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| (Image Source: Hataw Tabloid/BDO Foundation Inc.) |
Thousands of students returned to cleaner, safer and more welcoming schools as communities across the country came together in the spirit of bayanihan for Brigada Eskwela 2026. Ahead of the opening of classes, teachers, parents, community members and volunteers worked side by side to prepare public schools for the new school year. Together, they cleaned classrooms, repainted walls and furniture, planted vegetable seedlings in school gardens, and carried out minor repairs and maintenance work to help create learning spaces where students can learn and thrive.
Among those who joined the nationwide effort were more than 600 BDO employee volunteers who participated through the BDO Employee Volunteer Program. To support the activities, BDO also donated more than 500 gallons of paint, over 1,400 painting materials, more than 400 cleaning materials, and 80 trays of vegetable seedlings. The volunteer activities were conducted in six partner schools including Gregoria De Jesus Elementary School in Caloocan City Daanghari Elementary School and Navotas I Elementary School in Navotas City in Metro Manila; Ilagan South Central School in Ilagan City, Isabela; and Dansolihon Elementary School in Cagayan De Oro City and Hermenegilda F. Gloria Memorial Elementary School in Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental. The improvements were made possible through the combined efforts of volunteers and members of the school communities, reflecting the essence of Brigada Eskwela — a shared commitment to help schools provide better learning environments for Filipino children. Education officials welcomed the initiative and underscored the value of community partnerships in supporting schools. “By showing up today, pinatutunayan niyo po na buhay na buhay pa ang espiritu ng bayanihan sa Pilipinas (By showing up today, you have proven that the spirit of bayanihan in the Philippines is truly alive.),” said Department of Education National Capital Region (DepEd NCR) Assistant Regional Director Dr. Rita E. Riddle, CESO V. DepEd Caloocan City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Cecille G. Carandang, CESO V, highlighted the deeper meaning behind the volunteers’ contributions, stating, “Hindi lamang kayo nagdala ng mga pintura, basahan o walis. Ang tunay niyo pong dinala ay pag-asa. (You just didn’t bring gallons of paint, rags or brooms. What you really brought was hope.)”
Representing the Office of the President of BDO Unibank Inc., Chief of Staff Jerome C. Guevarra thanked the volunteers and school communities for working together to support the education and well-being of Filipino learners, stressing, “It is my distinct privilege to present to you the employee volunteers of BDO and thank you for giving us a chance to participate in your advocacy of supporting and ensuring the education and well-being of our youth.” For BDO Foundation President Mario A. Deriquito, even simple acts of service can make a meaningful difference in a child’s education journey. “We are here to express and show our solidarity with all the people who work very hard every day to ensure that our children will have a bright future.” Addressing the BDO volunteers, Deriquito said, “We will clean the assigned classrooms. We will repaint them. We will repaint some of the furniture. We may also do some minor repairs. These may seem small, but all of these things taken together is an investment in every child’s education journey.” For more than a decade, BDO has supported schools through Brigada Eskwela and other education initiatives. Through employee volunteerism and partnerships with local communities, the organization continues to help create learning environments where students can thrive and pursue their dreams.
