MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-two Philippine public school principals are preparing to turn classrooms into the center of a wider community effort against learning difficulties and student absenteeism following a leadership training program supported by Security Bank Foundation Inc. and the Ateneo Center for Educational Development.
The five-day program, held in Iloilo from May 25 to 29, 2026, challenged school leaders to look beyond administrative responsibilities and develop long-term partnerships with parents, local officials, businesses, alumni and community organizations.
The training forms the third year of the foundation’s Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building initiative, a program designed to strengthen educational leadership and help schools address problems affecting children’s development.
Instead of simply asking communities for donations, the participants were encouraged to recognize families and local organizations as partners in designing and implementing solutions.
Some principals are now proposing reading mentorship networks. Others want to tackle absenteeism through coordinated attendance monitoring and support for struggling students.
But the bigger question is whether these partnerships can deliver measurable improvements in literacy, attendance and student welfare once the principals return to their schools.
Security Bank Foundation Brings 22 Principals Together
Security Bank Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Security Bank Corporation, organized the training in partnership with the Ateneo Center for Educational Development.
The participants came from public schools across the country.
The initiative took place in Iloilo, although the principals were not all from Iloilo-based schools.
That distinction is important because the program is intended to reach communities nationwide.
During the sessions, school leaders examined how problems affecting their students can be influenced by circumstances beyond school grounds.
Children may struggle academically because of limited opportunities to practice reading at home.
Students may miss classes because of financial difficulties, transportation problems or family responsibilities.
Others may need additional guidance from adults outside the teaching staff.
The program encouraged principals to understand these issues and identify community partners who could help address them.
Training Focuses on Partnerships, Not Just Donations
A central message came from Security Bank Foundation trustee and corporate secretary Melissa Aquino.
Aquino challenged the traditional approach of treating communities mainly as sources of money, equipment or volunteer labor.
Her message emphasized that parents, local leaders and community organizations should have meaningful roles in determining what schools need and how solutions are implemented.
A partnership based only on occasional donations may help with an immediate shortage.
But it may not address the reasons children are struggling.
A more sustainable approach could involve regular reading sessions, mentorship, home visits or coordinated support for families experiencing difficulties.
For school principals, this means moving beyond asking for resources toward building relationships that can continue after a particular event or campaign ends.
The idea also requires schools to listen to their partners rather than expecting community organizations to follow plans developed without consultation.
Principals Learn Stakeholder Mapping and Problem-Solving
The training included stakeholder mapping, case studies, workshops, peer learning and group discussions.
Stakeholder mapping helps school leaders identify people and organizations that may influence student learning and welfare.
These can include parents’ associations, barangay officials, Sangguniang Kabataan representatives, local businesses, faith-based groups and former students.
Participants considered the interests, capabilities and potential contributions of different groups.
They also discussed ways to establish trust and coordinate activities.
Interactive exercises were used to explore teamwork, communication and collaborative problem-solving.
The sessions were facilitated with support from education specialists, including Dr. Joseph Dela Cruz, a director at the National Educators Academy of the Philippines.
The focus was practical: identify a school-level challenge, understand which partners could help, and develop an approach that the institution can implement.
Reading Program Could Mobilize Youth and Alumni
One of the clearest examples came from Rona May Esperanzate Cruz of Ricardo Viola Adriano Elementary School.
Cruz is developing the KABSAT Learning Teams initiative to provide additional reading support to learners.
The project aims to mobilize Sangguniang Kabataan officials, alumni, parents, religious groups and private-sector partners.
These community members could serve as reading volunteers and mentors.
The idea is to expand children’s access to literacy activities beyond the regular classroom schedule.
Reading support may be especially valuable for students who need additional guided practice.
But the initiative’s success will depend on the quality and consistency of instruction.
Volunteers must understand their responsibilities, coordinate with teachers and use appropriate learning materials.
Schools will also need to monitor whether participating pupils are actually improving.
The publicly released account describes Cruz’s project as a plan.
It does not provide a completed assessment demonstrating that the initiative has already raised literacy scores.
Another Principal Targets Student Absenteeism
Dr. Hanena Epino of Datu Andiam National High School is pursuing a different challenge: absenteeism.
Her proposed approach involves developing a network of school personnel, peer mentors, barangay representatives and local government partners.
The participants would work together to identify students who frequently miss classes and understand the reasons behind their absences.
Possible activities include attendance monitoring, home visits and coordinated assistance.
The plan recognizes that a child’s absence may not be caused by unwillingness to learn.
Family responsibilities, transportation problems, financial pressures and motivation can all affect school participation.
Addressing those issues may require support beyond the principal’s office.
But any intervention must respect students’ privacy and dignity.
Attendance information and family circumstances should be handled carefully, with appropriate safeguards.
Like the literacy initiative, Epino’s project remains a proposed intervention whose impact will need to be evaluated.
Mentoring Future Leaders Is a Three-Year Program
The latest community engagement training is part of a longer educator development initiative launched in 2023.
Security Bank Foundation’s Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building program follows a three-year structure.
The first year emphasizes leadership development.
The second year focuses on strengthening school-level practices and developing other educators.
The third year expands toward community engagement and building relationships that support student development.
The approach recognizes that educational improvement requires time.
A principal may attend a workshop and acquire useful knowledge, but implementing meaningful changes across a school requires follow-through.
The program therefore combines training with action planning and monitoring.
Its stated aim is to help educators become more effective leaders who can sustain improvements beyond a single training cycle.
Program Developed With Philippine and International Education Partners
The foundation’s wider mentoring program has involved several education institutions.
