Classrooms in 12 Last Mile Schools located in disaster-affected areas will be repaired through a partnership between the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara and LBP President Lynette V. Ortiz led the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
“We are deeply grateful for your generosity and kindness,” said Angara.
“We can truly feel your care and concern, and it is clear that you have chosen communities that will greatly benefit from these donations,” he added.
The MOU outlines LBP’s commitment to fund the repairs with P500,000 per school for the duration of the two-year partnership.
Moreover, Ortiz mentioned that the LBP Leasing and Finance Corporation and the LBP Resources and Development Corporation have contributed an additional one million pesos in funding and construction assistance for the selected schools.
DepEd, LBP coordination
As stated in the MOU, DepEd Schools Division Offices (SDOs) will ensure compliance with government standards and support learning continuity during the repair work.
School heads will also handle documentation and provide updates.
The Schools Division Engineers will collaborate with LBP’s technical team to oversee the repair activities.
More partnerships
Meanwhile, LBP announced it will engage its employees as volunteers, fostering a culture of community service as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
“We are introducing this volunteerism component to mobilize employees to participate in repair and renovation efforts, as well as support activities for both communities and learners involved,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz also committed to helping DepEd connect with other banks to include the Adopt-a-School Program of DepEd as part of their CSR.
Angara, on behalf of DepEd, applauded this commitment and welcomed more partnerships to improve the delivery of basic education services in the country.
“If we put together the combined CSR efforts of all the banks, we can make a significant impact,” Angara said. “We look forward to more partnerships in the future,” he added.
In addition to Angara and Ortiz, the partnership was witnessed by LBP Executive Vice President Alex A. Lorayes, Senior Vice Presidents Catherine Rowena B. Villanueva, Marilou L. Villafranca, and lawyer Joselito B. Vallada, along with Ricardo C. Juliano, President and CEO of LBP Resources and Development Corporation, Michael P. Arañas, President and CEO of LBP Leasing and Finance Corporation, and members of the DepEd Executive Committee.
"Last Mile" schools are situated in remote and hard-to-reach areas, such as rugged terrains and isolated islands. These schools often have makeshift classrooms and inadequate infrastructure, with limited or no access to electricity.