Israel's Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss participated in the Brigada Eskwela 2024 at the Malaya Elementary School in Quezon City on Tuesday, July 23.
He was accompanied by his team from the Israeli Embassy in Manila.
Deputy Chief of Mission Ms. Esty Buzgan and Ambassador Ilan Fluss lead the volunteer team of the Israeli Embassy for Brigada Eskwela 2024
According to Fluss, the yearly activity of preparing classrooms for the new school year shows that Filipinos give importance to education.
Ambassador Ilan Fluss helps repaint the chairs for the opening of classes.
“The Embassy of Israel in the Philippines sees great importance in participating in the Brigada Eskwela. This is one way to show our camaraderie with the community, especially with the teachers and pupils. Investing in education is investing in the future of the country,” Ambassador Fluss said.
Diplomats and staff of the Embassy also prepared the learning resource center 'Ofakim' named after one of the communities in Israel.
"Ofakim means horizon in Hebrew. This symbolizes the importance of investing in education and broadening one’s horizons. It’s a fun, safe, and comfortable reading and learning area, exactly what the children need. This is the goal of our project." he added.
The Israeli Ambassador also expressed his commitment in partnering with the Department of Education's initiatives and projects under the new leadership of Secretary Sonny Angara.
"We have ongoing and future collaborations to support the development of the next generation of leaders in the Philippines," Fluss noted.
The Ofakim Learning Resource Center will be fully operational and accessible at the start of this school year.
Apart from Quezon City, the Embassy also sponsored the Be’eri Learning Resource Center in San Juan City.
In the 2023 Brigada Eskwela, the Embassy unveiled the Jerusalem Learning Resource Center at Bagong Tanyag Elementary School (BTES)—Annex A.