Isabela City welcomed a meaningful partnership advancing financial literacy and lifelong learning through the Estudyantipid School Caravan – Provincial Launch and Knowledge Channel TV Turnover, under FinEd Unboxed, an initiative of the BPI Foundation and Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc., September 3.
As part of the Knowledge Channel TV turnover, Basilan National High School and Isabela City National High School were among the schools awarded with Knowledge Channel TV units, providing their learners and teachers with another valuable resource to support teaching and learning.
As special guest, Isabela City Mayor Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman, welcomed the partnership and expressed her appreciation to the BPI Foundation and Knowledge Channel Foundation for supporting initiatives that complement the city’s continuing efforts to make education and financial literacy more accessible to its people.
In her message, Mayor Dadah shared that Knowledge Channel was already considered a standard and benchmark by the city when Teledukasyon was conceptualized during the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when traditional classroom learning was disrupted, the city looked for ways to ensure that learning would continue and that students would still have access to quality educational content.
This experience laid the foundation for the city’s continuing efforts to bring learning beyond the classroom through initiatives such as Teledukasyon, ISATV, and the Mobile Library, providing learners with additional avenues to access educational materials, information, and learning opportunities.
Mayor Dadah also shared WAISabeleño, the city’s financial literacy program which has reached around 9,000 individuals, equipping residents with practical knowledge and skills in managing their finances, making informed financial decisions, and developing responsible financial habits.
These initiatives reflect a shared vision with the BPI Foundation and Knowledge Channel Foundation: that education should be accessible, relevant, and responsive to the changing needs of learners and communities. The Estudyantipid partnership builds on this shared commitment by bringing financial education closer to young people and helping them develop skills that they can apply in everyday life.
The event was attended by key education, government, and development partners, including Edric Calma, Vice President of KCFI; Christian Gaite, Learning Solutions Head of KCFI; Mary Catherine Santamaria, BPI Foundation Director/Trustee; Meryl Adiel Hernandez, Vice President and Head of Institutional Brand and Corporate Relations of BPI and Officer-in-Charge of BPI Foundation; Manolo Roberto Nava, Senior Program Manager for the Financial Education and Arts Management Program; Dr. Gregorio Cyrus R. Elejorde, DepEd IX Assistant Regional Director; Maria Virginia Eala, Chief Human Resources Officer of BPI; Dr. Ma. Laarni Villanueva, OIC Schools Division Superintendent of Isabela City; MP Baeling Mantawil, BARMM Minister of Science and Technology; DepEd IX Information Officer Dahlia Paragas and Isabela City Information Officer Mendry-Ann Lim.
The partnership further strengthens Isabela City’s commitment to connecting education, technology, and financial literacy—equipping learners and communities with knowledge and life skills that can help them make better choices and build a more secure future. (Words and Photos by M. LIM, CIO)
