BDO Foundation, Streetlight open school building in Leyte

BDO Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank, has completed the construction of a new school building in Tacloban City, Leyte in partnership with non-profit organization Streetlight Philippines.

Dubbed the Streetlight Study and Development Center, the two- story, fourclassroom school building benefits street children and students from underprivileged communities.

The structure was inaugurated in ceremonies led by BDO Foundation program director Rose Espinosa and BDO Tacloban-Zamora branch head Jean Culas.

Also in attendance were Streetlight board president Liliosa Baltazar, Streetlight executive director Neva Johannesen, Streetlight Philippines liaison officer Erlend Johannesen and Streetlight Norway board president Robert Hoven.

The project is part of BDO Foundation’s disaster response advocacy and rehabilitation intervention in Typhoon Yolanda-stricken provinces. Streetlight and its beneficiaries in Tacloban were heavily affected by the super typhoon.

The construction of Streetlight Study and Development Center was equally funded by the foundation and Streetlight Philippines, a non-profit volunteer organization that benefits underprivileged children.

Founded in Norway by Erlend Johannesen, Streetlight operates a comprehensive scholarship program for street children in Tacloban, where it started to operate in 2005.

The organization provides its scholars tuition, food, uniforms, shoes, books, after-school tutoring and homework assistance facilitated by licensed teachers.

Photo shows children from underprivileged families in Tacloban who will benefit from the new two-story, four-classroom school building constructed by BDO Foundation in partnership with Streetlight Philippines. Below, officers of BDOF and Streetlight turn over the symbolic key to school officials.