Microsoft joins hands with Gawad Kalinga to upgrade Nueva Ecija community

MANILA, Philippines - As part of Microsoft’s #UpgradeYourWorld campaign, Microsoft Philippines recently teamed up with long-time partner Gawad Kalinga (GK) to upgrade the latter’s community in Nueva Ecija. Microsoft employees dedicated a workday to help build houses in the growing GK village in Cabiao.

“Gawad Kalinga has taken strides in uplifting Filipino communities all over the country, and we admire the organization for their commitment to uplift the quality of life of Filipinos through the homes and communities that they build,” said Karrie Ilagan, general manager for Microsoft Philippines.

“But more than building homes for the nation, we admire the importance that not just the organization but the entire municipality of Nueva Ecija places in building a good foundation for a bright future for the youth through education,” she added.

Ilagan stressed that as Gawad Kalinga strives to do its share in nation-building by helping keep five million Filipino families out of poverty, Microsoft is ready to upgrade the world of this rising community in Nueva Ecija.

Microsoft donated Windows10 PCs and 100 hours of internet that would help power schools in the GK Village. Likewise, employee volunteers and teaching ambassadors helped train educators in the village to maximize their potential as they utilize the new Windows10 computers to teach and help students learn with the power of technology at their fingertips.

In her opening address during the day of the build, Gawad Kalinga’s Issa Cuevas-Santos said, “It is a privilege to be a long-time partner of organizations like Microsoft that strive to make it their business to upgrade lives and communities. The poor deserves innovation just as much as anyone else, and they need it more than anyone else. Our partnership with Microsoft helps us build programs that will harness their potential for themselves and for others.”

To know more about #UpgradeYourWorld, visit the Microsoft website. To participate in building a GK community, visit http://www.gk1world.com/home.