With only days before the opening of School Year 2026–2027, thousands of students in Caloocan and Valenzuela are returning to cleaner, safer, and more welcoming school environments following coordinated volunteer efforts led by SM City Grand Central, SM Center Sangandaan, and SM City Valenzuela under the Department of Education’s Brigada Eskwela 2026.
Held on June 4 and 5, the two-day initiative mobilized employee-volunteers from the three SM malls to assist selected public schools in both cities, aligning with the DepEd’s theme, “Bayanihan sa Paaralan: Nagkakaisa para sa Kaayusan at Kaalaman,” which underscores shared responsibility in preparing learning environments for the new academic year.
More than a routine clean-up activity, the effort highlighted a continuing public-private partnership aimed at improving school readiness and ensuring that classrooms remain safe, functional, and conducive to learning.
In Caloocan City, volunteers from SM City Grand Central were deployed to Bagong Barrio Elementary School, where they repainted walls, cleaned school grounds, and helped restore common areas that had weathered months of daily use. The mall also turned over hygiene kits, school supplies, cleaning materials, and gardening tools to support the school’s sanitation and greening programs.
At Libis Talisay Elementary School, employee-volunteers from SM Center Sangandaan conducted repainting activities, performed minor facility repairs, and reinforced sanitation efforts. The team likewise provided maintenance supplies such as paint, brushes, disinfectants, and learning materials to help sustain school upkeep beyond the Brigada Eskwela period.
SM City Valenzuela led parallel efforts at Caruhatan East Elementary School where volunteers repainted classroom interiors, cleaned and sanitized comfort rooms, repaired jalousie windows, and restored desks and chairs, helping transform learning spaces to more functional and welcoming conditions.
Despite intermittent rains, volunteer teams pressed on with scheduled activities, underscoring strong participation and commitment to completing school readiness work on time.
The simultaneous initiatives across the three malls were spearheaded by SM Supermalls’ Human Resources Department in partnership with SM Cares, reinforcing the company’s long-standing advocacy for education and community development.
As students prepare to return to school, the refreshed classrooms and improved facilities serve as a reminder that quality education is a shared responsibility, strengthened through collective action.
