Village Connect
In places where distance shapes daily life, opportunity often arrives through collaboration. In Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, schools serving remote communities face persistent challenges—limited funding, scarce private-sector presence, and classrooms stretched beyond capacity. For educators on the ground, progress depends not only on policy, but on partnerships that help bridge long-standing gaps.
“Forging partnerships has long been a challenge for DepEd Calapan,” shared Mark Lester Casapao, Senior Education Program Specialist for Social Mobilization and Networking. With few major industries nearby, schools rely heavily on creative collaborations to meet even basic needs. Public funding, he noted, is rarely enough to cover everything. “Napaka halaga po ng mga partnerships dahil ang collaboration po ang pupuno sa anumang kailangan punan.”
This reality has placed partnership-building at the heart of SM Foundation’s work across education, health, and disaster response. In Calapan, that commitment is visible through the SM School Building Program, carried out with DepEd, SM Prime, and SM Retail. At Bayanan II Elementary School, cramped classrooms were replaced with a new building designed for movement, interaction, and modern teaching methods—allowing students to learn more actively and confidently.
Support for education extends beyond classrooms. Through its College Scholarship Program, SM Foundation works with partners such as Mastercard, DigiPlus Foundation, and IBM to provide financial assistance and industry-linked training, particularly in technology fields. For scholars like Cris Dela Cruz, a TOSS awardee with Mastercard, the support changed everything. Facing financial hardship, he found renewed purpose through the program as he pursued a STEM course in Isabela. “I may have been born into poverty, but I was raised by purpose,” he said.
In healthcare, prevention anchors the foundation’s Wellness Center Program. Partnering with institutions like San Juan Medical Center and local governments, the initiative strengthens community-based care to ease pressure on major hospitals. “Ang real charity hospital, dapat may wellness,” said SJMC medical director Dr. Joseph Acosta, emphasizing that preventing disease is both humane and cost-effective for government systems.
During crises, partnerships move even faster. Through Operation Tulong Express, SM Supermalls become relief hubs while SM Markets handle packing and logistics—working closely with DSWD and LGUs. For volunteers like Ana Datu of SM Supermalls, malls transform into lifelines. “We are a mall for the community,” she said.
Across education, health, and disaster response, these partnerships are quietly reshaping how support reaches underserved areas—turning shared responsibility into real pathways for communities long limited by geography.
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