MAKATI CITY, Philippines – Schools cannot do it alone.
Many of the factors that shape a child’s success lie beyond the classroom. Parents, local leaders, businesses, faith groups, volunteers, and alumni all have a role to play. When communities move from simply supporting schools to becoming active partners, children are more likely to thrive.
This was the focus of the Year 3 Principals Training of Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building, an educator development program of Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) and the Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED).
The training held in Iloilo brought together 22 public school principals from across the country to explore how schools can build stronger partnerships with the communities they serve.
Through stakeholder mapping, case studies, workshops, and peer learning sessions, participants
examined how trust, shared purpose, and collaboration can strengthen support systems for learners and help schools address challenges beyond academics.
For Melissa Aquino, trustee and corporate secretary of SBFI, effective community engagement begins with a shift in mindset. “The community is not just an ATM or a source of support. It is a partner. The child belongs not only to the school, but to all of us.”
The program encouraged principals to look beyond fundraising and volunteerism and instead build long-term relationships that enable communities to contribute meaningfully to student success.
Guided by Dr. Joseph Dela Cruz, Director IV of the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP), participants developed Community Engagement Plans tailored to the needs of their schools.
Among them was Rona May Esperanzate Cruz of Ricardo Viola Adriano Elementary School, who plans to mobilize SK officials, alumni, parents, religious groups, and private partners as reading volunteers and mentors through the KABSAT Learning Teams initiative.
Meanwhile, Dr. Hanena Epino of Datu Andiam National High School aims to reduce absenteeism by building a support network of school personnel, peer mentors, barangays, and local government partners.
While their priorities differ, the message was the same: schools are strongest when communities work alongside them.
Through Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building, SBFI and ACED are helping school leaders move beyond managing schools to mobilizing communities, recognizing that lasting change happens when an entire community takes part in a child’s future.