Category: Members News

Employees from Security Bank Area 27 Mindanao participated in Security Bank Foundation, Inc.’s (SBFI) school painting volunteerism activity in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte on August 26, 2023.

Ahead of the start of classes on August 29, 50 Security Bank employees from Area 27 Mindanao lent their helping hands to paint the classrooms donated by Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) to Tambo Central School in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte. The two-story, six-classroom building will be officially turned over this November as part of SBFI’s “Build a School, Build a Nation” classrooms donation initiative.

“Camaraderie, teamwork, and the spirit of volunteerism—these are the traits that I hope motivate our Security Bankers to excel further, especially knowing how generous the Bank is when it comes to supporting education,” said Francisco L. Santos, Security Bank Area 27 Branch Banking Group Head.

A total of 400 volunteer hours were contributed by the group which helped accelerate the construction of the building. Upon the building’s official turnover in October, SBFI will reach its 721st classroom donation.

“This school painting activity shows the collaboration of Security Bank and its stakeholders. We wholeheartedly thank the Bank for its tireless support to the educational community not just for our school, but also for the whole country,” said John Ryan dela Cruz, Principal of Tambo Central School.

The school painting activity in Iligan, Lanao del Norte followed one that was held at Lapu-Lapu, Cebu on August 19. Another school painting activity was also held last September 9 at Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.

“The school painting activity is an opportunity for Security Bank’s employees to give back to the communities they serve and to be personally involved in our social responsibility programs,” said Rafael Simpao Jr., Chairman of SBFI.

To learn more about Security Bank Foundation’s projects and how you can contribute, visit http://www.securitybank.com/foundation.

Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) receives Certificate of Appreciation after conducting an industry visit at Canva Philippines as part of its training program for thirty (30) school leaders nationwide. From left to right: Project Officer for Programs of The HEAD Foundation Singapore Michelle Leong, Ateneo Center for Educational Development Juvyleth Vinarao, Associate Professor with the Centre for Research in Educational Leadership and Management (CRELM) of University of Nottingham Dr. Vicente Reyes, Security Bank Foundation Executive Director Louie de Real, and Canva Philippines Social Impact Program Manager Camille Armas

Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) held its first face-to-face session of its three-year training for school leaders from July 25-28, 2023, under its “Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building” program. It uses the International Certificate in Educational Studies in Leadership (CESL) modules implemented in partnership with Ateneo De Manila University, University of Nottingham (United Kingdom), and The HEAD Foundation (Singapore).

Thirty school leaders from public schools across the nation attended the CESL training at the Faber Hall of Ateneo De Manila University. Many come from schools where the SBFI has donated classrooms.

Participants also visited the facilities of Arete Ateneo Creativity and Innovation Hub in Quezon City, Accenture Philippine Hub for Innovation in Bonifacio Global City, and Canva Philippines in Makati City. These industry visits are intended to open the minds of school leaders to the practical application of innovation and customer centricity which are crucial in the transformation of their schools.

“The school leaders will be embarking on contextualized Transformational Action Plans in an attempt to redress contemporary challenges in Philippine education,” said Dr. Vicente Reyes, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership and Management from University of Nottingham, the main trainer for the CESL modules.

The SBFI’s three-year training program, inclusive of CESL, is designed to be sustainable and aimed at improving the leaders’ skills. It aims to improve instructional leadership, contextual problem solving, and stakeholder engagement.

After the first face-to-face training, participants will draft and implement Transformational Action Plans (TAPs) to directly address issues faced by their schools. They will also receive close monitoring and mentorship by five former CESL graduates to ensure the feasibility and innovativeness of their projects.

“We, school leaders, can make or break our organization depending on how we manage our stakeholders and resources. We should ‘walk the talk,’ and set standards for our school team to follow,” said Benjamin Ongteco, Jr., Principal of Caingin Elementary School from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, an SBFI classrooms construction beneficiary school.

To learn more about SBFI’s projects and how you can contribute, visit http://www.securitybank.com/foundation.

