ORMOC CITY, Philippines – A total of 2,275 students in Eastern Visayas benefited from the “Balik Eskwela†program of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, held in partnership with at least four electric cooperatives in the region.Elmer Cruz of NGCP’s corporate communication department said the EC’s they partnered with were the Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative (ESAMELCO), Leyte Electric Cooperative II (Leyeco II), Samar Electric Cooperative (SAMELCO) and the Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative (SOLECO).
Students in pre-identified schools were given one set of school supplies composed of a bag, pencils and notebooks printed with the NGCP mascot “Linoy†(Linya para sa Pinoy), and “value-laden†messages on line safety and anti-pilferage on the front and back covers.
Meanwhile, more than 160 public elementary schools all over the country benefited from the corporate social responsibility project, said Cruz, adding that the same program was held in Mindanao and Luzon.
The Balik Eskwela program aims to build meaningful relationships between NGCP and host communities, so that these communities would help them protect the company’s transmission assets that have been victimized many times by thieves preying on their steel posts and power lines which are sold as “scrap.â€
Nelson Cabangon, NGCP’s Corporate Affairs Head, on the other hand, said the Balik Eskwela program was because they recognize that school supplies are a big expense for these less fortunate students.