Bayanihang Pampaaralan: 10,000 classrooms in 2 years

MANILA, Philippines -  ‘Magnificent 6’ companies lauded for addressing classroom shortage trict of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Sulu, as well as in Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, and General Santos, plus Bohol in Central Visayas.

For its part, PBSP is engaged with Coca-Cola and also with the Spanish non-government agency Humanismo y Democracia (H+D) in building 40 classrooms for 2011-2012 in Quezon in the Southern Tagalog region, Albay and Camarines Sur in the Bicol region, and Zamboanga Peninsula in Western Mindanao.

Aside from LCF and PBSP, the other private sector members of the education consortium are the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), Ateneo Center for Educational Development, Synergeia Foundation, Eggie Apostol Foundation, and the Catholic Educational Association of the Phils.

The original 57-75 Education Reform Alliance had been a consortium of private sector institutions aiming to “reverse the education crisis” through focused interventions and school-community actions.

The number 57 indicates the current situation of the Philippine public education system as the national average score in percentage points among public elementary school students in the National Achievement Test (NAT).

Meanwhile, the number 75 symbolizes the state of education which the country would at least want to achieve in five years, albeit commonly known as the passing mark. The reversal of the numbers 57 and 75 also symbolizes the campaign of “turning things around,” even in the way that the stakeholders support the public education system.

Signatories of the memorandum of agreement for the Bayanihang Pampaaralan were Education Sec. Armin Luistro, Coca-Cola Phils. president Guillermo Aponte, Jollibee Foundation president Grace Tan Caktiong, Petron Corp. assistant vice president for supply and operations Andrew Fortuno, Philam Life president Trevor Bull, PLDT community relations head Evelyn del Rosario, and SM Investments Corp. executive vice president and chief finance officer Jose Sio.

For the memorandum of understanding, the signatories were Luistro, LCF chair Ed Amistad, PBSP chief executive advisor Klaas Oreel, and PBEd associate director Wadel Cabrera III.