MANILA, Philippines – SM Foundation turned over a two-story, four-classroom school building to the Northern Tacloban City National High School (NTCNHS) on April 24 in partnership with Deutsche Bank. This came just days after SM Cares, a division of SM Foundation, turned over 400 disaster-resilient houses to Super Typhoon Yolanda victims in the same area.
 
Tacloban, which was heavily devastated in the 2013 typhoon, in particular had around 90 percent of its school infrastructure damaged. The NTCNHS is the 11th school building donated by SM Foundation as part of its continued efforts to help rebuild the communities affected by Yolanda. Other initiatives include scholarship grants, farmers’ trainings, medical missions, the reconstruction of the Tacloban City Hospital, and the SM Cares Yolanda Housing Program.
 
According to Ma. Delia Escobarte-Soria, principal of NTCNHS, this year’s enrollees are expected to increase to 900 due to the ongoing relocation of families from nearby barangays damaged by the typhoon.
 
Deutsche Bank employee-volunteers also came together to paint inspiring artworks on the classroom walls to help create a positive and fun environment for the students. The group also gave out new school bags complete with school supplies to students.
 
The NTCNHS is SM Foundation’s 73rd school building donation since 2001.The school building program is part of SM Foundation’s commitment to education which also includes full scholarship grants for college and technical-vocational education.