Working together to improve literacy, learning spaces
Parents, scholars, students, teachers and volunteers conduct inspiring Brigada Eskwela.
Daily TribuneParents, scholars, students, teachers and volunteers conduct inspiring Brigada Eskwela.
ABOITIZ Foundation scholars (left) read a storybook to students of Tandang Sora Elementary School to help improve their reading and comprehension skills during the Brigada Eskwela ’25 event themed ‘Sama-sama para sa Bayang Bumabasa’ conducted by volunteers from the foundation and TSES in Tandang Sora, Quezon City on 7 June 2025.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN CARLO MAGALLON AND WJG FOR THE DAILY TRIBUNE
VOLUNTEERS from the Aboitiz Foundation Future Leaders Scholarship Program show the mural depicting the bayanihan tradition that they painted on a wall of the TSES as part of their Brigada Eskwela ’25 activity at the school in Quezon City.
JohnCarloMagallon
VOLUNTEERS from the Aboitiz Foundation Future Leaders Scholarship Program show the mural depicting the bayanihan tradition that they painted on a wall of the TSES as part of their Brigada Eskwela ’25 activity at the school in Quezon City.
ABOITIZ Foundation president Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar (right) and team paint a mural promoting environmental awareness at the stairwell of the TSES.
Students of Tandang Sora Elementary School (TSES) in Tandang Sora, Quezon City honed their reading skills ahead of the opening of classes next week through storytelling sessions with scholars of Aboitiz Foundation on 7 June.
The scholars, together with other volunteers from the corporate social responsibility arm of the Aboitiz Group, also painted murals depicting Filipino values to brighten up parts of the school and inspire TSES students to emulate the bayanihan spirit, to be patriotic and to take care of the environment.
Parents, students and teachers of TSES co-organized the event with Aboitiz Foundation as part of the annual Brigada Eskwela campaign with the theme “Sama-sama para sa Bayang Bumabasa.”
The foundation, which has been supporting Brigada Eskwela activities for the past 37 years, also donated electric fans for TSES, distributed school supplies and storybooks to its students, and provided meals to all participants of the event.
“With the theme ‘Sama-sama para sa Bayang Bumabasa,’ we aim to help schools like yours improve literacy and create better learning spaces,” Aboitiz Foundation president Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar said during the event. “The murals will brighten your school and make it more inspiring with designs focused on Filipino values and caring for the environment.”
Hontiveros-Malvar added that the foundation’s continuing partnership with educational communities and charities is in line with its commitment to promoting education.
“These activities aren’t just about books or paint. They’re really about showing that we all care and hope for the future of our children,” she said.
TSES principal Josefina Almarez thanked Aboitiz Foundation for reaching out to the school and choosing it as its Brigada Eskwela recipient this year.
Almarez said the murals will make the school look better.
“A beautiful school is a symbol of a good mind of parents, teachers and children,” she said.
“When they see the painting everyday, they will pick up values from it,” Almarez added.
The principal also thanked the scholars for sharing their time with TSES students.
“For our school and students, they will never forget this experience, this day when students from different schools read stories to them,” she added.
Scholars Julia Mendiola, 22, and Jason Yabut, 21, meanwhile, said they were happy to give back to others for also receiving educational blessings from the foundation.
Yabut said he feels good in contributing to schools whenever he participates in Brigada Eskwela activities.
Mendiola added that such occasion is also an opportunity to get together with other Aboitiz Foundation scholars.
WJG
