HOPE and leading local brands have partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd) to help address the classroom shortage in the country.
The collaboration brings together Aivee, BDO Credit Cards, Carmen’s Best, Grab, Penshoppe, SM Supermalls, and Sunnies, with proceeds from their products and services helping fund new classrooms nationwide.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the initiative complements the government’s classroom-building program under public-private partnerships, allowing resources to be directed to areas most in need.
"With the help of HOPE and our private partners, we want to prove that when the private and public sector unite, we can achieve our dreams faster, that no child will be left behind in education," Angara said.
“Let us keep planting these seeds of hope in every space where a child dares to dream. Because in Bagong Pilipinas, hope is not something we wait for but rather something we build together,” the DepEd chief added.
Each HOPE classroom is a 7-by-9 meter structure designed to withstand harsh weather conditions. It comes equipped with a chalkboard, a teacher’s table, wall fans, large windows for ventilation, a cathedral-style ceiling for cooler airflow, and a toilet to provide students and teachers with a safe and functional learning space.
Generation HOPE, founded in 2012 by philanthropist Nanette Medved-Po, channels 100 percent of its profits from products such as Hope in a Bottle and Hope in a Box into classroom construction. By partnering with established brands, the group said it aims to expand its impact and reach more underserved schools.
Medved-Po said the initiative offers Filipinos a simple way to contribute to nation-building through their everyday choices.
“Filipinos always come together in times of need. In a world that is increasingly divided, let’s harness that power every day to support something we can all agree on: investing in the youth of this country to build a nation and ensure a brighter future,” she said.
HOPE has built 144 classrooms that have benefited more than 52,000 students nationwide.