The Asia Foundation Donates Books for DepEd Philippines Brigada Eskwela Campaign

General Santos City, May 29, 2018 — Under its broader support of English-language literacy and K-12 program implementation in the Philippines, The Asia Foundation participated in the Department of Education (DepEd)’s annual Brigada Eskwela or National School Maintenance Week to prepare public school facilities for the opening of the school year in June. The Foundation’s popular Books for Asia program donated 300 books to various schools in the city at this year’s launch event at the New Society National High School in General Santos City. Education stakeholders from local government, civil society organizations, and other development partners attended the 2018 kick-off event, spearheaded by DepEd.

Students from various elementary schools in Region XII with DepEd Undersecretary Tonisito M.C. Umali, Esq. and Assistant Secretary Revsee A. Escobedo receiving the donation from Books for Asia, represented by Reynald Ocampo, a program officer in the Philippines office.

In providing high-quality books and improving school libraries, The Asia Foundation hopes to contribute to making quality education a reality for all Filipino students. In addition to the donation in General Santos City, two public schools in Mandaluyong City will each receive a donation of 300 new books. The donations include reference books and technical-vocational learning materials required by schools for primary- and secondary-level instruction. Asia Foundation staff will also donate their time to help improve school libraries by cleaning, repainting, and rearranging bookshelves and tables to help make the space more welcoming for students.

Since 1954, The Asia Foundation’s Books for Asia program has donated print books to thousands of needy educational institutions in 21 Asian countries each year. The Philippines alone has been a recipient of 14 million books and journals at public and private institutions across the country. More than 95 percent of Books for Asia’s donations are new textbooks donated by U.S. publishers.

Books for Asia has made a significant contribution to education in the Philippines where instructional resources, tools, and facilities can be scarce. Required textbooks and supplementary reading materials have been donated to schools throughout the country with all educational levels have benefited from the program. NGOs also receive resource materials from Books for Asia.

The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. Informed by six decades of experience and deep local expertise, our work across the region addresses five overarching goals—strengthen governance, empower women, expand economic opportunity, increase environmental resilience, and promote regional cooperation.

Read more about the Foundation’s work.

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