The Rizal Elementary School in Bacolod City Monday received books and school supplies from The SM Store Bacolod as one of the beneficiaries of the store’s Donate-A-Book project.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Education, said that together with Customer Service manager Estela Marie Gede-y and branch manager Willie Gamboa, they turned over 300 books and 300 school supplies from The SM Store Bacolod to the Rizal ES, in coordination with the Department of Education Bacolod and the City Government.
This is part of the corporate social responsibility of the store and the donation project is being held quarterly to partner public schools around the country, Gamboa said in a city press release, adding that they gathered the donated school supplies and books from customers and handed out vouchers in return.
The annual Donate-A-Book drive aims to bridge shoppers, who wish to donate books and learning materials to disadvantaged children, Espino said.
It started in 2015, and almost 800,000 books and learning materials have been gathered and donated, through the generosity of store customers.
Prior to Rizal ES, The SM Store Bacolod also turned over school supplies to other public elementary schools around Negros Occidental.
The event Monday was attended by city executive assistant Carmeli Bantug-Zayco, DepEd Bacolod Senior Education Program specialist Celestino Nefras Jr., and Atty. Jubert Katalbas, DepEd Bacolod legal officer. ||