From left to right: Amelia Dycoco, Ateneo Center for Education Development Program Officer; Rafael Ilarde, Security Bank Solano Branch Business Manager; Corazon Mendoza, Alicia Branch Security Bank Business Manager; Roulin Cortez, Security Bank Cauayan Branch Business Manager; Sheryl Plaza, Security Bank Santiago Branch Channel Manager; Agnes Alcid, Security Bank Santiago Branch Business Manager; Ferdinand Uy, Security Bank Branch Banking Group North Luzon Area Head; Melissa Aquino, Security Bank Foundation Corporate Secretary, Leslie Cham, Security Bank Branch Banking Group Head; Rafael Simpao, Security Bank Foundation Chairman; Hon. Joseph Tan, 4th District of Isabela Congressman; Dr. Benjamin Paragas, DepEd Region II Director; Dr. Flordeliza Gecobe, DepEd Division of Santiago Schools Division Superintendent; Jonathan Fronda, DepEd Division of Santiago Assistant Schools Division Superintendent; Dr. Leilanie Dominia, DepEd Santiago School Governance and Operations Division Supervisor; Simeona Dalloran, Santiago South Central School Principal

Education serves as a lasting legacy for many. Living proof is the story of Rhona Alma Bello, a customer advisor from Security Bank Santiago Branch, who witnessed Security Bank Foundation’s turnover of a school building to her and her daughter’s alma mater, Santiago South Central School. “Having our Bank’s foundation donate classrooms to the public school where I graduated made me even prouder. It is an honor to be part of an institution that invests in the construction of much-needed classrooms for our public schools”, said Bello.

Among the partners of Security Bank Foundation for the implementation of its classroom construction projects are the branch business managers who coordinate with community stakeholders. With over 37 years of dedicated service to the bank, Security Bank Santiago Branch Business Manager Agnes Alcid looks at the 12 classrooms donated to Santiago as one of her most memorable legacies upon retirement. “I hope the community will always remember the Bank and its endeavors for improving the quality of education,” said Alcid.

Security Bank Foundation recently turned over 12 classrooms to Santiago City, Isabela consisting of a 2-storey, 4-classroom building for Santiago North Central School SPED Center and a 2-storey, 8-classroom building for Santiago South Central School, among the most populated public schools in the city.

After turning over 675 classrooms and benefiting 120 schools in 69 Philippine cities and municipalities, Security Bank Foundation Chairman Rafael F. Simpao Jr. hopes that “the legacy that Security Bank shall leave behind, through our Classrooms Project, is that we have been instrumental in the improvement of the learning conditions in the country’s public schools and in the academic performance of students nationwide.”

Santiago City Mayor Atty. Alyssa Sheena Tan also believes that education is an important legacy to leave for the people of her city. “It is imperative to invest in our people, especially the youth, for their education so they can succeed in the 21st-century economy,” said Mayor Tan.

“Security Bank Foundation has bestowed to the Department of Education an invaluable asset that will help shape the lives of generations to come,” added Dr. Flordeliza Gecobe, Department of Education Division of Santiago City Schools Division Superintendent.

To learn more about Security Bank Foundation’s projects and how you can contribute, visit www.securitybank.com/foundation.

LCF congratulates Smile Train on having achieved 75,000 cleft surgeries in the Philippines, and for successfully organizing its Art Impact for Health initiative!

From the Smile Train Newsletter for September 2023:

Art has the power to heal and uplift the spirit. As it celebrates supporting more than 75,000 cleft surgeries in the Philippines, Smile Train – the world’s largest cleft-focused organization – is bringing the transformative power of art to the Philippine cleft community through Art Impact for Health.

Held in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Philippine Band of Mercy, the event featured the unveiling of a special mural created by Filipino artist Jesse Camacho, a live painting session by WHO representative and artist Isabelle Wachsmuth, and an art workshop where young patients shared their creativity in painting masks.

Attending the event were patients and families affected by cleft, and Smile Train partners and ambassadors, including runners-up of Miss Universe Philippines 2023 and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach.

Partnership for Youth Employment. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF), Jollibee Group, and Career Builder Skills Training and Assessment Center for the YouthWorks PH project, which seeks to provide employment opportunities to out-of-school youth. Signing for JGF is Gisela Tiongson, JGF President (seated, 2nd from R), while Ruth Angeles, Vice President and HR Head for Philippines (seated, 3rd from R) signed for the Jollibee Group. With them in photo are Jose Chan, Founder/Chair, Career Builder (seated, 3rd from L), Justine Raagas, PBEd Executive Director (seated, 4th from R), Thomas LeBlanc, USAID Office of the Education Director (standing, second from L), Rhea Peñaflor, YouthWorks PH Chief of Party (standing, first from R), as well as other YouthWorks PH partners.

