Lighting the way to learning: One Meralco Foundation’s Balik Eskwela project reaches 7,000 students
OMF, with the help of Meralco employees, brought smiles and hope to students of Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Manila through the Balik Eskwela project.
OMF and Meralco Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan (middle), together with the heads of Meralco departments, offices and its subsidiaries, show their full support for the Balik Eskwela project.
More than 7,000 public school students received school kits from employees of Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Company (Meralco), its subsidiaries, and One Meralco Foundation (OMF) as part of the group’s commitment to empowering the education sector. This year, the Balik Eskwela project reached 82 public schools in Metro Manila, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Palawan, Camarines Sur, Albay and Cebu.
MERALCO employee-volunteers partake in storytelling sessions with students as an actvity that is included in the Balik Eskwela project.
Each student — especially those in Kindergarten and Grade 1 — received a customized school kit that included a storybook, alphabet flash cards, a tracing workbook, a pencil case with pencils, and a box of crayons. These tools, vital for those starting to read and write, are crucial in developing their skills, laying a solid foundation in their early childhood education. Meralco employees who volunteered in selecting the schools and distributing the kits also led interactive storytelling sessions, encouraging students to actively participate in group learning and build their skills.
Eurilyn Ricote, a parent of a student beneficiary at Ciudad de Strike Integrated School in Bacoor, Cavite, said the school kit is a big help to both students and parents. "Mas matututo siyang magbasa, may bagong storybook na siya. Hindi na rin bibili ang mga magulang ng crayon at flashcards."
