AuroraPH, a flagship education-inclusion program under the Aboitiz Foundation, gets another boost as the corporate social responsibility arm of the Aboitiz techglomerate adds a new partner — ING Hubs Philippines (IHP) — to help digitalize and power last-mile public schools across the country.

Aboitiz Foundation president Ana Margarita Hontiveros-Malvar and ING country manager Hazel Zaide delos Santos will sign in Makati City today a memorandum of agreement sealing the partnership.

With a common advocacy for inclusive education, the foundation and the global shared services unit of Dutch bank ING will complement their respective programs supporting under-resourced and disadvantaged learning facilities.  

IHP had just donated 150 brand-new laptops to the Department of Education and a learning space at the Dr. Artemio N. Eustaquio Elementary School in Taguig to elevate literacy and digital readiness among students.

Meanwhile, Aboitiz Foundation continues to implement AuroraPH with Davao Light and Power Co., an AboitizPower distribution utility, and other partners, delivering solar photovoltaic systems, WiFi and digital learning tools to geographically isolated schools. The solar panels installed on the roofs of school buildings provide the electricity that will also power lighting, computers, projectors, televisions, speakers and printers.

The goal of AuroraPH is cover some 300 last-mile schools.

The MoA with ING follows the same partnership forged by Aboitiz Foundation with Okada Foundation, which made an initial P10 million grant for AuroraPH that would benefit schools in several provinces, including Palawan, Zambales and Cebu.