Even as enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was declared in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces, the Ayala group continued serving communities in need of relief assistance and education support through its Brigada ng Ayala initiative.
In three separate occasions, the Ayala group, led by its social development arm Ayala Foundation, distributed at least 2,100 learning and hygiene kits as well as home prepaid WiFi kits for students and teachers in Batangas, Quezon, and Rizal.
In Batangas, Ayala Foundation led the turnover of 500 health and hygiene kits called “EduCare kits” to the Batangas provincial government. Aside from the EduCare kits, the Ayala group also turned over boxes of food, 7,500 disposable face masks, and 200 (personal protective equipment) gowns to aid the province’s COVID-19 response.
In the municipality of Balete, Batangas, the Brigada ng Ayala initiative turned over 300 EduCare kits and 22 units of Globe at Home prepaid Wi-Fi devices.
Mayor Wilson Maralit and Vice Mayor Alvin Payo of Balete, Batangas, personally received the donations on behalf of the municipality. “Umaasa ako na marami pa kayong matutulungan na ating mga kababayang mahihirap, ‘di lamang sa bayan ng Balete, kundi sa buong Pilipinas,” said Maralit.
In Quezon, 800 EduCare kits were endorsed to the Provincial Governor’s Office, the Municipality of Sariaya, and Barangay Tumabaga, also in Sariaya. Six home prepaid WiFi kits were endorsed for distribution to select learners, as well as 2,500 face masks.
In Pililla, Rizal, the Ayala group turned over 500 EduCare kits, through the Municipal Mayor’s Office and Barangay Wawa. Fifteen Globe home prepaid WiFi kits were also distributed. Representatives from AC Energy also joined the distribution of Brigada ng Ayala kits in Pililla.
The recipients expressed their appreciation for the Brigada ng Ayala kits. Kier Asis, a computer science major from Batangas and one of the recipients of the Globe prepaid WiFi kits, said: “Hindi po maiinterrupt ang aming pagvivideo call at mabilis po (ang internet). Nagpapasalamat po ako sa Globe at Home for giving us the gift of learning.”
Earlier this year Ayala Foundation supervised the distribution of Brigada ng Ayala EduCare packs and Globe prepaid WiFi kits in Cagayan de Oro City; Cebu; El Nido, Palawan; and Catbalogan, Samar. Ayala Foundation is scheduled to conduct additional
Brigada ng Ayala distribution activities in April and May. Among the locations are Albay, Catanduanes, Marinduque, Cagayan, and Isabela.
Brigada ng Ayala is the Ayala group’s unified contribution to the Philippine Department of Education’s National Schools Maintenance Week, more popularly known as Brigada Eskwela. It started out as a volunteerism program, and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, has evolved into a program that seeks to address some of the urgent needs of teachers and students during the “new normal” of education. These include the provision of health and hygiene kits, the provision of hand-washing facilities, and access to online resources.
From September to December 2020, Brigada ng Ayala served 258 schools, 5,649 teachers, and 21,123 students. More areas will be covered in 2021.
For 60 years, Ayala Foundation has been serving communities all over the country through programs that promote education, sustainable livelihood, and love of country. Brigada ng Ayala, which is implemented in partnership with the Ayala Community for Social Impact and the rest of the Ayala group, serves as an expression of Ayala Foundation’s continued faith in the Filipino.
