Security Bank Foundation Delivers Strong Education Gains in 2025

Makati City, Philippines – In 2025, Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) strengthened its commitment to education as a powerful equalizer, delivering measurable, nationwide impact amid persistent classroom shortages, disaster-damaged school facilities, and nearly 11 million out-of-school Filipino children.

Through a holistic approach—building and repairing classrooms, supporting scholars, empowering educators, and partnering with communities—the Foundation helped improve access to safe, inclusive, and quality learning environments across the country.

Under the Build a School, Build a Nation program, the Foundation has delivered 901 classrooms in 153 schools across 92 cities and municipalities nationwide and rehabilitated earlier donations to ensure long-term use. Beyond infrastructure, the Foundation invested in people—training nearly 170 principals and teachers, supporting over 300 scholars, and providing eyeglasses to more than 1,000 learners. This impact was strengthened through multi-sector partnerships with government, universities, corporations, and employees, including a 2025 Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Education granting nationwide recognition to SBFI’s training program, and contributions to Senate discussions on improving public classrooms delivery.

Expanding learning spaces nationwide

In 2025, SBFI turned over 62 new classrooms, equivalent to nine school buildings, including:

Sta. Cruz Central Elementary School, Laguna, a pilot site for the Department of Education’s Inclusive Learning Resource Center serving learners with special needs

Tarlac National High School, supporting its Special Program in Sports

Zamboanga City High School Main, equipped with technical-vocational laboratories for Caregiving, Cookery, Drafting, and Dressmaking.

The Foundation also repaired 80 classrooms and rehabilitated 48 disaster- or termite-damaged facilities, ensuring safer and more resilient learning spaces for students and teachers. 

To date, SBFI has donated 901 classrooms to 153 schools nationwide, reinforcing its long-term commitment to education infrastructure.

Investing in educators and scholars

Through its Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building program, SBFI strengthened school leadership and teaching systems by training 79 principals and 88 teachers in leadership and mentoring, and school governance. 

Program participants include Carlo Medrano, who went on to develop a science mentoring initiative now adopted in multiple communities—demonstrating how teacher empowerment creates ripple effects across the education system.

SBFI also supported 302 scholars for Academic Year 2025–2026 and celebrated 103 graduates, including 31 college degree holders. 

Addressing barriers beyond academics, SBFI distributed 1,170 eyeglasses in partnership with Ideal Vision Center and the Rotary and Rotaract Clubs of San Francisco del Monte, helping students—like Jake Prades—improve classroom performance through better vision.

Partnerships that multiply impact

SBFI’s education programs were strengthened through collaboration with corporate partners, government agencies, and Security Bank employees, enabling sustained support for classrooms, scholarships, and teacher development. Key partners include FWD Life Insurance, Jesus V. Del Rosario Foundation, Signify Philippines, and the Department of Education.

Recognition and the road ahead

SBFI’s education initiatives and efforts earned national recognition at the 21st Philippine Quill and 60th Anvil Awards. Among the accolades are:

IABC Philippines’ 21st Quill Award of Excellence for Employee Engagement – “Paint a Classroom, Paint a Brighter Future – Security Bank Foundation's School Painting Activity”

IABC Philippines’ 21st Quill Award of Merit for Corporate Social Responsibility – “Hand in Hand: Partnerships for Transforming the Country's Future, One Classroom at a Time”

IABC Philippines’ 21st Quill Award of Merit for Communication Management – “Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building – Principals Training Track”

PRSP’s 60th Anvil Silver Award for Employee Engagement – “Paint a Classroom, Paint a Brighter Future – Security Bank Foundation’s School Painting Activity”

PRSP’s 60th Anvil Silver Award for Change Communication – “School Building Ko, Aalagaan Ko” Campaign.

Looking ahead, the Foundation plans to build 60 new classrooms, repair 100 additional classrooms, expand educator training and scholar programs, and continue nationwide vision screening initiatives.

“Every classroom we build, every teacher we empower, and every scholar we support brings us closer to a Philippines where progress is inclusive and sustainable,” Simpao added.

