From malls to mountains, HOPE travels: DepEd, partner brands join forces to ease classroom shortage 

Filipinoguardian | MAKATI CITY, 26 August 2025 – In line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call to close the country’s classroom gap, the Department of Education (DepEd), in partnership with HOPE and leading local brands, has rolled out the Generation HOPE program to help address the classroom shortage in the country.

The collaboration brings together BDO, SM, Penshoppe, Grab, Aivee, Carmen’s Best, and Sunnies, with proceeds from their products and services helping fund new classrooms nationwide. DepEd said the initiative complements the government’s classroom-building program under public-private partnerships (PPP), allowing resources to be directed to areas most in need.

“Sa tulong ng HOPE at ng ating mga private partners, nais naming patunayan na kapag nagkaisa ang pribado at pampublikong sektor, mas mabilis nating matutupad ang pangarap na walang batang naiwan sa edukasyon,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.

“Let us keep planting these seeds of hope in every space where a child dares to dream. Because in Bagong Pilipinas, hope is not something we wait for but rather something we build together,” he added.

Each HOPE classroom is a 7-by-9 meter structure designed to withstand harsh weather conditions. It comes equipped with a chalkboard, a teacher’s table, wall fans, big windows for ventilation, a cathedral-style ceiling for cooler airflow, and a toilet to provide students and teachers with a safe and functional learning space.

Generation HOPE, founded in 2012 by philanthropist Nanette Medved-Po, channels 100 percent of its profits from products such as Hope in a Bottle and Hope in a Box into classroom construction. By partnering with established brands, the group said it aims to expand its impact and reach more underserved schools.

Medved-Po said the initiative offers Filipinos a simple way to contribute to nation-building through their everyday choices. “Filipinos always come together in times of need. In a world that is increasingly divided, let’s harness that power every day to support something we can all agree on: investing in the youth of this country to build a nation and ensure a brighter future,” she said.

Since its founding, HOPE has built 144 classrooms that have benefited more than 52,000 students nationwide. Its community programs have also supported 32,000 farmers, distributed 2 million seedlings, and diverted 9.1 million kilograms of plastic waste from nature while sequestering 21,938 tons of carbon.