To give learning a whole new appeal to the students of academic year 2013 to 2014, the Aboitiz group of companies have participated in full force during this year’s Brigada Eskwela, servicing some 155 schools throughout the country.

The Aboitiz Group recorded a 9% increase in the number of employee volunteers, which totaled 1,511 this year from 2012’s 1,372 volunteers. “This is a testament that the employees are embracing and imbibing  the Aboitiz’s way of helping people help themselves,” said AboitizFoundation, Inc. President Jon Ramon Aboitiz.

The business units participated in batches, with some implementing the Department of Education’s annual program, also known as National School Maintenance Week program, as early as the first week of May, while others chose to hold the activity early June.

The Aboitiz companies, through the AboitizFoundation, have been participating in the annual Brigada Eskwela since 2008. “The foundation continues to prioritize education-related projects as our way of helping improve the country’s public education system,” AboitizFoundation Managing Trustee Sonny Carpio said.

Holding company Aboitiz Equity Ventures, SN Aboitiz Power, AboitizFoundation, and AboitizPower joined forces to revamp newly-adopted school Napindan Elementary School in Barangay Napindan in its new corporate headquarter’s host municipality, Taguig City, and Banilad Elementary School in Cebu.

Around 150 team members, together with local government representatives, teachers and students of the beneficiary school worked on the repainting of the school’s exterior walls, boards, and gates, and some minor repairs, disclosed Mr. Carpio.

“With this initiative comes our confidence that providing a conducive learning environment will inspire these students to study better,” he said.

Meanwhile, AP Renewables, Inc., Hedcor, Inc., Luzon Hydro Corporation, Subic Enerzone Corporation, and Therma Mobile, Inc. engaged its team members in improving the condition of various school facilities across  Albay, Batangas, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, Navotas, Subic, and Tarlac.

Food subsidiary, Pilmico was able to rally 50 and 20 team members from its feeds and flour groups, respectively.

City Savings Bank gathered the most number of employee volunteers, which totaled 420 to reach out to the bulk of school beneficiaries from April to June. Some 126 schools nationwide underwent minor repairs and repainting work during the activity.

Adopted school beneficiaries in Visayas and Mindanao had a fair share of beautification and preparation as 650 employee volunteers from  Mactan Enerzone Corporation, Metaphil, Visayan Electric Co., Cotabato Light & Power Co., Hedcor Sibulan and Tamugan, Davao Light and Power Co., and  Therma Marine, Inc. worked on major repairs, construction of new classrooms, total refurbishment of facilities, and concreting of canal within the school vicinity to prevent flooding in the area.