In time for the opening of school year 2024-2025, SM Supermalls once again participated in the nationwide Brigada Eskwela, demonstrating the shopping center chain’s unwavering commitment to education and community development.
In Bacolod, the SM mall selected the Apolinario Mabini Elementary School as its beneficiary this year.
Mall employees, led by SM Visayas’ regional operations manager George Jardiolin, volunteered their time in community service by cleaning and repairing classrooms and preparing the surroundings to make the school a welcoming place for the Mabini ES learners. Aside from employee-volunteers, the SM Security Force’s guards and agency personnel also participated in the school clean up and maintenance.
SM City Bacolod also turned over cleaning and maintenance supplies to support the school’s needs, its press release said.
Brigada Eskwela is spearheaded by the Department of Education on a nationwide scale, calling on the community to take an active role in the upkeep of schools.
Schools tap on students’ parents, teachers, and public and private organizations every academic year to collaborate on several activities that would ensure a good learning environment for learners.
SM Supermalls has been a constant partner of this annual bayanihan effort, bringing community efforts, such as this, to different schools in Bacolod City and the province of Negros Occidental.
While the Brigada Eskwela is a small yet significant part in the academic journey of the youth, the SM Group also initiates community development projects to support education needs, one of which is the donation of public school buildings, especially in areas which lack classrooms.
To date, SM Foundation has donated over 100 school buildings nationwide, and three schools in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental were among the recipients.
Dedicated efforts of SM will ensure that more conducive learning experiences can be provided to schools to create a positive impact in the lives of students, whether it is through the donation of school facilities, the SM scholarship program, or even through small acts, like the Brigada Eskwela.
Apolinario Mabini ES officials, led by principal Maricor Daprinal and Brigada Eskwela coordinator Mercy Nillos, meanwhile, thanked SM City Bacolod for its initiative of making the school a welcome environment for students. ||