Unemployment remains an issue to many underprivileged Filipino youth, especially during a challenging economic climate. Most of them have lost their jobs or failed to secure stable jobs due to the impacts of the pandemic. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), youth unemployment rate in the Philippines as of May 2023 is at 10.6%.

To help address youth unemployment, the Jollibee Group, and its social development arm Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) recently partnered with the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) and Career Builder Skills Training and Assessment Center on the YouthWorks PH project.

Launched in 2018, YouthWorks PH is a private sector-led initiative which aims to increase access of unemployed and out-of-school Filipino youth to quality training and employment opportunities. This project is implemented by PBEd in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

PBEd is the business community’s response to the need for sustained and strategic education reform in the Philippines. Career Builder Skills Training and Assessment Center is a TESDA accredited skills training and assessment center established in 2020 to help provide employment opportunities to unemployed Filipinos through skills training.

For its part, the Jollibee Group will co-develop the technical-vocational school-based curriculum with Career Builders, in coordination with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). JGF will also provide scholarship assistance to youth scholars and provide them with practicum training in select JFC stores. A pilot training program will be done this year to optimize the design and mechanics that can be used to scale to more youth trainees across the country beginning 2024.

“We are happy to partner with PBEd, USAID, TESDA, and Career Builder on providing the marginalized youth sector with the opportunity to empower themselves with technical and leadership skills. This initiative will enable them not only to find jobs, but also to unlock their potential so they can achieve a better life for themselves and their families,” said Jollibee Group Foundation President Gisela Tiongson.

Sustained program for youth employment

This is not the first time JGF has undertaken an initiative for the marginalized youth sector. In 2005, JGF launched the Access, Curriculum, and Employability or ACE Scholarship Program, which provides two types of educational support to underprivileged youth: college scholarships for degrees in Hotel and Restaurant Management or Business Management, and technical skills training scholarships, in partnership with Don Bosco Technical College.

In 2018, JGF partnered with the Anihan Technical School for the development of the Quick Service Restaurant Operations course, which includes both in-school and in-store training for scholars, improving not only their skills set, but also their employability in the food service industry.

Since the ACE Scholarship Program started in 2004, JGF has given scholarships to 2,397 students, which includes 1,117 students for agriculture and 139 for technical-vocational skills training.

“We continue to work towards reducing barriers to education for the marginalized Filipino youth. With new partners like PBEd and USAID, we are strengthening our ACE Scholarship Program even further and helping provide more young people with better chances at succeeding in life and improving their quality of life,” said Tiongson.

To learn more about JGF’s ACE Scholarship Program, visit https://foundation.jollibeegroup.com/access-curriculum-and-employability/

Naga City, Bicol (25 July 2023) – RMN Networks’ Dugtong-Buhay 2023 Caravan: Bloodletting Project by RMN Foundation and Pfizer Philippines Foundation was successfully conducted on July 12 at Camaligan People’s Center, Camaligan, Camarines Sur and on July 14 at Robinsons Naga, Naga City in conjunction with the celebration of National Blood Donor Month this month.

Nearly two hundred (181) bags of blood components were collected during the said bloodletting activities with the help of Bicol Medical Center-Blood Bank and Transfusion Service, RMN DWNX Naga and Municipal Government of Camaligan. Aside from the bloodletting activity, the Naga City Health Office also conducted free screening for HIV and AIDS.

In the interview of RMN DWNX Naga with Dr. Raymundo Ibarrientos, Blood Bank and Transfusion Service Head of Bicol Medical Center (BMC), the collected blood components of BMC are not only distributed to different provinces of the Bicol Region but also to hospitals in need in Metro Manila, as well as when there is a calamity or disaster such as a typhoon, earthquake, or volcanic eruption.

RMN BLOOD EXPRESS

The collected blood components were shared by the BMC in collaboration with the RMN Foundation to be transported to The Medical City as their storage facility and to offer blood to people in need in Metro Manila. Philippine General Hospital, St. Luke’s Medical Hospital-Quezon City, and St. Luke’s Medical Hospital-Global City are additional partner hospitals of Bicol Medical Center in Metro Manila that will keep the collected blood components.

This project was also supported by Home Suite, Giant Carrier, Poten-Cee, JDP Creatives Media, University of Nueva Caceres-Nursing Students, Camaligan Municipal Health Office, and Camaligan Barangay Health Workers.

