3 Philippine public schools shortlisted for World’s Best School Prizes
MANILA, Philippines — Three public schools in the Philippines made the cut for final shortlist of several prize categories for T4 Education's World's Best School awards.
T4 Education is a global community formed during the COVID-19 pandemic that sought to assist teachers and schools navigate "the new normal" and generally improve education for all individuals.
The platform's World Best School Prizes seek to "identify, recognize, and celebrate schools’ leading and innovative practices that have had a real impact on the lives of their students and of their community."
Winning schools will be awarded a share of the $250,000 (P13.3 million) total grand prize, and with five different categories each school shall be given $50,000 (P2.6 million).
G.L. David Memorial Integrated School in the City of Balanga, Bataan was shortlisted in the Community Collaboration category which recognizes schools that are integratively working with their communities to secure the solid grounds needed for students' progress.
If selected as a winner, G.L. David Memorial Integrated School will use the prize money to improve its library and laboratory as well as support student wellbeing programs like its KAIN PA project, which helps provide daily free meals to students.
The KAIN PA project is a huge success for the school as food purchased and often cooked by non-government organizations, government officials, and parents led to malnutrition rates drop from 12.11% in 2019 to 2.13% a year later.
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Bonuan Buquig National High School in Dagupan City, Pangasinan was shortlisted in the Environmental Action category, which recognizes schools combatting global warming by having the students powering through the intricacies of change.
The school was selected after its students replanted thousands of mangroves that provided new habitats and shelter for fish, which the community relies on, as well as initiating an International Coastal Clean-up along Bonuan Beach in 2014.
Should it win, Bonuan Buquig National High School will build a nursery that could hold around 50,000 mangrove seedlings yearly and push much-needed research on mangrove propagation and preservation.
Malitbog National High School in Calinog, Iloilo was shortlisted in the Support Healthy Lives category, which recognizes schools that provide opportunities for students to live healthy in integrated and sustainable ways.
During the pandemic, the school created a program to promote physical, mental and social health. If picked as a winner, Malitbog National High School will use the prize money to create a Happy and Healthy Park where individuals can discuss issues impacting the community.
The Top 10 in each category, the other two being Innovation and Overcoming Adversity, will participate in community-building meetings. After which, the finalists will be narrowed into Top 3 by T4 Education's Review Panel.
The remaning finalists will then undergo a recorded interview and an online advisory public vote, which will be evaluated by an independent Judging Academy. Winners will be announced in October 2022 during World Education Week.
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