BDO Foundation, DepEd and Huawei launch partnership

As COVID-19 continues to affect the return of students and teachers to classrooms, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank has been finding ways to develop innovative learning materials that can be easily accessed online and shared offline.

BDO Foundation partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd) and Huawei Philippines for the development of supplemental learning materials that integrate key concepts into the teaching of Science and Mathematics in schools across the country.

The partnership was officially launched in a virtual event witnessed by BDO Unibank and BDO Foundation chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson, BDO Foundation president Mario A. Deriquito, and BDO Foundation trustee Lucy Co Dy. Also in attendance were DepEd secretary Leonor Magtolis-Briones, DepEd undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio, DepEd undersecretary Tonisito Umali and Huawei Philippines vice president Daniel Guo.

The launch was highlighted by the ceremonial signing of the memorandum of agreement for the implementation of the program dubbed the Search for the Best Supplemental Learning Materials in the Teaching of Defined Key Concepts in Science and Mathematics.

The nationwide competition will invite participants composed of public elementary and high school teachers to develop learning modules that integrate financial literacy into the teaching of Science and Math. The most outstanding entries will receive recognition and will be uploaded on the DepEd online learning portal, where they can be readily downloaded by teachers and students all over the country.

According to DepEd secretary Briones, “This is very significant for us. We cannot take for granted the importance of Math and Science in basic education. Our educators and learners are fortunate because new materials will be launched to make Math and Science interesting, exciting and full of discoveries and challenges. I would like to thank BDO Foundation and Huawei Philippines for supporting this project.”

The initiative is in line with the shared advocacy of the foundation, DepEd and Huawei—touted as the global leader in information and communications technology infrastructure and smart devices—to promote financial inclusion among educators and learners. The contest supports the partners’ goal to institutionalize financial education in DepEd’s K to 12 curriculum.