LRT-1 private operator Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) further beefs up its partnership with Binhi English Literacy Foundation, a non-profit and non-governmental organization, as it engaged its partner companies Alstom and Bouygues in supporting more classes for its advocacy of nation-building through quality education.
Started in School Year 2020 – 2021, the partnership between LRMC and Binhi English Literacy Foundation began with one class at Marcela Marcelo Elementary School in Pasay City being supported for the Beginning Reading Program. The primary objectives were to improve the student’s comprehension skills and develop love for reading that will inspire students to do better in school and subsequently, improve their economic situation. The program resulted to a 40.8% improvement in average scores for the reading progress of students.
“This advocacy has a very special place in our hearts as we are not just your partner for a safe, reliable, efficient, and comfortable journey, but we are also here to support the other needs of communities being served by LRT-1. We are grateful to our partners from Alstom and Bouygues for joining us in this initiative anchored on the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), allowing us to reach more students and families,” said LRMC Head of Corporate Communications and Customer Relations Jacqueline Gorospe.
For this School Year 2021 – 2022, the partnership has expanded to cover a total of three Grade 2 classes from Marcela Marcelo Elementary School in Pasay City and F. Serrano Sr. Elementary School in Paranaque City made possible by the additional support from Alstom and Bouygues Travaux Publics.
“Bouygues Travaux Publics Philippines, Inc. is pleased to support the Binhi English Literacy Foundation program for the less fortunate, but the no less determined children of our local communities. All children have an inner potential, some need just a little extra guidance and support in their formative years and if Bouygues can facilitate a means of support for such children, we welcome the opportunity to do so. After all, never a truer expression than children are our future,” said Bouygues Project Director Drasko Strika.
“We believe that language should not become a barrier to talent or hindrance for success of the children with learning differences at F. Serrano Sr. Elementary School – Don Bosco. This joint collaboration with Binhi English Literacy Foundation allows us to meaningfully address these opportunity gaps by improving the English reading and comprehension skills of underprivileged students in our local communities,” Huang Pei Hsiu, Project Director (Manila Cavite) of Alstom said.
In response to the new normal given the COVID-19 pandemic, the Binhi English Literacy Program was redesigned into a ClassHome Kit, an individual kit consisting of activity sheets, learning supplies, and recorded instructional video lessons distributed to each student.
The Binhi English Literacy Foundation, Inc. is a non-governmental organization founded in Manila in 2008 to help children ages 5 to 11 who are out-of-school or in school but at risk of dropping out.