Ending the vicious cycle of poverty as a result of lack of education is now the focus of the local unit of ING Bank in its corporate social responsibility thrust (CSR).
Domingo Gavino Jr., ING Philippines’ chief finance officer (CFO) who leads the campaign, said “child leaders” from Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila, one of the country’s most impoverished areas, have been passing on to other children the lessons that they receive from ING employee-volunteers.
The Baseco Compound has been home to the ING Learning Center (ILC) program for the last 15 years under Gavino, who joined ING Philippines in 1994.
Gavino said he introduced “some upgrades” to the ILC. “We were so bent on getting our employees engaged in the cause,” he said. “We paired off each volunteer with a child leader” in the ILC’s “Big Brother, Big Sister” program for “focused coaching and mentoring.”
BUSINESS
BUSINESS
BUSINESS
ING child leaders get weekly tutorial lessons on math, English, and reading from ING employee volunteers. They then “pay it forward” by tutoring younger learners, as well as actively participating in village-based child welfare activities.
In turn, they qualify for ING Bank’s full high school or college scholarships that cover full tuition, book expenses, uniforms, transportation, and other allowances. ING’s scholarship program can be availed of at prestigious schools such as University of Sto. Tomas, Far Eastern University, Letran High School, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, and University of the Philippines. ING also holds summer enrichment activities and financial literacy programs, not only for the child leaders, but also for the parents of the beneficiaries.
