LA CARLOTA CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - Roxas Holdings, Inc. (RHI) recently signed two Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Education (DepEd) to help schoolchildren in 23 schools in this city.

 

The agreements cover the provision of 240 training materials for teachers in 23 public schools in La Carlota City, the donation of 214 books to schoolchildren, the repair of the stage of La Carlota Sugar Central Elementary School in Bucalan, and the establishment of a park at Sugar Central School to encourage reading among 190 elementary pupils.

 

The Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Department (CSR) of RHI, Ms. Angeline Bondad, stated that the projects are part of the Company’s program called “Reaching Out for Environmental Awareness and Discovery (READ) for Excellence” and are being rolled out in partnership with Central Azucarera de la Carlota, Inc. (CACI) and Roxol Bioenergy Corporation (RBC), both located at La Carlota City and subsidiaries of RHI.

 

The “READ for Excellence” program falls under DepEd’s “Adopt-A-School” program which encourages private companies to assist in the delivery of better quality education to public schools in the country.

 

In the meantime, CACI VP/GM Esteban H. Coscolluela together with La Carlota City Schools Division Superintendent Portia Mallorca and former Negros Occidental Governor and former Sugar Regulatory Administrator Rafael Coscolluela, who is a Board of Trustee of Synergia Foundation, Inc. and of CACI CSR partner ESKAN or Eskwelahan Sang Katawhan – Negros signed the MOA for the distribution of Fuller Training Materials for teachers and books for children (as shown on second photo). The training materials for teachers were from CACI and ESKAN, and the books were donated by the Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development. A storytelling session capped the signing event (as shown on first photo).

 

On the other hand, RBC Factory Operations Manager, Mr. Noli G. Segovia signed last March 12 the MOA for the repair of a school stage and the provision for a reading park with La Carlota Sugar Elementary School Principal Analiza E. Vargas (as shown on third photo).

 

Dr. Mallorca, the city school superintendent, expressed gratitude for the program, which, she said, supports “education for all”. Furthermore, she stated that, “La Carlota supports LEAP or Leadership for Excellence, Empowerment for Excellence, Academic Excellence, and Partnership for Excellence. Mediocrity is not a way of life”.

 

ESKAN’s Mr. Coscolluela shared that La Carlota is now one of the better performing divisions in Negros Occidental. “We express our sincere gratitude to Roxas Holdings, Inc. through CACI, for this project. Our children can get better education and better future,” Mr. Coscolluela added, noting that lack of education is one of the issues that hamper growth in the rural areas where 40% of the total population live in poverty. “With good education, our youth will not be left behind,” Mr. Coscolluela further said.

 

In the meantime, CACI CSR Officer Ramonito Lastima said this was a good opportunity to collaborate with the DepEd. He urged students to develop love for reading. “I always read. Reading is a habit that I valued as I grew older,” Mr Lastima shared.

 

ESKAN Project Director, Dr. Ernesto Malbas, also encouraged the school children and teachers to collaborate in maximizing the opportunity. “Storytelling empowers children to perform well in school. Teachers must continue to develop the reading habit among children,” he said.

 

Earlier, Mr Segovia of RBC told the school’s teachers, parents and pupils that RHI, specifically through its ethanol subsidiary RBC, will provide “more value-adding” benefits for the school children while instilling in them the importance of valuing and loving the environment.

 

“A caring and loving environment helps children to excel, particularly in the area of education which is an anchor project of RHI,” said Mr Segovia, who also acknowledged the hard work of teachers who mentor the children.

 

DepEd’s Ms Bartolo, stressing the importance of instilling environmental consciousness among school children, said the help extended by RBC and RHI as a group continues to transform lives.

 

“We are happy that as our partnership with RHI intensifies, the totality of the beneficiaries is improved. In fact, La Carlota Sugar Central Elementary School was a bronze awardee of the Seal of Excellence last March 2,” Ms Bartolo further said.