The community initiative combined school repairs with digital literacy training as TELUS Digital marked its fifth year of operations in Iloilo.
More than 240 TELUS Digital Philippines volunteers recently came together at Mandurriao National High School in Iloilo City to refurbish classrooms and campus facilities serving more than 3,200 students and 160 teachers.
Held under the company’s TELUS Days of Giving initiative in support of the Department of Education’s Brigada Eskwela program, the activity also included a digital literacy session for students. The project marked TELUS Digital’s fifth year in Iloilo, where its team members have participated in mentoring, fundraising, and other community programs.
Giving a 52-year-old campus a refresh
Volunteers from TELUS Digital’s Strata and Pavia sites worked across three school buildings, repainting 15 classrooms, seven hallways, and five staircases.
They also restored more than 180 student chairs, improving learning spaces within the 52-year-old campus. The work reflects Brigada Eskwela’s broader model of bringing together schools, communities, volunteers, and private organizations to help prepare and maintain public-school facilities.
“For us in Iloilo, volunteerism is about truly being part of the community,” said Jonabee Catura, senior director and Iloilo site lead at TELUS Digital Philippines.
“Our team members live and work here, so being able to contribute to a school that serves thousands of students makes the impact feel very immediate and personal.”
Digital safety alongside school improvement
The day also included a TELUS Wise digital literacy session for 30 high school students.
Participants were introduced to practical ways of staying safe online and becoming more responsible users of social media. The session added a digital-skills component to the physical refurbishment, addressing both the spaces where students learn and the online environments they increasingly use for school, communication, and everyday life.
“Even though we’re here for one day, the spaces we help improve, and the opportunities they create for students, help serve the community for much longer,” Catura added.
Five years of volunteering in Iloilo
Since 2021, 780 TELUS Digital team-member volunteers in Iloilo have contributed more than 3,780 volunteer hours to Brigada Eskwela activities across the province.
The company has also supported local projects through the TELUS Digital Philippines Community Board. Beneficiaries have included Walk and Work Foundation, Inc. for assistive devices and educational support for children and youth with disabilities, the Center for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development for basic health services in underserved farming communities in Passi City, and the University of San Agustin Research and Development Foundation Inc. for culturally responsive, play-based learning in Indigenous Schools of Living Tradition in Iloilo and Antique.
The latter partnership received the Outstanding CSR Project for Education award from the League of Corporate Foundations in June.
Community work as part of the company’s local presence
“Volunteerism creates a different kind of connection between an organization and the communities where it operates,” said Rajiv M. Dhand, senior vice president of global customer experience and trust & safety operations at TELUS Digital.
“In Iloilo, that meant transforming the spaces where students learn, and helping young people build the skills and confidence to thrive in an increasingly digital world.”
TELUS Digital Philippines operates two sites in Iloilo in addition to seven sites across Metro Manila. Its continuing volunteer initiatives connect the company’s local workforce with education, health, and community-development programs in areas where its employees live and work.
More information is available through the TELUS Digital website.