The Gokongwei Brothers Foundation has supported over 3,500 lifetime scholars, providing opportunities for high-potential Filipino learners to pursue STEM-related courses and transition into meaningful careers.
The Department of Education (DepEd) has recognized the Gokongwei
Brothers Foundation as one of its “DepEd Heroes,” honoring GBF’s strong
and sustained partnership in advancing Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics or STEM education.
Launched in August 2025, the
“DepEd Heroes” program celebrates the courage, dedication, and exemplary
service of teachers and education partners across the country. It
highlights best practices and meaningful contributions that strengthen
the education sector to encourage replication and foster pride and unity
within the education community.
Since August, DepEd has awarded
teachers, students and parents for their exemplary contribution, while
GBF is the second organization to be given this award. GBF leaders were
recognized for their impactful collaboration with DepEd – particularly
in scaling initiatives that support educators, expand access to STEM
education, and empower school communities nationwide.
Strengthening education through access and opportunity
GBF’s
initiatives have been anchored on its long-standing belief that quality
education – especially in STEM – is key to national development.
Through
its scholarship programs, GBF has supported over 3,500 lifetime
scholars, providing opportunities for high-potential Filipino learners
to pursue STEM-related courses and transition into meaningful careers.
Also, as aligned with DepEd’s educator development goals, GBF
scholarships are also being offered to pre-service and in-service public
school teachers to strengthen their STEM content mastery and pedagogy.
The
foundation has also invested heavily in other capacity building
programs, recognizing educators as central to improving student
outcomes. Its GBF STEM Collab community, now with over 320,000 members
nationwide, serves as a platform for teachers to access professional
development, exchange best practices, and engage in peer learning.
In
the last two years alone, GBF delivered 26 learning sessions and
webinars, issuing Continuing Professional Development or CPD units to
103,000 educators across the country. A major highlight was the ARAL
remediation learning series, which reached over 210,000 teachers
nationwide, demonstrating strong engagement in addressing foundational
learning gaps.
Supporting classroom practice and learning recovery
Beyond training, GBF has focused on translating teacher learning into classroom practice.
Through
its GBF Class Builder platform, the foundation provides DepEd-aligned
lesson materials and coaching support for teachers, helping them
implement effective strategies in areas such as numeracy and reading
remediation. GBF continues to expand current coverage of 5,000 schools
across 45 school divisions nationwide.
Complementing this effort,
GBF has also partnered with Khan Academy Philippines to support the
Mathtalino Remediation Program, which provides technology-enabled
learning access to over 3,000 students in National Capital Region and
Caraga.
Through this initiative, GBF underscores the role of
digital tools in scaling effective learning interventions and expanding
access for students who need additional support.
Building stronger school communities
GBF’s support extends beyond learners and teachers to include broader school communities.
Through
the Juan Community Program, the foundation mobilizes partnerships to
provide educational donations and volunteerism initiatives involving
employees from across the Gokongwei Group.
In 2025, these efforts
engaged multiple partner organizations, benefiting 169 schools
nationwide through thousands of volunteer hours and community-driven
education initiatives.
The foundation also commits to invest in
infrastructure, including the construction of new classrooms to help
address classroom backlog and create safer, more conducive learning
environments.
A shared commitment to Filipino learners
In
accepting the recognition during a ceremony on Wednesday, April 29, GBF
emphasized that the award reflects the collective impact of its
collaboration with DepEd and its stakeholders.
“This recognition
is not just for our organization – it is for every teacher, learner, and
partner we have worked with,” said Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng, general
manager of GBF. “Our role has always been to support DepEd’s mission and
contribute to meaningful, scalable solutions that improve learning
outcomes.”
DepEd’s recognition of
GBF as a “DepEd Hero” highlights the importance of strong public-private
partnerships in addressing the evolving needs of the Philippine
education system.
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara expressed his
gratitude to GBF saying, “They didn’t have to do it – but they chose to,
and they never stopped. For more than three decades, tuloy-tuloy ang suporta ng GBF sa ating mga public schools – mula sa libo-libong scholarships, hanggang sa pag-empower ng ating mga guro at pagpapalakas ng STEM education sa bansa. Dahil sa kanila, mas maraming batang Pilipino ang nabibigyan ng oportunidad na mangarap, mag-aral, at magtagumpay.”
As
both institutions continue to work together, the shared goal remains
clear: to ensure that every Filipino learner has access to quality
education, and that every teacher is empowered to shape the future of
the nation.