These include the Ateneo Center for Educational Development, De La Salle Philippines, The HEAD Foundation in Singapore and university partners in the United Kingdom.
Different phases have addressed educational leadership, instructional skills and approaches to school improvement.
The involvement of external education specialists gives participating educators access to perspectives beyond their own institutions.
However, participation in an international collaboration does not guarantee particular student outcomes.
The quality of a program must also be assessed through how effectively participants apply what they have learned.
For the current cohort, the central test is the quality of the community initiatives implemented after training.
DepEd Partnership Gives the Initiative Wider Support
In August 2025, the Department of Education formalized a partnership with Security Bank Foundation and Security Bank Corporation to support the mentoring program.
The agreement provides for the nomination and endorsement of qualified educators through DepEd offices.
It also allows recognition of relevant learning and development activities.
Importantly, the partnership includes monitoring of participants’ action plans and access to appropriate information needed to evaluate the program’s effects.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara welcomed the collaboration as part of broader efforts to support teachers and school leaders.
For a nationwide education system, coordination matters because training programs need to align with school priorities and professional development arrangements.
But the partnership should not be interpreted as proof that the program has already solved the country’s learning challenges.
Its value will depend on measurable improvements over time.
More Than 160 Educators Previously Trained
In its September 2025 account of the partnership, Security Bank reported that the mentoring initiative had trained 167 educators.
That figure provides an earlier measure of program participation.
It is not the number of principals who attended the separate five-day Year 3 training in Iloilo.
Likewise, the current 22-participant cohort should not automatically be added to previous reported totals without confirming whether the same individuals were already counted in earlier program stages.
The distinction matters because three-year professional development programs involve participants returning for successive modules.
Attendance across phases is not always equivalent to the number of unique new trainees.
Reliable impact reporting should distinguish total training events, unique participants and school-level outcomes.
Foundation Has Also Built 900 Classrooms Nationwide
The leadership initiative complements Security Bank Foundation’s long-running school infrastructure program.
In February 2026, the foundation marked the construction of its 900th classroom through a project at Zamboanga City High School Main.
The milestone included a two-story, six-classroom Technical-Livelihood Education building.
The foundation reported that its classroom construction program had reached 153 public schools nationwide.
This provides broader context for the organization’s education strategy.
Classroom construction addresses physical learning spaces.
Teacher and principal development addresses the skills needed to deliver and manage education within those spaces.
Both are important, but neither is sufficient by itself.
A newly built classroom may improve the learning environment without guaranteeing higher academic performance.
Likewise, a well-trained principal may still face serious resource constraints.
The foundation’s strategy combines infrastructure and capacity building rather than treating school construction as the only measure of educational support.
Principals Must Address Problems Beyond Their Direct Control
School principals are responsible for managing education delivery, supporting teachers and implementing school policies.
But some barriers to learning originate outside the classroom.
A child may have limited access to books or quiet study space.
A family may face economic pressures that affect attendance.
Transportation difficulties can interfere with consistent participation.
Community organizations may be able to offer support, but their resources and expertise vary.
Effective school-community partnerships require clear responsibilities and realistic commitments.
A volunteer reading program needs coordination.
Home visits require appropriate procedures.
Support services must respect students’ privacy and safety.
This makes the principal’s role more complex than simply inviting outsiders to participate.
School leaders must balance collaboration with accountability for student welfare.
How the Community Plans Will Be Evaluated
According to the foundation’s August 28 announcement, each participating principal is expected to document the implementation of their community initiative.
Participants will record progress, results and lessons learned.
A culminating presentation is targeted for 2027.
That timetable is important because it creates an opportunity to evaluate whether the training resulted in practical changes.
For literacy programs, useful indicators may include learner participation, reading assessments and improvement over an appropriate period.
For attendance initiatives, schools can examine absence rates and the effectiveness of interventions.
However, outcomes must be interpreted carefully.
Improvements can be influenced by several factors, including existing school programs, teaching practices and family circumstances.
The presence of volunteers or the number of meetings held should not be confused with proof of better learning.
The most meaningful evidence will come from changes in student outcomes supported by reliable monitoring.
Community Partnerships Need Long-Term Commitment
The success of school-community programs depends on more than initial enthusiasm.
Volunteers may face competing work or family obligations.
Businesses may change their funding priorities.
Local leadership can change after elections.
Parents and teachers may have limited time for additional activities.
These practical challenges can affect the sustainability of education partnerships.
To remain effective, programs need clear objectives, manageable responsibilities and regular communication.
Schools must also avoid relying on a small number of individuals who could eventually become unavailable.
The foundation’s emphasis on shared leadership may help address these risks.
But lasting success will depend on whether participating communities develop support systems that continue beyond the first implementation year.
The Bigger Test: Will Students Actually Benefit?
The training of 22 public school principals represents another step in Security Bank Foundation’s effort to strengthen education through partnerships.
The participants have developed plans covering literacy, absenteeism and other school challenges.
Their proposals involve parents, youth groups, businesses, alumni, barangay officials and local governments.
The three-year mentoring structure provides a framework for turning those plans into practical initiatives.
But the latest news concerns training and planned implementation—not completed improvements in learning outcomes.
The next milestone is the 2027 evaluation of the participants’ community projects.
Security Bank Foundation and Ateneo have equipped 22 school principals to build stronger partnerships beyond the classroom. But the true measure of success will be whether those partnerships help struggling readers improve, keep more students in school and provide support that lasts long after the training program ends.