Learn more about Security Bank Foundation’s education initiatives at https://www.securitybank.com/foundation/.

Keep Calm, Stay Road-Safe, and Get Protected While on a Drive 7 Tips to Get to Your Destination, Safe and Secured

To those who love driving and going on long, spontaneous road trips, the open road, heavy with symbolism and full of promise, is an escape. The journey—highways stretching out before you, windows down, speakers up, wind in your hair—is often as rewarding as the destination. And you’ll feel that excitement, whether it be the thrill of a new adventure, like the classic Batangas road trip to cross a big item—in this case, diving—off your bucket list or the joy (only parents can relate to!) of driving your kids to their first day at a big school—fulfilling their dream and yours or that sense of accomplishment of finally setting up that Alabang office.

But while weekend travelers, adventure junkies, and daily commuters have maybe perfected the road trip and weaving in and out of traffic, not everyone has their road safety skills down to a T. Are you making the necessary precautions when behind the wheel? Do you drive with focus at all times? Are you insured? Regardless if you’re cruising down the highway or rushing to the airport to catch a flight or trapped in a traffic gridlock on the way to work, safety must and always should be you’re top priority.

Here are some tips to get you to your destination safely:

1. Wear your seatbelt at all times
Whether you’re the driver or passenger, whether you’re riding a private car, a PUV van, or taxi, whether you’re driving to a nearby store or going on a road trip, you must buckle up. Every time. It seems so elementary, and you’ve probably read this a hundred times, but seatbelts save lives. And… not wearing a seatbelt is against the law, in case you don’t know.

2. Get insurance for yourself, not just your car
Here in the Philippines, people buy insurance for their cars but not for themselves. If it’s necessary to insure your car, what more your life and your family’s future? On top of being a safe and careful driver, you need to protect yourself from accidents, too. Road safety begins with the protection of life. Life insurance protects you and your family—whether it be on the road or on the curbside. Just like a car insurance, life insurance provides a cash benefit, right when you or your family need it the most.
Just in time for the holidays, FWD Life PH (FWD), part of pan-Asian insurer FWD Group, is providing accident insurance with Php500,000 coverage to the first 500 registrants. To sign up, go to bit.ly/SignUpForInsurance. Special offer is only until Dec. 11, 2019.

This is to celebrate FWD’s fifth anniversary as well as its recent history-making partnership with MCX Tollway, Inc., which elevates the expressway as a symbol of the nation’s “road to progress.” Used by more than one million cars a month, the FWD-MCX has shortened what was once a 20-minute drive from Daang Hari road to SLEX to only a three-minute journey.

3. Observe speed limits
The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies speeding as one of the main problems that contribute to the risk of crash-related injuries in roads. Local government units have enacted their own speed limits depending on the road and traffic conditions in their areas. On the other hand, speed limits for private cars in expressways here in the Philippines is from 80 to 100 kph.

4. Put your phone on silent mode and use hands-free accessories
It’s almost second nature to check our phones, especially when we hear it ring. But taking your eyes off the road for five seconds can already put your life and the lives of others in danger. So put your phone on silent mode if the notifications are too tempting or distracting. If you need your phone to navigate, get a hands-free mount so you can hear directions and see the map in your peripheral vision.

5. Stay alert
It’s vital to stay alert while driving. Focus your senses on visual and auditory cues on the road—from horns and sirens to road signs and signals. Never wear headphones while driving or anything that will block your hearing. If you need to drive with the music on, just let it play inside the car.

6. Don’t drink and drive
If you plan to drink, designate a driver who won’t drink. Or spend the night getting sober before you drive.

7. Pull over!
You dropped something you needed under your car seats. You have an emergency call you need to take. Your pet on the backseat is acting up. Your baby is bawling. If there’s something going on that’s more important that you need to attend to, stop driving. Find a safe and proper spot to pull over and park in order to address the situation. If you’re having car trouble, pull off the road as far as possible.

Want to know more about FWD-MCX? Visit bit.ly/FWDMCX.
Sign up and be one of the 500 to get accident insurance. Go to bit.ly/SignUpForInsurance.

Live to Play and Learn Financial Strategies at Praxis!

