SM Foundation-Punlaan partnership: Sowing seeds for a better future

MANILA, Philippines - Punlaan School, a project of the Foundation for Professional Training Inc., was initially established in 1975 to train household helps for employment skills. The five-month course which consisted of a basic training session in baking, cooking and housekeeping and an advance five-month course to include personality development, English and values education was envisioned to help the underprivileged acquire livelihood skills.

Punlaan decided to expand the training courses and has now become a non-stock, non-profit NGO, a technical and vocational school and tourism training center that provides technology–based education as well as work ethics and moral values formation. The target beneficiaries would still be the underprivileged who can not afford a college education but had the talent and determination to pursue an education that would contribute to their economic as well as social upliftment, assuring them of a better future.

The Dual Training in Food & Beverage Services, a 24-month diploma course, is a scholarship program for female high school graduates for career opportunities as kitchen, pastry, pantry, bar and food assistants. The program consists of a 12-month school training and another 12-month on-the-job training in a hotel or restaurant, many of which are industry partners of Punlaan.

Academic director Vanessa Valencia said the scholars are guaranteed free tuition for 12 months in school training and a monthly stipend starting on the 7th month of the program. They get free books, cooking and baking ingredients. The scholars are assured of immediate employment upon graduation.

The school relies on sponsorship from corporations, civic organizations, tourism-related companies, restaurants, hotels and private individuals. One of these sponsors is the SM Foundation.

When SM Foundation started its College Scholarship Program in 1993, it helped many underprivileged yet deserving students finish a four-year college degree. Realizing that not all students can avail of the scholarship and enroll in baccalaureate programs, SMF introduced an innovation into its scholarship program, then partnered with Punlaan School for scholarships in vocational diploma courses. In this year’s graduation, SM scholar Faye Ogario was the “Most Outstanding Student” while Denise Laurel was “Best in Baking”.

At the Punlaan School 18th commencement exercises held recently, 12 SM scholars finished the dual training program in food and beverage services. SM Foundation executive director Debbie Sy was on hand to congratulate the graduates together with SMFI executives Linda Atayde, Arlene Keh and Lingling Lansang. The graduates, comely in their uniforms, radiated the happiness they felt. For them, graduation brings them closer to their goal of getting employed and be productive individuals.

Courses offered in Punlaan are accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The diploma course in food and beverage is accredited by the Department of Tourism, Department of Labor and Employment and the Hotel & Restaurant Association of the Philippines.