Meralco, DepEd complete ‘Brigada Eskwela’

The Manila Electric Co., Meralco Millennium Foundation Inc. (MMFI) and MMLDC Foundation Inc. worked hand in hand with the Department of Education in preparing public schools for the new school year in a week-long, nationwide activity dubbed "Brigada Eskwela."

Now on its second year, "Brigada Eskwela" brings together teachers, parents, students, private organizations and communities in cleaning classrooms and school yards, painting school buildings and carrying out necessary repairs in public schools in preparation for the school year.

"Aside from cutting down on cost, since we have limited resources for school repairs and maintenance, we believe that education is not just the responsibility of the government or the schools. It is a collective responsibility of society and that’s why we encourage community participation in this endeavor," explained Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus.

Meralco and MMFI were in charge of assessing the electrical connections in public schools within the company’s franchise area to ensure that these do not pose safety problems to teachers and students.

"Among the common problems we found are exposed wiring, blown up fuse and defective lighting fixtures," said Rustico de Borja Jr., head of Meralco’s Pasig sector. His sector oversees Meralco’s operations in San Juan, Pateros, Taguig, Makati and some portions of Quezon City.

"As the student population increases and new school buildings and facilities are added, sometimes the additional electrical connections are not properly installed. Sometimes problems with old electrical connections are also not properly fixed. These present serious safety risks and that’s why we are helping DepEd address these problems," he added.

On the part of MMLDC, officers and employees volunteered their personal time to help teachers, parents and students of San Isidro Elementary School in Antipolo City clean and spruce up the school in time for classes this June. The foundation also donated plants as part of its contributions to the "Brigada Eskwela" activities.

"At MMLDC, we advocate holistic learning, and a clean and beautiful learning environment is a key consideration in the holistic development of student. We are not simply contributing to a beautification project; we are helping create an environment that is most suitable to learning," said Arthur Florentin, MMLDC executive director.