For the Ayala Coop, helping out the community, and helping out especially the youth of the country, never gets old.
This was again demonstrated when the Ayala Coop, in partnership with Ayala Foundation and two other institutions – the Philippine Toy Library and the Corazon S. Atayde Memorial Foundation – undertook several more corporate social responsibility programs in Basilan and Palawan to benefit three more schools.
The programs involved setting up toy libraries for schoolchildren at the Balas and Tairan Elementary Schools in Basilan and at the Pasadena Elementary School in El Nido, Palawan. The schoolchildren in all three schools were also treated to storybook reading exercises, with a number of them being included in the Learning English Through Stories (L.E.T.S.) program to be implemented in their schools by the Coop in cooperation with the Atayde Foundation.
Training and workshop
Selected school teachers also had the privilege of undergoing a training and workshop to further equip them in teaching their pupils.
The toy libraries were set up, just as they were in five other schools where the Coop has had CSR involvement, by converting a classroom in the partner school into a play and resource area. It was conceived as part of a “holistic” approach to make the education of young schoolchildren more comprehensive, covering social interactive play to help them express their thoughts and helping their sensorial, behavioral and communicative development.
Besides AFI, the Philippine Toy Library and the Atayde Foundation, the Ayala Coop also partnered with the 4th Special Forces Battalion in setting up the toy libraries in Basilan.
Personalities present
Present during the launching done last January 16 of the toy library in Balas were Rommel Buenaventura and Marie Nava, the school’s principal and supervisor, respectively; Lamitan City District Supervisor Dr. Saudi Dalu; Edsel Ramirez and Queenie Militar, Children’s Community Play Area president and community relations officer, respectively; Atayde Foundation Executive Director Margaux Atayde; 1st Lt. Mark Christian Sta. Ana of the 4th Special Forces Battalion; Jessa Addun and Maricar Fernando of AFI; and Jenifer Luyun and Mary Grace Bando of the Coop.
In attendance in the Tairan toy library launching a day later, meanwhile, were Sonny Dindin, Joven Jagoh and Jerrilyn Asanti, Tairan school principal, cluster head and supervisor, respectively; Basilan SDS Hja. Norhaya Abdurahim, Capt. Andrew Abay as well as AFI, Philippine Toy Library, Atayde Foundation and Coop officals.
On the other hand, on hand during the Pasadena toy library launch last January 30 were El Nido Vice Mayor Leonor Corral, district supervisor Daniel Belleza, Pasadena head teacher Marlon Batoy, Parent-Teacher’s Association President Erlie Barrun, Lamoro Barangay Captain Dario Campuid, AFI manager Chiara Cruza, the Coop’s Sarah Razonable and Mispah Grace Villacarlos, and officials of the Coop’s other partner groups.









