The upcoming school year 2017-2018 is shaping up to be a productive and meaningful year as the Aboitiz Foundation, the corporate foundation of the Aboitiz Group, recently turned over various financial assistance packages for several Cebuano public school students.

Last month, the Aboitiz Foundation conducted several education-related donations, turning over checks and school supplies to the Banilad Center for Professional Development (benefitting 40 technical-vocational scholars), the City Social Welfare and Development units of Talisay and Lapu-Lapu Cities (benefiting 158 and 287 street urban working children, respectively), the Children of Cebu Foundation, Inc. (benefiting 459 students), and the Department of Education (DepEd) Region VII.

The Aboitiz Foundation likewise renewed 37 college scholarships in the province and awarded 27 more to students at the Science and Technology Education Center, where the Aboitiz Foundation has already supported 128 scholars since 2002.

Finally, the Aboitiz Foundation gathered 415 of its high school beneficiaries and DepEd partners at the Aboitiz Foundation High School Scholars Annual General Assembly at SM Seaside City Cebu, where they also participated at a senior high school career orientation session by Edukasyon.ph.

“We help the country achieve its goal of providing universal public education for young Filipinos through our various interventions in education, which include partnering with DepEd and non-government organizations to build classrooms, upgrade school facilities, provide scholarships and teacher training, and in many other interventions that encourage our young stakeholders to become lifelong learners,” said Maribeth L. Marasigan, Aboitiz Foundation First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

“For us, the ultimate measure of our CSR (corporate social responsibility) efforts is in knowing that our beneficiaries have made a better life for themselves because of the empowering options they were given through our education projects,” Marasigan added.

The Aboitiz Foundation has long been a staunch supporter of Philippine education reform, believing education is where the Group can make the biggest impact. This, in turn, supports the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, specifically on Quality Education (ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all).

As of end-2016, the Aboitiz Group has already provided 32,429 scholarship grants since 1988. In 2016, the Aboitiz Group supported a total of 297 college scholars, with 11 graduates employed in various Aboitiz companies nationwide.