The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), will "adopt" 25 schools nationwide for its Adopt-A-School Program (ASP) 2022.
This program, said GSIS, is a part of the agency's corporate social responsibility as well as a preparation for the resumption of face-to-face classes.
"With the reopening of face-to-face classes, our government needs help in addressing the logistical constraints faced by public schools," GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso said.
The amount of the assistance package for this year's ASP increased from P300,000 in 2021 to P400,000 for each of the 25 beneficiary schools, Veloso added.
The ASP is a program of DepEd which encourages partner government agencies and private sectors to help in addressing the top needs of public schools located in the poorest or low-income municipalities of the country.
"Among the areas of assistance that GSIS will provide for its adopted schools include support in the form of technology and assistive learning devices, infrastructure, physical facilities and furniture," said GSIS.
Veloso noted that the program is also a response to President Ferdinand "Bong Bong" Marcos Jr.'s call in his first State of the Nation Address to provide assistive learning devices such as computers, internet connectivity, and educational tools that will help students "participate fully in the digital community here and abroad.”
The state-run pension fund stated that it has allocated a budget worth P10 million for the implementation of the program.
GSIS said 85 schools nationwide have already benefitted from the program since its first enactment in 2014.