McDonald’s Philippines is once again showing that the spirit of volunteerism and community service is stronger than ever among its management, employees, and partners, as it kicks off its 19th consecutive year of active participation in the Department of Education’s Brigada Eskwela program.
As a new school year starts, close to 4,000 volunteers from 679 McDonald’s stores nationwide came in full force to help clean and prepare public elementary schools in their local communities. Its participation also brought in donations amounting to nearly PhP3 million.
No less than McDonald’s Philippines Leadership Team spearheaded the company’s “brigade” of volunteers in a cleanup activity held at Catmon Elementary School in Rodriguez, Rizal, on June 10. Together with the other volunteers from the McDonald’s Philippines office, they helped classrooms get ready for the opening of classes on June 16.
Aside from cleaning up, painting, and decorating classrooms, the McDo team also turned over chairs and tables to the school, which are part of the company’s ReClassified initiative — a program that repurposes and transforms decommissioned furniture from stores undergoing renovations into well-designed, durable, and functional chairs and tables for classrooms.
The McDo team also allocated ReClassified chairs for other public elementary schools in Rizal, in partnership with GMA Kapuso Foundation. A total of 250 ReClassified chairs and tables are being turned over to six schools in Rizal this year. To date, ReClassified has been brought to over 12 schools and has benefited over 2,000 students nationwide.
Said Catmon Elementary School Principal Madonna C. Evangelio: “Malaking tulong po ang ginawa ng McDonald’s. Aside from the cleaning materials na binigay nila, napakahalaga po ng mga upuan na ibinigay para sa mga KS-1 learners. Kami po talaga ay may kakulangan sa upuan, lalo na po grade 1 and grade 2.” (What they did was a big help. Aside from the cleaning materials they gave, the chairs they donated for our KS-1 learners are very important. We have a shortage of chairs, especially for grade 1 and grade 2). With 450 KS-1 learners and a growing student population, the new furniture will help ease a pressing concern for the school.
Over the years McDonald’s Philippines has been an active supporter of DepEd’s Brigada Eskwela program, more formally known as the National School Maintenance Week. This government program calls on volunteers from both the private and public sectors to help clean up, repair, and redecorate schools in their communities, so that children will enter spaces that are conducive to learning throughout the school year.
McDonald’s Brigada Eskwela participation this year also showed the deepening involvement of its partners in serving communities. Its corporate partners, Ecolab and Diversey, pledged their support to promote cleanliness and hygiene by donating soaps, floor cleaners, and all-purpose cleaners through the Ronald McDonald House Charities Philippines. In addition, the McDonald’s team has produced school signages for distribution to nearly 1,000 schools nationwide.
As part of its continued support for Brigada Eskwela, the company provided meals through its McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen during the kickoff event at Bacacay East Central School in Bacacay, Albay, where 1,000 meals were served to volunteers, teachers, and members of the community.
“The start of a new school year is an important part in the life of students and teachers, and McDonald’s Philippines has been doing its part in helping make that time as exciting, memorable, and meaningful as possible.” said Adi Hernandez, Assistant Vice President for Corporate Relations and Impact. “Since 2006, we’ve been actively participating in DepEd’s Brigada Eskwela. This is just one of the many ways we show our support for education and strengthen our partnerships with the schools near our stores.
Through RHMC, McDonald’s sustains other initiatives in education. In particular, RMHC supports Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) by partnering with local governments in establishing Ronald McDonald Bahay Bulilit Learning Centers in communities. In addition, the Ronald McDonald Read to Learn program, which is implemented in partnership with DepEd, helps Grade 1 and 2 public school students with beginning reading skills. Beyond ECCD and Grade School, McDonald’s has also partnered with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to provide employment opportunities for out-of-school youth. And as one of the largest youth employers in the country, McDonald’s directly hires working students as crew members, enabling them to earn while finishing their studies.
“McDonald’s has always been a strong believer in providing opportunities,” added Hernandez. “Our volunteerism program gives our people the opportunity to serve our local communities, while our education and employment programs open up a new world for learning and growth, from preschool to grade school and even beyond.”
For more information on RMHC’s programs and how you can help, visit its official website rmhc.org.ph and the online donation portal at rmhc.org.ph/donate/. For more information about McDonald’s Philippines, visit www.mcdonalds.com.ph, McDo.ph on Meta, @mcdo_ph on Instagram, and @McDo_PH on X.