The RMN Foundation and the Pfizer Philippines Foundation would like to thank everyone who took part, assisted, and donated.

This project is part of the ‘Radyo Sustansaya program’ of the RMN Foundation which strives to deliver Health, Wellness, and Nutrition programs and projects.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW OF RMN NAGA DWNX HERE: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=825740809159200

Report by Patrick Aurelio, RMN Foundation.

For more information:

Contact: RMN Foundation, Inc.
Phone: 0928-987-6936, (+632) 8478-3651
E-mail address: rmnfoundation@rmn.ph

In response to the eruption of Mayon volcano, BDO Foundation immediately mounted relief operations, mobilizing BDO volunteers to provide aid in underserved communities affected by the disaster.

Employees from four BDO branches in the province of Albay visited 12 evacuation sites in the municipalities of Camalig, Guinobatan, Malilipot and Sto. Domingo to distribute bags containing food, rice and drinking water to 3,800 economically disadvantaged families. Distribution was made possible with the support of local officials of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office as well as police personnel.

The initiative was the latest organized by BDO Foundation in line with its disaster response advocacy.

Early this year, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank provided food assistance in Eastern Samar, Oriental Mindoro, Surigao del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte for areas hit by heavy rains. In Oriental Mindoro, the foundation delivered relief goods to towns affected by an oil spill incident. It also mounted relief operations in Iloilo and Rizal Province for communities affected by incidents of fire.

As a follow-up to its disaster response initiatives, BDO Foundation undertakes long-term rehabilitation and rebuilding programs in affected areas.

About BDO Foundation
BDO Foundation is the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank. Founded in 2008, the foundation aims to contribute to nation-building by addressing the needs of underserved sectors of society through its disaster response and financial inclusion advocacies. Supported by the BDO Unibank community and in partnership with local government units and non-governmental organizations, BDO Foundation mounts relief operations, rehabilitates rural health units, constructs school buildings, implements financial education programs and undertakes COVID-19 response programs across the country. Its corporate citizenship initiatives have been recognized at the Retail Banking Awards of Asian Banking & Finance magazine and Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards of Enterprise Asia. For more information, visit http://www.bdo.com.ph/foundation/home, e-mail bdo.foundation@bdo.com.ph or call 8840-7000 local 36046.

BDO Foundation, Inc.
10th Floor BDO Corporate Center Ortigas
12 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center
Mandaluyong City 1550

Photo shows (standing, L-R) SEC Assistant Director Jernel Macatangay; PDIC Officer in Charge Sandra A. Diaz; IC Deputy Commissioner Ferdinand George A. Florendo; BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat; BPI Foundation Associate Director Joy Reniva; and Commission on Higher Education Chief Aline Magalong together with (seated, L-R) Commission on Higher Education Director Cherrie Melanie Ancheta-Diego; IC Commissioner Reynaldo Regalado; BSP Governor Felipe Medalla; BPI Foundation Executive Director Owen L. Cammayo; and NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Insurance Commission, Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation, Securities and Exchange Commission, and BPI Foundation recently launched the Personal Finance 101 for College Students through a ceremonial MOA signing.

The launch of Personal Finance 101 marks a significant milestone in the collective journey towards a financially inclusive nation. The primary objective of the program is to influence a shift in mindset and behavior when it comes to personal finance management through an elective personal finance subject for higher education institutions (HEIs). It is targeted to become available to over 1,900 HEIs nationwide and can potentially impact and change the lives of over 4 million college students.

The program seeks to equip college students with personal finance management skills as they prepare to become part of the workforce, contribute to the economy, and achieve financial stability and success. Practical topics include the importance of financial goals, saving and budgeting, managing credit, investing, insurance, retirement planning, and protection from financial frauds and scams.

“This comprehensive financial literacy program is a systemic solution to address the challenge of establishing financial stability and sustainability. It aims to equip college students with the foundational knowledge and skills to prepare and enable them to achieve financial freedom amid the dynamic economic environment,” said Owen Cammayo, Executive Director of BPI Foundation. “We believe that financial education is essential to creating a culture of financial wellness.”

While initially offered to business majors, the long-term vision is to offer it to all college students. “Through this program, we are developing a Personal Finance 101 elective that targets an initial audience of up to 900,000 students,” said Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla. “Our goal is to eventually expand the reach of this FinEd program to the K-12 program and reach college-level learners and teachers. We look forward to joining forces with CHED and our partners in developing this course and preparing college students to enter the workforce.”

