Petron Corp.'s Tulong Aral: Fueling H.O.P.E. one child at a time

MANILA, Philippines - As children, we were told by our parents and teachers that if we stayed in school and did well, we could become whoever we wished to be – doctor, lawyer, engineer, teacher, artist, or even the president of the country.

But in a country like the Philippines where poverty remains a primary national concern, many children do not even have that choice and hope -- the hope of finishing their studies, much less getting into school, for and a chance at a better life. According to the Department of Education, there are over ten million children and youth who are out of school, with hundreds of thousands in Metro Manila alone. Of the 100 children who enter Grade 1, just 63 finish elementary, only 32 go on to complete high school, and a mere 14 are able to earn a college degree.

Due mainly to poverty, many parents are forced to keep their children home.  Some even encourage their children to work at an early age to eke out a meager living. While elementary and high school education are free, other costs such as uniforms, school supplies, transportation and meal allowances weigh heavy on many parents, especially those who are just simply trying to survive from day-to-day.

Chasing Dreams

This is the hard reality that high school students Mary Joy Bonaobra, Joemar Subito, and Ruela Mae Viado, children of public utility drivers, know and understand all too well.

Joemar’s father drives a tricycle. On a good day, his father could earn as much as P300 but with a household to keep and a family to feed, this amount is barely enough. Despite their situation, Joemar has aspirations to become a lawyer, to feel how it is to be in court, and more importantly, fulfill a strong desire to fight for human rights. An honor student, Joemar has kept his dreams alive by focusing on his studies and working diligently to maintain high grades. Now in his 3rd year at the Highway Hills Integrated School in Mandaluyong City, Joemar is counting the days until he can enter a good college and finally pursue his law degree.

Mary Joy, meanwhile, is the youngest among six children. Her father works long hours to net P200 a day after paying boundary and fuel. Among her five siblings, only one has graduated from college and she hopes to follow in those footsteps. The rest of her siblings began working after high school to support the family.   Like Joemar, Mary Joy has a dream: to be a nurse so she can help her father support their family.

Ruela Mae Viado is similarly inspired to complete her education so she can work in an office one day to help the family and escape from poverty. The youngest of three children, she is now a junior at the Manuel A. Roxas High School in Manila where she is studying diligently to qualify for an Information Technology course in college. This course, Ruela muses, should allow her to easily land a job and lighten the load of her father, a jeepney driver, and her mother, a cleaning lady.

Mary Joy, Joemar and Ruela are just three of over 5,300 children from marginalized families who have been enjoying the gift of hope through Tulong Aral ng Petron over the years.   Out of this total number of Tulong Aral scholars, nearly 20 percent come from families engaged in public transport.

Fueling H.O.P.E.

The flagship educational program of Petron Corporation, Tulong Aral supports the dreams of these students and touches many more lives. Started in 2002, this long-term initiative helps children from poverty-stricken families to complete their elementary and secondary schooling by giving them support such as the cost of uniforms, school supplies and meal allowances.

Tulong Aral ng Petron has over 5,300 scholars nationwide, 20 percent of which come from families engaged in public transport.

Aside from the financial support, Tulong Aral ensures that the scholars’ parents are engaged and understand the importance of education in their children’s future. Parents are “enrolled” in mentoring and livelihood programs. The program also gives teachers more training in important subjects such as Math, Science and English. With this holistic approach, the Tulong Aral program helps children stay in school, keep them there and do well.

With over 5,300 scholars nationwide, Tulong Aral ng Petron is a long-term, strategic initiative anchored on Petron’s program called Fuel H.O.P.E. or Helping Overcome Poverty thru Education. Under Fuel H.O.P.E., the company has also built 81 new classrooms all across the country. A special partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has enabled Petron to add 88 new classrooms and repaired 300 classrooms in conflict-affected areas of Muslim Mindanao.

“As a Filipino organization that puts a premium on sustainable development, we are committed to improve the lives of less privileged Filipinos. And through this program, we are not only giving children the chance to acquire knowledge, but we are giving them the tools, the values and the inspiration to create for them a better life,” Petron chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang shares. 

Beyond basic education, the company is sustaining its support to the development of the youth with an entrepreneurship program that gives high school students on-the-job training at select Petron service stations and its locators. Petron employees also regularly serve as mentors to college students under the Junior Achievement of the Philippines’ (JAPI) mini-company program that provides practical training on business management.