Aboitiz AGAPP classrooms benefit 23,000 preschooler

Aboitiz Foundation presents AGAPP chair Pinky Aquino-Abellada with the sculpture entitled ‘Mother & Child’ by Toym Imao as inspired by Ms. Aquino-Abellada’s commitment to nurturing individuals and communities for the good of the country.

The Aboitiz Foundation turns over today 42 additional ‘Silid Pangarap’ classrooms, bringing its total donation to 176 classrooms from 2011 to 2014, which benefit a total of 23,000 preschoolers nationwide for the four year period.

In partnership with Aklat, Gabay, Aruga Tungo sa Pag-angat at Pag-asa (AGAPP) Foundation, a group that advocates literacy and early childhood care and development, Aboitiz has already donated 88 school buildings amounting to P96 million.

Since the partnership started in 2011, the Aboitiz Group set out to build special classrooms for young children entering school for the first time and turned over 52 classrooms in the same year, followed up with a donation of 42 classrooms in 2012, and 40 classrooms in 2013.

“Believing that a better-educated youth means a better Philippines, the Aboitiz Foundation continues to implement projects in the area of education under the Aboitiz BetterWorld campaign,” said Aboitiz Foundation Chairman Erramon Aboitiz.

“Our partnership with AGAPP allows us to start them young, as we provide kindergarten students with a conducive environment for learning, helping them build a strong and solid foundation in their education journey,” he added.

With education at the forefront of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, half of the Aboitiz Foundation’s annual budget is allocated for projects that support the country’s public education system.

Under its education program, the Aboitiz Foundation builds school buildings, rewires classrooms, refurbishes science and computer laboratories, provides scholarships and financial assistance, donates computers and library kits, among others.

Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. is the corporate foundation of the Aboitiz Group. Established in 1988, it addresses the social and economic development needs of marginalized members of society. It implements corporate social responsibility interventions especially in areas where Aboitiz companies are located. The foundation focuses on three program components, namely education, enterprise development, and environment.