Employees, volunteers from SM Malls in Marilao, Baliwag, Pulilan, and San Jose Del Monte trooped to public schools in Bulacan to work together for the Brigada Eskwela 2019.
Employees waste no time in preparing school facilities and cleaning classrooms for the opening of classes. Various activities ranging from carpentry work, paint jobs, repairs, replacements as well as greening the school surroundings were assigned to volunteers to ensure school grounds are clean, safe, and conducive for learning.
SM City Baliwag and SM Center Pulilan volunteers gave classrooms a brand new look by cleaning, repairing chairs and desks, and painting colorful murals.
The rundown rooms of Baliwag North Central School and Sto. Cristo Elementary School in Pulilan were masterly restored and given a makeover. Beneficiaries also received cleaning materials and supplies for repairs and painting.
SM City Marilao volunteers brought back vibrancy into the nearby Saog Elementary School. The building and classrooms got a touch up in the form of fresh wall paint, new murals, dust-free chairs and tables, repaired jalousie windows, and sanitized comfort rooms.
They likewise shouldered expenses needed for the cleanup and restoration of school grounds that include pavement gutters, fences, and corridors. Cleaning materials, gallons of paint and were likewise donated.
“The Brigada Eskwela has been a tradition in SM,” shares SM Human Resources Manager Prescila Salamat. The activity is SM’s way of giving back to the communities and a demonstration of the SM family’s brand of caring and service, she said.
Tree planting and vegetable gardening were the primary focus of volunteers of SM City San Jose Del Monte during the Brigada Eskwela at Paradise Farms Community School.
Volunteers were tasked to weed out and cultivate the ‘Kay-Yabong’ garden soil before planting vegetable seedlings. Crops grown in the school garden are usually used in the campus feeding program as most students are children of local farmers in San Jose Del Monte.
“Apart from cleaning and greening school surroundings, we wanted to impart sustainability and help improve the health, nutrition, and education of children” shares SM City San Jose Del Monte Assistant Mall Manager Arch. Nelson Lopez.
“We hope that our gardening would help yield better crops to alleviate hunger and stimulate regular attendance to pupils” Lopez added.
Brigada Eskwela is one of SM’s annual volunteerism project spearheaded by the Human Resources Department in collaboration with SM Cares and the mall’s Customer Relations Service Department. The program aims to help communities in preparing a better learning environment for students while maximizing civic participation of SM employees.
Over a hundred SM employees in Marilao, Baliwag, Pulilan, and San Jose Del Monte took part in the school rehabilitation.