Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara has awarded the DepEd Hero Award to the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF), recognizing its long-standing contributions to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and teacher development in the Philippines.
The recognition was formally conferred today, highlighting the foundation’s sustained efforts to improve learning outcomes and strengthen educator capacity nationwide.
Leaders of the foundation, including Chairman Lance Gokongwei, President James Go, and General Manager Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng, were present to receive the citation alongside other key officials.
Angara underscored the importance of partnerships in driving education reform, noting that the DepEd Hero Award honors organizations that go beyond expectations to support both learners and teachers.
“The DepEd Hero Award gives recognition to those who go out of their way to do extraordinary things for our learners and educators, and to advance education reform in the country,” Angara said, adding that GBF has consistently demonstrated this commitment.
Accepting the award on behalf of the foundation, Gokongwei-Cheng described the recognition as a shared achievement among GBF, the DepEd, and school communities across the country. She emphasized that the foundation remains committed to refining its programs to address evolving educational challenges.
Looking ahead, she said GBF will continue to expand its initiatives while staying grounded in its mission to create meaningful impact in classrooms.
Beyond institutional metrics, she highlighted the human stories behind the foundation’s work—teachers gaining confidence, students overcoming learning barriers, and schools feeling better supported.
GBF’s education programs have benefited more than 3,500 scholars, helping open doors to quality education and improved career opportunities. Its teacher-focused initiatives have also reached a wide audience, with more than 320,000 educators nationwide participating in various training programs.
These include a series of webinars on reading and mathematics remediation conducted over the past two years, as well as large-scale learning sessions that engaged over 210,000 teachers. In collaboration with the National Educators’ Academy of the Philippines, more than 103,000 teachers have also earned Continuing Professional Development credits through STEM-focused webinars.
Through its ClassBuilder program, GBF has extended support to over 5,000 schools across 45 divisions, equipping more than 41,000 teachers with instructional materials and coaching strategies. The initiative is expected to expand further in 2026.
School leaders on the ground have noted tangible improvements from the partnership. One principal shared that the program has helped make classrooms more engaging, with students becoming more active participants in lessons.
With its continued collaboration with the education sector, GBF is expected to play a key role in strengthening STEM learning and teacher development across the country.