A total of 10 new classrooms were donated to three public schools in Pangasinan and one in Bacolod City to mark the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation’s (GBF) 34th anniversary.
The anniversary celebration culminated in the GBF Classroom Donation Groundbreaking Ceremony held in Calasiao, Pangasinan, on September 2, 2026.
Over the decades, the foundation has broadened its mission to address the evolving needs of Filipino learners, educators, schools, and communities.
It has also strengthened its commitment to improving education through sustained investments not only in programs and people but also in learning environments where students and teachers can thrive.
GBF Chairman Lance Gokongwei was present at the groundbreaking ceremony of the project, which is a partnership with Department of Education (DepEd) and Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC).
In his speech, Lance said, “We would like to thank the Department of Education for its guidance and collaboration in identifying schools where support is most needed and ensuring that this initiative contributes to our shared goal of giving more Filipino learners access to quality education.
“We are equally grateful to our partners at Robinsons Land Corporation. Their expertise in planning, engineering, and construction is helping turn this commitment into classrooms that are safe, durable, and built to serve generations of students.”
Lance formally turned over the classroom donation blueprint to DepEd Human Resource and Organizational Development Assistant Secretary Aurelio Paulo “AP” Bartolome, who said: “Nagpapasalamat ang DepEd sa patuloy na suporta ng mga private partners tulad ng Gokongwei Brothers Foundation upang mapunuan ang ating kakulangan sa classrooms.”
Aside from Lance and Asec Bartolome, also present at groundbreaking ceremony were Calasiao Vice Mayor Kevin Macanlalay; Mr. Faraday Go, executive vice president of Robinsons Land Corporation; Grace Colet, GBF executive director; Dr. Estela Cariño, DepEd Region 1 director; Dr. Fatima Boado, Schools Division superintendent of Pangasinan I; and Honor Mendoza, president of SPES Construction.
The three school principals of the three beneficiary schools in Calasiao were also present.
Read: Pinoy designer Rhuigi Villaseñor makes it big in the U.S.
34 years of championing Philippine education
Established in 1992 by brothers John Gokongwei, Jr. Henry, Johnson, and James Go, GBF was founded on their belief that education is essential to individual opportunity, economic progress, and nation-building.
For the past 34 years, GBF has grown from supporting educational institutions to implementing programs that help learners, educators, and communities and institutions.
Here are its notable contibutions:
- Building the Ateneo John Gokongwei School of Management, De La Salle University’s Gokongwei College of Engineering, the John Gokongwei Innovation Center, and the Ateneo Gokongwei Brothers School of Education and Learning Design.
- Scholarships remain a cornerstone of GBF’s work.
Through programs such as the GBF STEM College Scholarship, TeachSTEM, and other scholarship initiatives, the foundation has supported more than 3,400 scholars to date.
Read: ABS-CBN announces retrenchment of nearly 200 employees