added.

“Looking at the landscape, Kayapa has the best population of all of those last milers; besides, Kayapa can also be read as ‘Kaya pa.’ Last push, kayang kaya pa,” Luistro noted.

Belle gives life to learning

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Belle Corporation participated in this year’s Brigada Eskwela wherein 71 rooms from five schools were refurbished.

GIVING back to its community counterparts, Belle Corporation helped give life to the four walls of learning of hundreds of students by tapping its five beneficiary schools for Brigada Eskwela, an annual initiative of Department of Education (DepEd).

Belle Corporation takes part in this year’s Brigada Eskwela, an annual initiative of Department of Education (DepEd), by working hand in hand with the whole community in painting classrooms and other facilities

With this year’s theme, Tayo Para sa Kalinisan, Kaligtasan at Kahandaan ng ating mga Paaralan, Belle employees worked hand in hand with the whole community in painting classrooms and other facilities in Sulpoc, Aya, Montaña, Tranca, and Quilling Elementary Schools. The project was implemented from May 20-29, just in time before the pupils went back to school.

To provide the students a better and conducive learning arena, Belle Corporation participated in DepEd’s Brigada Eskwela 2015 where 71 rooms from five schools were refurbished.

Color, after all, has proven to have a paramount effect in the information absorption and recall as studies have shown that colors stimulate particular brain functions.

From the five schools, a total of 71 rooms were refurbished, including principal’s offices, computer and home economics rooms, to provide the students a better and conducive learning arena.

Community building and volunteerism were promoted as over 90 employees from Belle Corporation stepped out of their air conditioned offices, and under the scorching heat of the sun to help improve some of the local public schools in the country.

Through this activity, community building and volunteerism were promoted as over 90 employees stepped out of their air conditioned offices, and under the scorching heat of the sun, worked hand in hand with the parents and teachers in the improvement of their local public schools.

Brigada Eskwela is an annual nationwide program of DepEd which is usually held every two weeks before the official start of classes. It encourages nationwide voluntary efforts in terms of maintenance and contributions to improve the educational environment in the country, especially in public schools.

Belle Corporation takes part in this year’s Brigada Eskwela with the theme: Tayo Para sa Kalinisan, Kaligtasan at Kahandaan ng ating mga Paaralan.

Last year, Belle Corporation, in coordination with Lipa Archdiocesan Social Action Commission, Inc. initially implemented Belle Kaagapay sa Kalusugan – a school feeding program which aims to monitor and improve the pupils’ nutritional status. This project benefited a total of 358 public elementary school students classified as malnourished who eventually had noticeable gain in height and weight. Another remarkable progress was in terms of their school attendance, with some of them even being awarded as honor students.

Belle through its corporate social responsibility brand KAAGAPAY, aims to strengthen its involvement with its partner communities through its projects. Other than the support and assistance it provides, it aspires to transform them into sustainable communities.

DepEd, educ partners kick off Brigada Eskwela nationwide

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In its mission to provide safe and clean learning spaces for Filipino learners, the Department of Education (DepEd) jumpstarted this year’s Brigada Eskwela at Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte, simultaneous with all the public schools in the country. With the themeTayo Para sa Kalinisan, Kaligtasan at Kahandaan ng ating mga Paaralan, the week-long school maintenance practice aims to prepare schools for the coming school year and to promote volunteerism among the members of the community.

Secretary Br. Armin Luistro with Undersecretary Mario A. Deriquito joins the schools and communities of Siargao Island at the 2015 Brigada Eskwela Kick-off.

"The Philippines is the biggest country, if not, the only country in the world that gathers and prepares the schools for the coming school year." said Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC to the volunteers of Numancia Central Elementary School (CES) in Siargao Island. He also said that the invitation to help out in schools is "extended to all volunteers who are willing to contribute their time, effort, and resources for the preparation of public schools."

Parents, teachers, students and all other education stakeholders are encouraged to volunteer from May 18 to 23 for the Brigada Eskwela. Now on its 12th year, the program ensures that all public school facilities are ready come School Year (SY) 2015-2016. During this week, all volunteers will aid in repainting classrooms, fixing damaged school furniture, repair broken windows, among others.

Undersecretary for Partnerships and External Linkages Mario Deriquito expressed his gratitude for those who were present during the kick-off at Numancia CES.

"Brigada Eskwela is for everyone." he said. Reminders for the week-long school maintenance were reiterated by Usec Deriquito to all the volunteers present in the National Kick-off.

After the initial start of the Brigada Eskwela at Numancia CES, various activities like tree planting, cement mixing, repainting of walls and fences, repairing of school chairs, and tilling of school grounds were held at Del Carmen National HS, Cancohoy ES, Katipunan ES, Mahayahay ES, ang Oguing Navarro Memorial NHS of which were participated in by Sec. Luistro and Usec. Deriquito along with the local government officials.

Some of the volunteers expressed their support in program and said, "Malaking tulong po ito para sa mga anak namin, kaya kami sumasama sa pag-aayos ng mga klasrum. (This is a big help for our children that is why we are volunteering in this program." Some of them even said, "Pumupunta po kami ditong mga magulang para makiisa sa pag-aayos ng mga paaralan. Kapag may libre kaming oras, pumupunta kami at kahit anong oras, kahit anong petsa man, kapag kailangan naming tumulong sa paaralan, tutulong kami. (We parents come here to be one with those who are volunteering to fix the schools. When we have free time, we go here and if we see that there are things that need our assistance, whichever date, whenever time that might be, we will be here to help.)"

Luistro also commended Siargao Island for having 22 schools which will offer Grade 11 come June 2016. He said, "Our target is to have one Senior High School per municipality but if we already have 22, that would already be a minimum of two SHS schools per municipality in Siargao.”

Luistro then encouraged everyone to register under the Abot-Alam Program, of which booths are in every school, for those out-of-school youth or for those who would want to finish high school.

Ultimately, the opening at Siargao Island gathered different volunteers – parents, students, teachers, local government employees and officials, individuals, and the private sector and are still expected to grow in number by the end of the week. The opening of classes will be on June 1 which will also see the introduction of the new curriculum for Grades 4 and 10.