Employees of the world’s leading logistics firm DHL took part in this year’s Brigada Eskwela activity at Holy Spirit Elementary School.
DHL, part of Deutsche Post DHL, the world’s leading postal and logistics group, participated in the Department of Education’s annual school maintenance week, Brigada Eskwela, at the Holy Spirit Elementary School (HSES) on May 23, through its partnership with nonprofit organization Teach for the Philippines (TFP). Forty DHL employees from different business units helped rehabilitate the school’s facilities.
The DHL employees together with the TFP team fixed, assembled, and painted chairs and blackboards for the elementary school in Brgy. Holy Spirit in Quezon City. They produced 107 chairs and four blackboards during the four-hour activity.
“Rehabilitating these facilities was not easy, but knowing how greatly it will benefit the students makes all our efforts worth it,” said Ferddie Legazpi, DHL Express Philippines Customs and Regulatory Boards manager. “Not only is this a way for DHL to give back to the community; it will also motivate the students to focus on learning.”
“We have accomplished so much in such little time today, and that would not have been possible without DHL’s generous support,” said Jerome Intia, TFP director for Marketing and Public Relations. “Seeing these people work together for the benefit of HSES students shows that it truly takes a community to raise a child.”
DHL hopes that the new facilities will motivate the students to focus on their studies. DHL’s participation in this year’s Brigada Eskwela is in line with its corporate responsibility under the GoTeach program, which focuses on improving educational opportunities and employability of the younger generation.
“I have always been a believer that for a country like the Philippines, the easy way out of poverty is good education,” said Jun Baculo, DHL Express Philippines’ National Gateway manager. “DHL tries to give back in small but significant ways like fixing these chairs. If the children are comfortably seated, they can focus on learning.”
DHL employees, along with Teach for the Philippines officials and teacher fellows, showed their support for DepEd’s Brigada Eskwela 2014. Photograph shows the logistics company’s employees and TFP team with the chairs they finished painting for the activity.
More than just complying with its Living Responsibility program, DHL sees to it that the company personally involves itself with its vision. Instead of providing monetary assistance, DHL has chosen to send its employees to the frontlines to immerse themselves in the project and other various employee volunteering projects with TFP and other partner organizations.
“It has been ingrained in DHL’s culture to truly support its corporate responsibility programs since it is our way of giving back to the community,” said Patrick Celos, DHL Express Philippines’ Service Center manager. “Immersing ourselves in programs such as Brigada Eskwela gives us a better understanding of what is really needed in terms of education.”
Participating in this year’s Brigada Eskwela is only one of the numerous activities by DHL and TFP to improve the quality of Philippine education since it forged a partnership in October 2013. These collaborative activities include the monthly Read-Along program, taking TFP students on learning field trips, and helping TFP with the sorting, packing and delivery of exam papers.