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In line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call to uplift the quality of education, the Department of Education (DepEd) recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) and Security Bank Corporation (SBC) to boost school leadership through the Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building Program.

“Ang ating mga punong-guro at guro ang nagbibigay-buhay sa ating mga paaralan. Kung mas magiging mahusay ang kanilang pamumuno, mas magiging makabuluhan ang bawat aral, bawat klase, at bawat pangarap ng ating mga kabataan,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.

The initiative will be carried out in partnership with Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle Philippines, the University of Bristol in UK, and The HEAD Foundation in Singapore. This mix of local expertise and global perspective is expected to provide Filipino educators with advanced training and mentoring tools.

The three-year mentoring program is designed in phases with the first year focusing on personal and professional growth of school heads. The second and third year will expand to school-wide improvement and community engagement, respectively.

Angara underscored that while addressing the classroom shortage remains a priority of the Marcos administration, it is equally important to invest in the people who lead schools. “By raising the competence of our principals, we ensure that the massive investments in infrastructure and resources translate into better student outcomes,” he added.

SBFI, through its flagship Build a School, Build a Nation Program, has already constructed 845 classrooms in 145 schools across 86 cities and municipalities since 2011. It has also invested in repairing 449 classrooms, training over 36,000 teachers, and mentoring more than 170 school principals nationwide. In total, the bank has poured some ₱1.9 billion into education initiatives, including ₱237 million in 2024 alone.

SBFI Chairman Rafael F. Simpao Jr. emphasized that the new partnership represents a deepening of the bank’s commitment to nation-building.

Some 29 school principals from different regions of the country witnessed the ceremonial signing. They represent the 2025 batch of the program which began in 2023. Program beneficiaries mainly come from schools that have benefited from SBFI classroom donations. Additional educators may be included if slots are available.

Angara said the program echoes President Marcos’s directive to strengthen the education system through public-private partnerships (PPPs). “With partners like Security Bank, we are not only building classrooms but also building capacity. Hindi lang mga gusali ang ating itinatayo, kundi kinabukasan ng ating mga kabataan,” he said.

*All Photos from DepEd