For the pilot implementation, the course will be initially offered for one academic year in selected HEIs as an elective for students pursuing business-related courses and as a general education elective for non-business majors.

To know more about BPI Foundation, click here.

On July 17, 2023, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the DA Central Office in Quezon City.

The partnership, which is in support of DA’s Philippine Rural Development Program Scale-up, will co-create a training program in line with DA’s Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2) Program. It will build on both organizations’ strengths and experiences, and complement the efforts of DA personnel in helping farmer cooperatives and associations become profitable and successful. The training will use the Agro-Enterprise Clustering Approach from JGF’s Farmer Entrepreneurship Program.

DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban, who spoke during the ceremony, underscored the key role 0f agri-fisheries clustering and consolidation and the Agro-Enterprise Clustering Approach (AECA) in achieving inclusive agricultural productivity in the Philippines.

“As you may know, clustering and consolidation is a top priority of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Under his leadership, the Department of Agriculture is levelling up and pushing for strategies to achieve key milestones toward food sufficiency and security,” Senior Usec. Panganiban said.

Ma. Gisela Tiongson, President, and Executive Director of JGF, affirmed JGF’s commitment in advancing small-scale Filipino farmers and fisherfolk through agro-enterprise capacity building in line with the F2C2 program.

“Through this new partnership, we look forward to sustaining our efforts over the next three years, in co-creating and implementing an agro-enterprise training program that build on each other’s strengths and experiences, and complement the efforts of DA personnel, in helping farmer cooperatives and associations become profitable and successful,” she emphasized.

The signature of this Memorandum renews the collaboration between the DA and JGF to help empower farming and fishing communities so that they can produce adequate, accessible, and affordable food for Filipinos since its inception in January 2022.

Security Bank Foundation celebrates its classroom donation to Naga with a Pili Tree Planting Activity. From Left to Right: Dr. Carmela Oracion, Ateneo Center for Education Development Managing Director; Rafael F. Simpao Jr., Security Bank Foundation Chairman; Hon. Nelson Legacion, Naga City Mayor; and Dr. Sulpicio Alferez III, Camarines Sur National High School Principal IV.

Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) celebrated its classroom donation in Naga, Camarines Sur with the planting of Pili tree seedlings at the open grounds of Camarines Sur National High School, one of its beneficiary schools. The Pili is symbolic as the Bicol region is the largest exporter of delicacies made from the plant.

“The Pili tree holds significance for Bicolanos as it represents stability and growth, similar to the benefits that education offers students. It also symbolizes the strong partnership of Security Bank, Ateneo, the Naga City Government, and the Department of Education in providing a shelter for learning to students with complementary opportunities for them to grow through the additional training programs offered for teachers and principals,” said Dr. Sulpicio Alferez III, Camarines Sur National High School Principal.

Naga, Camarines Sur is the second town where SBFI piloted its Build a School, Build a Nation Program. In 2012, one-story prefab classrooms were donated to three public schools in Naga.

With the rapid increase of student enrolment, limited buildable space, and challenging weather conditions, SBFI shifted to donating concrete two-story school buildings. SBFI went back to Naga to turnover 16 concrete classrooms consisting of a two-story, six-classroom school building in Naga City School of Arts and Trades and a two-story, 10-classroom school building in Camarines Sur National High School.

Naga City Mayor Hon. Nelson Legacion lauded Security Bank Foundation for helping the city minimize their backlog in classrooms. “We have more than 50 banks here in Naga, but it was only Security Bank that donated classrooms even if they only have 2 branches in the city,” said Mayor Legacion.

SBFI now has 691 classrooms turned over to 122 schools located in 69 cities and municipalities nationwide. “In all humility, we never imagined that we would exceed our original target of building 60 classrooms over a period of five years. Despite the pandemic, we continued to implement our Classrooms Project because we believe that these classrooms are crucial in the education of our nation’s children,” SBFI Chairman Rafael F. Simpao Jr said.

SBFI now has 19 classrooms in total donated to Naga, counting the three prefab classrooms donated to Villa Grande Elementary School in 2012. These will serve as learning facilities for students in the city beginning school year 2023-2024.

To learn more about SBFI’s projects and how you can contribute, visit www.securitybank.com/foundation.