With the landscape for learning seemingly transformed overnight because of COVID-19, AC Energy aims to ensure continuity in education through a nationwide rollout of the “Brigada ng Ayala” program, the Ayala group’s response to the Department of Education’s Brigada Eskwela program, with the objective to meet the urgent needs of students and teachers as they continuously adopt to distance learning.
Together with the Ayala Foundation, AC Energy’s power plants from Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte to Guimaras, Western Visayas distributed “Educare” hygiene kits to schools to keep learners and educators alike safe and productive despite the threat of the pandemic. Each kit contains alcohol, bars of soap, face masks, and face shields, among other items.
AC Energy’s plants also distributed various materials for distance learning to more than 200 schools across the nation including pocket WiFi for internet connection, and ink cartridges for the printing of required modules. Handwashing stations and thermal scanners were also distributed to aid in mitigating the spread of the pandemic.
As the country continues to face an uphill battle in containing the spread of the pandemic, AC Energy and its power plants remain committed in supporting the youth’s access to education while equipping educators with the proper tools they need to sustain the interest on education of the students.
“Through programs like Brigada ng Ayala, we hope to mitigate the immense learning crisis brought about by this pandemic,” said Irene S. Maranan, AC Energy Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications and Sustainability. “While providing clean and renewable energy, we also endeavor to tackle the challenges in distance learning to ensure a sustainable future for our youth that will ultimately lead to societal progress.”
“There were already many prevailing issues in education pre-COVID, and with this ongoing crisis, we have seen how unprecedented disruptions created even greater fissures in the educational system. We, at AC Energy, will continue to support our students and teachers because every bit of help for the education of the next generation will go a long way,” said Gabby Mejia, AC Energy’s Executive Director and Head of Plant Operations.
“We as a company are only as strong as the ecosystems in which we operate. AC Energy will continue to help uplift our communities, and equip them to thrive through and beyond COVID,” said Maranan.
