Chevron Corporation and Ayala Foundation USA Renew Partnership

11/15/2009 | Ayala Foundation USA

Ayala Foundation USA (AF-USA) and Chevron Corporation have a long-standing history of fruitful partnerships. From the rehabilitation and renovation of the Tiwi Rural Health Unit in 2003, assessment study of a community water project in Laguna in 2006, to the Fil-Am Youth Leaders Fellowship Programs from 2004-2006, to the Reading Proficiency Program for Grade 1 students in 2007, AF-USA and Chevron have been constant allies in nation-building.

Now, in 2009, Chevron Corporation and AF-USA team up once again to address pressing needs in the education sector. Chevron approved a grant amounting to US$75,000 to support the Gearing up Internet Literacy and Access for Students (GILAS) Program, and the My Library Program, a project under the Filipinas Heritage Library of Ayala Foundation that aims to improve library facilities in select areas in the Philippines.

GILAS is a social consortium that aims to connect public high schools to the Internet. Under this new partnership, select public schools in Laguna, Batangas, Camarines Sur, Albay and Tabaco City in Albay will now get wired to the world wide web. The Tiwi Public Library in Albay and the San Antonio Elementary School in Batangas will also benefit from new and improved library facilities and training programs for its library staff.

The My Library Program seeks to enrich the learning experience of the students and community members in Tiwi, Albay and San Pascual, Batangas by providing them with an enhanced library facility, an improved collection of reading materials, and activities that promote learning and reading.

"We really celebrate this partnership (of Chevron and AF-USA)," says Victoria P. Garchitorena, President of Ayala Foundation USA, during the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement held recently in Makati City. "After all, we are two companies that share the same dreams for the Filipino people. We hope that we continue to find ways to work together for the country."

This latest endeavor between the two organizations will connect select public high schools in Laguna, Batangas, Camarines Sur, Albay and Tabaco City to the Internet, allowing more public high school students the chance to discover the wonders of the World Wide Web. The program also calls for the training of teachers and school heads form the beneficiary schools in leadership, management, resource mobilization and team building. The Tiwi Public Library in Albay and the San Antonio Elementary School in Batangas will also benefit from new and improved library facilities and training and development programs for its library staff.

Luli Heras-de Leon, Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs of Chevron Geothermal Philippines Holdings, Inc shares Garchitorena's sentiments. "It's so important for us in Chevron to work with the right partners. Today is but a testament and a celebration of finding the right partners who share the same vision and same values as we do. We look forward to working with Ayala Foundation once again!"

Also present during the signing were AFI Executive Vice President Guillermo M. Luz, FHL Deputy Director Suzanne Yupangco, Chevron Philippines Inc. PGPA Manager Mark Andrew C. Quebral, CGPHI Senior Public Affairs Specialist Edgar Sevilla, Quintin Pastrana, CGPHI Public Affairs Specialist and other representatives from Chevron and AFI.