PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (29 September 2026) — Representatives from Ayala Foundation, Inc. (AFI) paid a courtesy visit to Palawan State University (PalawanSU) to present program updates and align on upcoming activities following the Memorandum of Agreement signed on June 19, 2026. Mr. Lorenzo Buenaflor, CENTEX Early Grades Project Lead of AFI, and Ms. Gucci Trinidad, Senior Director for Big Bets in Education met with University President Dr. Venzon L. Limpiada and Extension Services Office Director Dr. Imelda Pacaldo to discuss the progress and expansion of the CENTEX Early Grades Program in Palawan.
Mr. Buenaflor presented the multi-year initiative, which strengthens foundational literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills among children aged three to five. Its core pillars are teacher training and mentoring, distribution of age-appropriate learning kits, structured parent engagement, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. The delegates also outlined the timeline through the 2026–2027 academic year, including Mentoring and Professional Learning Community sessions, Parent Enrichment Workshops, and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) benchmarks.
Under the framework, PalawanSU serves as a technical and capacity-building partner. AFI will train faculty from the PalawanSU El Nido Campus to co-facilitate modules, conduct classroom observations, and mentor Child Development Workers and Kindergarten teachers. Faculty and students from the PalawanSU Puerto Princesa Campus will lead data collection using validated tools such as the International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) and ECCD checklists. Students from Bachelor of Early Childhood Education, Psychology, and Social Work programs will serve as tutors and data collectors through their practicum and NSTP coursework.
The visit also allowed AFI to gauge the new university administration’s continued support for the program in El Nido. To sustain quality and momentum, AFI intends to again engage Bachelor of Elementary Education educators and trainers from the PalawanSU College of Teacher Education and the PalawanSU Roxas Campus. Both parties reaffirmed their shared commitment to addressing early learning challenges and ensuring a smooth transition across leadership for the long-term benefit of young learners in the province.
