Iloilo City, Philippines – TELUS International Philippines (TIP) recently completed the distribution of some 5,000 learning and hygiene kits to public elementary school children in five Iloilo-based schools in support of the Department of Education’s (DepEd’s) Brigada Eskwela “Bayanihan para sa Paaralan”.
Over 125 team members based at the company’s Iloilo delivery center on Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue in Iloilo City volunteered to pack and distribute bags in the site’s first community outreach activity since opening in April 2021.
“We are overjoyed to come together as a community to help DepEd in its mission to provide better quality education to the Filipino youth. As part of our TELUS Days of Giving corporate social responsibility activities, our team members are able to make an impact in the communities where we operate and show them the TELUS International brand of care that runs through the fabric of our company’s culture,” said Jonabee Catura, TELUS Iloilo City Site Lead, explaining how the initiative supports their commitment to education and social purpose.
Each learning kit comes packed with necessary school supplies such as notebooks, pad paper, pens and ballpens, crayons, a ruler, a sharpener and glue, following a DepEd-recommended list of inclusions. Hygiene kits are packed with disposable face masks, a face shield, goggles, soap, alcohol, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and drinking water, with the addition of sanitary pads in kits for female high school students.
To prepare the learning and hygiene kits for donation, team members volunteered for packing shifts of up to two hours each at a specially sanitized and prepared activity area within the office. Adhering to strict safety and hygiene protocols, volunteers were prepped at a sanitation area and provided with kits containing safety masks, gloves and wipes before proceeding to disinfected and physically-distanced workstations monitored by safety personnel.
Beneficiary schools in the Iloilo site vicinity include A. Bonifacio Integrated School (Ledesma St. Iloilo City), Bo. Obrero National High School (Dama de Noche St., Bo. Obrero, Iloilo City), Hibao-an Elementary School (Hibao-an Sur, Mandurriao, Iloilo City), Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School (Brgy. Kahirupan, Ledesma St. Iloilo City), and La Paz Elementary School (Jereos extension La Paz, Iloilo City).
The annual Department of Education’s Brigada Eskwela “Bayanihan para sa Paaralan” campaign rallies partner organizations such as TELUS International Philippines to support the educational needs of the community.
“The entire activity was carefully orchestrated, requiring a lot of preparation and members from many different internal teams working together, and the beaming faces of the student recipients on distribution days were incredibly rewarding to see,” said Jose Carlo Lim, team member volunteer from Iloilo.
From 2014 to date, TELUS Days of Giving initiatives in support of DepEd’s Brigada Eskwela program have touched the lives of over 35,000 student beneficiaries across public elementary schools in Metro Manila and Iloilo. About 14,300 team member volunteers have collectively donated 68,800 hours to the success of the program.
“Opportunities brought by our TELUS Days of Giving program are high on our list of priorities. We are delighted that so many members of our team continue to raise their hand and volunteer. This willingness and desire to make the world a better place will continue to fuel our capacity to help each year,” said Jonabee Catura.
