To enhance school leadership and accelerate classroom development, the Department of Education (DepEd) has teamed up with Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) and Security Bank Corporation (SBC).

In a statement issued on August 29, DepEd said the partnership aligns with President Marcos’ call to improve the quality of education in the Philippines.

The partnership, sealed through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), will expand DepEd’s principal mentoring efforts under the Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building Program while supporting school infrastructure projects nationwide.

“Ang ating mga punong-guro at guro ang nagbibigay-buhay sa ating mga paaralan (Our principals and teachers are the lifeblood of our schools),” DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said.

“Kung mas magiging mahusay ang kanilang pamumuno, mas magiging makabuluhan ang bawat aral, bawat klase, at bawat pangarap ng ating mga Kabataan (If their leadership becomes more effective, every lesson, every class, and every dream of our youth will become more meaningful),” he added.

DepEd said the mentoring initiative will be implemented in partnership with Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle Philippines, the University of Bristol (UK), and The HEAD Foundation (Singapore).

This collaboration aims to combine local expertise with international best practices to equip Filipino principals with advanced leadership and management skills, DepEd added.

The program spans three years, with training phases focusing on:

- Year 1: Personal and professional growth of school heads

- Year 2: School-wide improvement

- Year 3: Community engagement

Angara stressed that while addressing the classroom shortage is a top priority for the Marcos administration, investing in school leaders ensures that infrastructure spending translates to better student learning outcomes.

“By raising the competence of our principals, we ensure that the massive investments in infrastructure and resources translate into better student outcomes,” he added.

Through its flagship Build a School, Build a Nation Program, Security Bank Foundation has already built 845 classrooms in 145 schools across 86 cities and municipalities since 2011; repaired 449 classrooms; trained over 36,000 teachers; and mentored more than 170 school principals nationwide.

In total, DepEd noted that the bank has invested around P1.9 billion in education, including P237 million in 2024 alone.

SBFI Chairman Rafael F. Simpao Jr. said the partnership highlights the bank’s deepening commitment to education and nation-building.

DepEd said some 29 school principals from different regions attended the ceremonial signing, representing the 2025 batch of the mentoring program.

Most of the beneficiaries come from schools that previously received SBFI classroom donations, although more educators may be included if slots remain available, DepEd added.

Angara said the initiative reflects President Marcos’s directive to strengthen the education sector through public-private partnerships (PPPs).

“With partners like Security Bank, we are not only building classrooms but also building capacity (With partners like Security Bank, we are not only building classrooms but also building capacity),” Angara said. “Hindi lang mga gusali ang ating itinatayo, kundi kinabukasan ng ating mga kabataan (We are not just constructing buildings—we are shaping the future of our youth,” he added.