With more than 10,000 students, EM’s Signal Village Elementary School is the biggest school in the division of Taguig and Pateros. A large number of students is a challenge for the 262 teaching staff and 15 utility personnel of the school.
“If our enrollees continue to increase, we are not sure if our classrooms and chairs will be enough for the coming school year. We are still waiting for the delivery of the additional chairs we requested,” said Josefina Granada, principal IV of EM’s Signal Village Elementary School.
To help address this concern, Citi Philippines and the Philippine Business for Social Progress boldly committed to clean and repaint 1,000 chairs that will be used by the students this school year.
“Students are more interested, passionate and excited to learn when they see that the classrooms are clean and newly-painted and the chairs and desks are in good condition. This initiative of Citi and PBSP will really help us prepare the school. The students will be happy to see when they come to class that their rooms are conducive for learning,” said Granada.
Around 450 volunteers from Citi Philippines joined the initiative to clean and repaint chairs in the school led by Citi Philippines chief executive and PBSP trustee Aftab Ahmed. The activity is one of 23 events that Citi Philippines is participating in to mark its 14th Annual Global Community Day.
“We harness the spirit of giving back as a Citi volunteer team. Through our combined efforts, we hope to play a constructive role in the communities where we live and work,” said Ahmed.
Each year on Citi’s Global Community Day, employee-volunteers commit their time and efforts on volunteer projects to improve communities. Since the initiative started in 2006, Citi volunteers have contributed around four million hours of service across 450 cities.
In the Philippines, Citi volunteers help advance quality education by revitalizing schools through Brigada Eskwela activities such as the painting of classroom desks and chairs. Citi Philippines and PBSP have been partners since 2012, working together to promote quality education accessible to all.
Aside from the painting of chairs, over 600 Citi volunteers also made ecobricks for EM’s Signal Village Elementary School. The ecobricks, made from recycled plastic bottles, wrappers, and sachets, will be used to make stools and tables for the school.
