Fortifying partnerships while reinforcing its commitment to inclusive, quality, and future-ready education, different units of Saint Mary’s University (SMU), through the Community Engagement and Indigenous Peoples Studies Center (CEIPSC), spearheaded a stakeholders’ meeting and school supply donation drive for five partner schools and communities.

The office, through its director Dr. Christopher Allen S. Marquez and the different schools’ community engagement coordinators visited partner communities in the week-long stakeholders meeting to assess ongoing programs, gather community insights, and map out the continuation of projects under its community engagement initiatives.

Through its director, Dr. Christopher Allen S. Marquez, and the different schools’ community engagement coordinators, the office visited partner communities in a  week-long stakeholders’ meeting to assess ongoing programs, gather community insights, and map out the continuation of  projects under its community engagement initiatives.

Community leaders, parents, school officials, and education representatives participated in the discussions, providing feedback on the university’s previous community engagement programs and identifying priority projects and activities for the coming years. Moreover, the consultations marked a milestone for Purok Gonggongob in Cabuluan, Villaverde and Sitio Masina in Bagabag as SMU concludes its five-year formal partnership with the two communities through discussion on ways to sustain the programs and activities that have been established through the partnership, ensuring their continuation beyond the agreement period.

Meanwhile, partner schools of the different communities received school supply donations brought together by Marian students through the Christian Faith Education Department and the office of the National Training Service Program. The donations were also participated by student groups including Marian Emergency Response Team, IP scholars and members of Teatro Publico who delivered basic first aid training, games and recreation, and rain gear donations, respectively.

Furthermore, the basic education department delivered support to its partner schools as SMU Grade School provided 81 complete sets of school supplies to Baguingey Elementary School, while SMU Junior High School Science High School and SMU Senior High School donated 75 school bags each to learners of Pawak Elementary School and Ipil-Cuneg Elementary School, respectively. Additionally, tertiary departments joined the initiative by distributing complete sets of school supplies to learners of Villapar Pale Elementary School and Sitio Masina, Bagabag. 

The activities form part of SMU’s participation in Brigada Eskwela and support the celebration of the 32nd Anniversary of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), anchored on the theme, “ACHIEVE-ing Knowledge Economy Together for a Future-Ready Bagong Pilipinas”, through provision of essential educational materials in hopes of creating better learning opportunities for students as they begin the new academic year.