By Niña Bea Cadorna

Maybank Foundation executives from Malaysia, Shahril Azuar Jimin (chief executive officer), Ahmad Faezal Mohamed (vice-president for corporate responsibility), Mahmad Hilmi Hashim (project manager of international corporate responsibility) and Eric Montelibano (vice-president for corporate affairs) visited Xavier Ecoville on August 17 to meet with the residents and see the progress of the community.

Together with the other community members and leaders, Maybank-Xavier Ecoville Manpower Association (MAXEMA) presented the proposed Technical Learning Center (TLC) to be supported by Maybank Foundation. The TLC will offer two technical courses in carpentry and electronics to 30 scholars for each course. In partnership with Xavier University’s Center for Integrated Technologies (CIT), Maybank Foundation will fund the construction of the TLC building and the schooling fees of the scholars.

After the site visit, the Maybank Foundation executives met with Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno regarding the proposed TLC. The Xavier Ecoville Project is also planning to partner with the local government to expand TLC’s reach in CDO.

Maybank Foundation has been XEP’s major partner since 2013. They donated Xavier Ecoville’s 200-seater community center and provided financial support for the MAXEMA scholars in their technical and vocational schooling.

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.

On June 5, Maybank Foundation also turned over an additional Php500K for the future projects of MAXEMA.