By Niña Bea Cadorna
Aimed at propelling more projects, Maybank Foundation turned over an additional fund worth half a million pesos to the Maybank-Xavier Ecoville Manpower Association (MAXEMA) on Friday, June 5.
“The fund shall be used for the future projects of MAXEMA,” said XE project coordinator Philip Flores during the turnover ceremony at the Maybank community center at Xavier Ecoville (formerly the XE Multipurpose Hall).
Since the inception of XE after Typhoon Sendong in 2011, Maybank has been one of the major partners of the project.
In 2012, they constructed a 200-seater community center, a spacious and well-ventilated facility for meetings, workshops and gatherings.
In 2013, they also donated Php500,000 as seed capital for capacity-building interventions and scholarships for MAXEMA members who enrolled in carpentry, electrical installation and maintenance courses at the All-in-One Technical School located at Barangay Carmen.
In October 2014, the scholars took the National Certificate II examination of the Technical Education and Skill Development Authority (TESDA) and 15 out the 22 Maybank scholars passed the test.
“Nagapasalamat kami sa Xavier Ecoville ug sa Maybank sa paghatag namo og higayon nga makaskwela kami nga libre sa usa ka technical school. Nadugangan gayud ang among kuwalipikasyon sa pagpangita og trabaho,” said Arnold Siarot, outgoing president of MAXEMA and one of the NCII passers.
[We are thankful to Xavier Ecoville and Maybank for giving us the opportunity to study for free in a technical school. It has enhanced our qualifications in applying for jobs.]
The turnover ceremony of the additional fund for MAXEMA was frontlined by Maybank Foundation representatives: vice president for corporate affairs and communications Eric Montelibano and community distribution head Joel Carranto.
Among other attendees were Xavier University president Fr Roberto C Yap SJ, XU vice president of the Research and Social Outreach (RSO) Dr Hilly Ann Roa-Quiaoit, Xavier Science Foundation (XSF) executive director Roel R Ravanera, XU Engineering Resource Center (ERC) director Engr Dexter Lo, XU Center for Integrated Technologies (CIT) director Gilda Brito, MAXEMA officers and XE community members.
MAXEMA is currently involved in the fabrication of 300 units of hand-washing facilities for Fit for School Project of GiZ, installation of 750 units of the same facilities for ARMM public schools, renovation of the XE Livelihood Center, and construction of the barangay community center.