QUEZON CITY – Meldrid (16) and Jeanie (14) share the same passion for knowledge and learning. But because of their parents’ financial struggles, going to school regularly has become challenging for them. But they persevere because they know that education is the key to providing their family with a good life. The odds are stacked against them as only 6 out of 10 Filipino children in public schools make it to the final year of their elementary or secondary education.
Recognizing the need to provide opportunities for underprivileged Filipino youths to learn and increase the number of students who can finish their final year in secondary school, SCG partnered with Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and started SCG Sharing the Dream in the country in 2008. Bound by their commitment to improve the lives of their communities, SCG and PBSP worked together in helping more than 1,700 students from SCG subsidiary areas such as Tondo, Batangas, Bulacan, and Taguig in making their dreams come true by granting them access to education.
“PBSP has worked with different companies for their scholarship programs and we make sure that we work with counterparts like SCG who are equally driven to help their scholars,” shared PBSP Project Manager Kristine Rivadelo. “What makes SCG Sharing the Dream unique is the strong employee engagement and relationship with the scholars in ensuring the effective implementation of the project.”
Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Luzon Regional Center Manager Kristine Rivadelo with an SCG scholar during the SCG Sharing the Dream Turnover Ceremony
Rivadelo also added that aside from giving out financial support, SCG and PBSP underscored the importance of guiding students and providing them with opportunities to learn to ensure their future success. The scholarship program also focuses on the holistic development of the scholars by providing them workshops ranging from short sessions on values, personality development and financial literacy to disaster awareness and response, responsible use of the social media, and career coaching.
“Last year, our scholars were given the opportunity to map out their future and develop their leadership skills with the help of The Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP). Mainly focused on preparing them for Senior High School, the workshop, likewise, facilitated career guidance for the students to help them in deciding the course or career they would like to pursue in the future,” Rivadelo said.
Rivadelo also noted that working with the government on this project, especially with the local government units and the Department of Education, has increased SCG Sharing the Dream’s probability to do well through the years. The program complements the government’s efforts in making education accessible to every Filipino, even in the marginalized sector, by providing them with opportunities to build better lives.
“SCG Sharing the Dream is a very good platform that allows young people to dream and shape their future. A scholarship with SCG is a lasting gift to a child and their family. The program has been there for a decade and another 10 years would be a very big blessing for SCG’s communities,” Rivadelo concluded.
In main photo, PBSP Luzon Regional Center Manager Kristine Rivadelo (Left) joins the SCG team in the turnover ceremony of SCG Sharing the Dream held at the Asian Center Auditorium of the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City.
