AboitizPower subsidiary Therma Visayas, Inc. (TVI) built a one-story daycare center to benefit almost 100 children enrolled in Cabitoonan Daycare. The donation is one of TVI’s many corporate social responsibility projects for its impact on communities in its bid to co-create safe, empowered, and sustainable neighborhoods.
Our society requires more safe and conducive spaces for learning and social interaction of children–places like daycare centers. Daycare centers are unique spaces as they help kids learn more and improve their social skills in a setting outside of home and school.
It is what the children of Therma Visayas, Inc. (TVI) impact communities will now experience with the turnover of a newly refurbished one-story Daycare Center Facility in Toledo City, Cebu, a project of AboitizPower subsidiary TVI and the Aboitiz Foundation (AFI).
Representatives from TVI joined Cabitoonan Barangay Chairman Jerry Lazarte in a short, festive turnover ceremony held on November 16. The event also marked a milestone for Brgy. Cabitoonan because it is the first time for the community to have a daycare center that’s truly conducive to learning.
“Education has always been something that we consider transformative. We at TVI recognize the importance of daycares in teaching children prerequisite skills before they enter formal learning institutions. To us, it’s important that we can start things right,” said TVI’s Facility Head Noel Q. Cabahug.
Lazarte expressed his gratitude for the daycare center, which he said will benefit the community’s youth for many years.
“Genuine community power made this Daycare Center possible,” said Lazarte. “We are thankful for our long partnership with AboitizPower and TVI in uplifting the quality of life for our barangay through various projects.”
The bright yellow facility will cater to close to a hundred students daily, divided into morning and afternoon shifts.
Daycare teacher Mylyn Nacario Macapobre considers the new facility as one of her “greatest blessings.”
“This year brought me one of the greatest blessings I’ve received through AboitizPower Therma Visayas,” Macapobre said. “This new daycare center is the best facility I’ve ever taught in throughout my 31 years as a daycare teacher.”
Macapobre was 19 when she first started teaching in daycare. Back then, she and her parents pooled resources to build a small hut as a daycare. Over time, however, more children enrolled, which prompted a demand to grow the space. The children she once taught have grown up to become professionals, and now, she is teaching their children.
Studies have shown that good-quality daycare can positively impact a child’s socioemotional and behavioral development, school achievement, and long-term outcomes, such as increased employment.
National legislation supports early childhood care and development, but many daycare centers in the Philippines have to deal with inadequate resources and facilities, especially in low-income municipalities. In 2004, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) set standards for daycare centers to ensure children receive high-quality care to develop their full potential.
“It is our goal to help our communities thrive, and one way to do that is to help provide for the needs of children so that they can grow up to become healthy, well-adjusted, and productive individuals who can make a positive contribution to society.” TVI’s Cabahug added.
A good daycare facility can serve as a second home to children in Brgy. Cabitoonan and strengthen community spirit. Early exposure to social settings allows children to hone diverse cognitive and social abilities, ranging from self-expression, conflict resolution, problem-solving, and collaboration. TVI hopes the refurbished daycare facility can adequately cater to the needs of these young children.
The Brgy. Cabitoonan Daycare Center is only one of the many projects of the Aboitiz Foundation aiming to “co-create safe, empowered, and sustainable communities.” AFI partners with Aboitiz business units such as TVI through scalable initiatives that have long-term benefits and align with the group’s core competencies.