Taguig to get new school building from SM Foundation and GfK

MANILA, Philippines - GfK Group, a market research organization worldwide is SM Foundation’s newest partner in its education advocacy program. The new partnership will be involved in the construction of a one-story two-classroom school building complete with desks, blackboards, teacher’s tables, electric fans, books and toilet facilities in each classroom in the Dr. Artemio Natividad Elementary School in Barangay Ususan, Taguig City. Construction of the school building will start soon for completion before the start of schoolyear 2011-2012. The second school building will be built in Muntindilaw National High School, construction of which will also be finished in time for the opening of classes this June.

Representatives from GfK Group flew all the way from Singapore to join SM executives, school representatives and government officials of Taguig in a groundbreaking ceremony to jumpstart the construction.

Project cost of the school buildings is P6 million, P3 million of which will come from GfK while another P3 million will come from SM Prime Holdings. With the completion of these schoolhouses, the number of school buildings donated by the SM Group through the SM Foundation and its partners will now total 37.

Shown at the signing of the agreement are: Mall of Asia mall manager Perkin Bentley So, SMFI executive director for education Carmen Linda Atayde, President of SM Supermalls Annie Garcia, Councilor Gigi Valenzuela representing Mayor Lani Cayetano, GfK general manager Joaquin Savellano, managing director Frans Janssen of GfK Regional, OIC Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Meleda Polita, and school principal Maritess Asuque. Behind are executives of GfK Regional in Singapore Jade Tuan, exec. asst. to managing director; Grace Chua, regional human resources director; Steven Kaiser, senior regional retail director; Jessie Lim, regional finance director; Romeo Solas, regional operations director; Councilor Carlito Ogalinolo, Taguig; Stanley Kee, commercial director, and Carlos Antonio Vilchez, AMM Mall of Asia.