A financial literacy program done through a board game that tests the player’s nancial knowledge and help them make better decisions in securing their nancial future. Praxis®
simulates real-life scenarios, teaches players how to make nancial decisions, and gives a glimpse of consequences that come with certain decisions. Its fun and dierent techniques of teaching nancial literacy and introducing the FWD brand is very much aligned to FWD’s vision: to change the way people feel about insurance.

FWD Life Insurance and The Praxis Company’s partnership dates back to 2016. Since then, we have worked closely in bringing to life fun and educational gameplays with the goal
of instilling nancial literacy to Filipinos.

Live to Play: Are You Set for Tomorrow?
is a customized Praxis gameplay that highlights FWD’s newest product proposition, Set for Tomorrow, a life insurance that’s with you in every step of your nancial journey. The game’s scenarios are specic to Set for Tomorrow’s key benets to give the players a better understanding and clearer appreciation of this product suite.

Set for Tomorrow

Life insurance that’s with you in every step of your financial journey.
The most important milestones in every stage of your life deserve to be protected. Set for
Tomorrow provides three affordable and flexible solutions that t your protection needs and make you and your family’s dreams come true, even if you are no longer around.
Just go to www.fwd.com.ph and access Cali, their online calculator to nd out how much you need, how long you need to get covered, and how Set for Tomorrow ts your budget. It’s easier than you can imagine.
Do it today and live a life with less worries!

FWD Life Philippines Launches Set for Tomorrow, Financial Protection for Those You Leave Behind

FWD Life Philippines, one of the country’s fastest-growing life insurers, has introduced a series of
new protection plans that can be tailored to meet individual customer needs.

“FWD’s Set for Tomorrow will provide protection for the people we love and care about. The
coverage amount and period can be customized to any personal situation and budget. Our aim is to
make real and substantial protection accessible to everyone,” said FWD Life Philippines President
and Chief Executive Officer Peter Grimes.

Dubbed Set for Tomorrow, the insurance product has three variants that address the different needs
to take care of those left behind should the unexpected happen—Short Term Cover, Income
Protector, and Estate Protector.

“Set for Tomorrow caters to Filipinos from 18 to 70 years of age, from young urban professionals to
retirees,” Peter added. “With very basic social security, many professionals have an enormous
protection gap.”

Taking responsibility to protect those you love

In today’s uncertain world, FWD’s latest insurance product is there to protect the ones you love.
Three common reasons that lead to financial problems for those left behind include:

• People have loans and accountabilities that are transferred to their family if they are no longer around.
• Raising a family requires time and money. Also, if the breadwinner falls away, the family will still need money to continue living a life with dignity.
• People who build up wealth worry about what they leave behind and especially how to best avoid a family crisis in settling estate taxes and dividing assets. As part of any estate planning solution, long-term insurance coverage is essential to evenly share the assets and ensure those left behind feel equally treated.

Solutions that provide guaranteed protection and give you peace of mind

FWD’s Set for Tomorrow has three variants that meet the needs of the modern Filipino. Short Term
Cover is an affordable term life plan that provides guaranteed life insurance coverage for five or 10
years.

Income Protector ensures that your family can continue their life even if you are no longer around.
Lastly, Estate Protector is a whole-life plan that provides guaranteed life insurance coverage until
120 years of age.

FWD wants to guide people in fitting the right variant, protection amount, coverage period, and
payment terms to the customer’s preferences and abilities. With this in mind, FWD launched online
calculator “Cali”. By answering just a few questions, Cali allows you to determine the best solution
for you and your budget. To find out the Set for Tomorrow plan that’s perfect for your budget and
insurance needs, simply visit www.cali.ph/SetForTomorrow.

FWD’s Set for Tomorrow plans are now available through FWD Life’s Financial Wealth Planners.
Interested customers may call the 24/7 FWD Customer Connect Hotline at (02) 888-8388 or chat
with a Customer Connect Executive via FWD’s 24/7 Live Chat (www.fwd.com.ph) to set an
appointment. The plans will also soon be available at all branches of Security Bank, FWD’s
bancassurance partner.