By Lane Afable, News Editor
Education Secretary Sonny Angara awarded the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) the DepEd Hero Award in recognition of its significant contributions to improving the lives of students and teachers through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, as well as its continued support for educators.
Recognized as 2026 DepEd Heroes were GBF leaders Lance Y. Gokongwei (Chairman), James L. Go (President), Robina Y. Gokongwei-Pe (Trustee and Secretary), Lisa Y. Gokongwei-Cheng (General Manager), Grace R. Colet (Executive Director), and Kristine Tinette T. De Asis (Head of Educator Programs). They were acknowledged for their leadership and ongoing commitment to strengthening education in the Philippines.
In his remarks during the awarding ceremony, Secretary Angara emphasized the importance of recognizing partners of the Department of Education (DepEd) in advancing education reform.
“The DepEd Hero Award gives recognition to the people who really go out of their way and do extraordinary things to help our learners and our teachers, and advance the cause of education reform in our country. And that’s something that Gokongwei Brothers Foundation has always been committed to from day one,” said Secretary Angara.
Accepting the award on behalf of GBF, General Manager Lisa Y. Gokongwei-Cheng expressed gratitude for the recognition and stressed that the award reflects the collective efforts of the foundation, DepEd, and school communities.
“And as we look ahead, our commitment only deepens. We will continuously review and strengthen our existing programs to be responsive to the challenges. We will continue to ask, ‘How can we do more?’” said Gokongwei-Cheng.
“But more than numbers, what truly matters to us are the stories behind them: the teacher who becomes more confident in handling struggling readers; the student who begins to understand a concept that once felt incomprehensible; the school that feels supported, seen, and empowered,” she added.
“These are the real impacts of our shared work. And none of this would be possible without DepEd’s leadership, guidance, and openness to collaboration.”
At present, more than 3,500 scholars have been supported by GBF through its scholarship programs, expanding access to quality education and opening opportunities from schooling to employment.
The foundation also continues to prioritize support for public school teachers, aligned with DepEd’s agenda for educator development.
“Since we partnered with the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, our systems within the school have changed. We became more proactive. Our students became more active in participating because they see their lessons on TV—moving and engaging—so they participate better in their classes,” said school head Peter Inocando of Caloocan North Elementary School.
GBF’s educator programs have already reached more than 320,000 teachers nationwide, including 26 webinars over the past two years focused on reading and math remediation.
One of its learning series was attended by over 210,000 teachers, while more than 103,000 teachers received Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits through STEM Collab webinars conducted in partnership with the National Educators’ Academy of the Philippines (NEAP).
Under the ClassBuilder program, GBF has provided lesson materials and coaching strategies to more than 5,000 schools, 45 divisions, and 41,000 teachers across the country, with further expansion planned for 2026.
