The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has launched a P510-million corporate social responsibility (CSR) program aimed at strengthening the country’s human capital base, positioning education as a key driver of long-term economic growth.

DBP President and CEO Michael de Jesus said the initiative, called the DBP Integrated Scholastic Program for Inclusive and Responsive Education (DBP INSPIRE), will run for five years and complement government efforts to improve access to quality education at both the basic and tertiary levels.

“The DBP INSPIRE program reinforces the Bank’s commitment of fostering support to the education sector and is aligned with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s vision to place education at the forefront of the national development agenda,” de Jesus said.

Of the total budget, P437.5 million will go to scholarships covering tuition, matriculation, living allowances, and school supplies for at least 350 students in its first year. The focus will be on disciplines critical to workforce development, such as Engineering, Accountancy, Education, Agriculture and Forestry, Sciences, Maritime, Information Technology, and Technical-Vocational courses.

Another P72.5 million will be directed to the Department of Education’s Adopt-a-School and Brigada Eskwela programs to help upgrade facilities and provide learning equipment in 150 public schools nationwide.

The bank has partnered with nine higher education institutions — including the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Cebu Normal University, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, and the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines — to ensure strategic implementation and reach.

DBP said INSPIRE sustains the momentum of its previous education-related CSR initiatives, the DBP Endowment for Education Program (DEEP) and the DBP Resources for Inclusive and Sustainable Education (DBP RISE) Program, which together invested P1.5 billion over 15 years and supported more than 5,000 scholars. Those programs yielded high employment outcomes of 94 percent and 96 percent, exceeding the 10-year national average of 94.05 percent.

DBP is the 10th largest bank in the country in terms of assets, with lending focused on infrastructure and logistics, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the environment, and social services. Its latest initiative underscores the bank’s bid to align social investments with long-term national development priorities.