On August 22, we went to the province of Iloilo for a series of events to renew partnerships with local stakeholders.

The foundation, through its #MagingMagiting and #BrigadangAyala programs, turned over flags and Generika health kits in Iloilo City, Pavia, and Maasin. Flags were earlier distributed in Pavia and San Dionisio. Brigadang Ayala is the Ayala group’s unified effort to support the DepEd’s Balik Eskwela program. Maging Magiting is a campaign to highlight love of country by honoring national symbols.

Our Senior Director for Social Development Joanna Duarte joined the education community at Jalandoni Memorial Elementary School (JMES) in Iloilo City for the first flag raising ceremony of the new school year.

Ayala Foundation Senior Director Joanna Duarte (L) turns over Philippine flags in Iloilo City. From L-R: Duarte; Matty Treñas, Special Assistant to the Mayor; Doc Nick Baronda, Chairman, Committee on Education, Sangguniang Panglungsod; Dr. Novelyn Vilchez, OIC Superintendent, Department of Education Iloilo City

Iloilo City has been our long-time partner. Mayor Jerry Treñas underscored his support for the foundation’s programs in a message delivered by Councilor Urminico “Doc Nick” Baronda at JMES. Program areas of focus include teacher training, early childhood care and development, and community/youth leadership.

The Department of Education (DepEd) meanwhile thanked the foundation for the health kits which will be used by local schools.

“We are so grateful for this gift that you are providing us. This will be given to the children — for them to bring home and for them to use when they attend their limited face-to-face classes,” said Dr. Novelyn Vilchez, OIC Superintendent of DepEd Iloilo City.

During the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing to bring Planting for Productivity to Pavia (P4P), Mayor Luigi Gorriceta expressed his gratitude to the foundation for its programs in the area. P4P is a sustainable livelihood initiative that aims to make households more food-secure by training participants in urban farming.

Pavia is the fifth location for P4P after Quezon City, Bago City, Calauan, and Cagayan de Oro. Signing the MOA in Pavia are (L-R) Salvador Hiponia, Municipal Agriculturist; Joanna Duarte; Mayor Luigi Gorriceta.

“We are really very blessed for this partnership with Ayala Foundation, for us benefitting (from) a lot of their programs starting from our (CENTEX Training Institute) trainings for the teachers, our students, (and) our youth sector,” he said.

Aside from CENTEX, we also implement Leadership Communities and Tuloy ang Biyahe in the area.

“Thank you Ayala Foundation for choosing Pavia to be your partner, in extending your Brigadang Ayala help to our students, especially since today is the first day of classes,” he added.

The municipality of Maasin will soon join the roster of local government partners that will roll out CENTEX teacher training. Mayor Francis Amboy and City Councilor John Mondejar joined DepEd representatives and education stakeholders to sign the MOA for the partnership.

Reflecting on the day’s events, Duarte is bullish on the partnerships.

“We are so delighted to be here on the first day of school, reaffirming our support for initiatives that will make significant improvements in the lives of our teachers, learners, community/youth leaders and the urban poor in Iloilo. With the LGU, the Ayala group and other partners, we are confident these community investments will go a long way towards building a better and brighter future for these communities. Even as we try to bring in more projects across our thematic areas in education, sustainable livelihood and love of country — where they are needed the most — not just here in Iloilo but across the country, we always believe in the power of partnerships, and we intend to harness this for the benefit of more communities in the country,” she said.