Manila, Philippines – The classroom backlog in public education is a staggering 150,000 or more, said Education Secretary Sonny Angara.
And he has won over some of the country’s biggest brands to somewhat plug that gap.
On Wednesday, Dec. 3, BDO, the listed banking giant led by tycoon Henry Sy, has launched a credit card that allows its owners to donate to a seed fund for building classrooms while shopping.
For every P1,000 spend, BDO donates P5 to a non-profit organization HOPE, which in turn bankrolls the construction of public school classrooms.
The story behind the collaboration among Angara, BDO and HOPE is proof that those who have the power to make things happen – when tapped – will be a formidable force that could move the needle on public education.
HOPE is a foundation built by former actress-turned-entrepreneur Nanette Medved-Po who shared how the concept emerged during a conversation with Angara’s wife Tootsy.
“This credit card came about and we’ve been dreaming about this for so long since early this year,” Medved said during Wednesday’s launch.
“Yes we may not be tackling the 165,000 gap but we’re doing the little we can to contribute… with partners like BDO, that’s just going to amplify it further,” she added.
BDO supported the mission, Tootsy Angara said.
“Nanette had this great idea about really getting everyone involved. So we went to Tita Tessie [Sy] and her BDO team,” she said during the same event.
“When we met with their team, all we had was a dream and the seed of a concept. And now we’re sitting here, holding our cards, and it came to life,” Angara added.
The credit card, labeled as BDO HOPE Mastercard, is the latest offering on the bank’s loan portfolio.
Its launch comes nearly half a year after other big brands – Carmen’s Best, Grab, Penshoppe, Aivee Clinic, SM Supermalls and Sunnies – bonded together in a nationwide campaign that rallies support for public school classroom financing.
Ideally, the Department of Education (DepEd) eyes 10,000 to 20,000 new classrooms per year. The status quo is that construction is relegated to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). But that will change, Angara said.
“It’s not DepEd [that builds classrooms]. It’s DPWH. But again, with the discussions, the best way to go forward is that DPWH can build them. DepEd can build them. Local governments. That expands the efforts instead of one agency,” the education chief said addressing an audience attending the launch.
“Our deficit is 150,000 up classrooms. And every year there are thousands of classrooms that are damaged by typhoons. There are 50-year old classrooms which need to be demolished, condemned. So it’s a moving target. But if we don’t act quickly – and we really appreciate these efforts – we’ll be in trouble. We already are in trouble,” Angara said.