SM changes lives

Education remains one of the most powerful tools for breaking the cycle of poverty, and the SM Foundation continues to be at the forefront of this mission.

Through its scholarship program, which partners with over 200 schools nationwide, the foundation provides opportunities for talented yet financially challenged students to pursue higher education.

In Leyte, Saint Paul School of Professional Studies stands out as a key institution in this initiative.

As one of the largest accountancy schools in the Philippines, SPSPS has become a training ground for aspiring Certified Public Accountants, including SM scholars who dream of securing a stable future.

Last school year, 18 SM scholars earned their degrees from SPSPS.

Among them were Angelica Ubana and Knowellyn Marrieh Besario, two young women whose perseverance, coupled with the foundation’s support, helped them achieve their academic goals.

Ubana, a 22-year-old from Ormoc City, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy.

For her, the SM scholarship was a golden ticket to a college education.

“When I learned that SPSPS was a partner school, I knew this was my best chance to earn a degree,” she shared.

She also highlighted the school’s reputation for producing top-performing CPAs, which motivated her to enroll.

Besario, also 22 and from Tacloban City, saw the scholarship as a critical lifeline.

Coming from a family where her father works as a foreman and her mother manages the household, she knew the financial burden of higher education was significant.

Aside from studying in one of the best accounting schools in the country, the opportunities from the SM Foundation helped ease my family’s financial struggles,” she said.

SPSPS president Dr. Erwin Vincent Alcala ensures that the institution goes beyond academic training.

“We prepare our students for the outside world,” he explained. “Before graduation, we provide training in professional image management, communication skills, and even table manners. We want them to be fully equipped for the workplace.”

For the 2024-2025 school year, SM Foundation’s scholarship program continues to support students across roughly 40 schools in Visayas, including Eastern Visayas State University and Leyte Normal University.

With a targeted approach matching students to institutions best suited for their career paths in education, engineering and accountancy, the foundation remains a steadfast partner in fostering professional development.