As students prepare to return to school, McDonald’s Philippines once again joined the Department of Education’s Brigada Eskwela program, mobilizing over 10,000 volunteers from its nationwide store operations network to support more than 700 public schools across the country.
Volunteers helped clean, repair, and repaint classrooms while also providing McDonald’s meals to teachers, parents, and community volunteers. In Quezon City, employees from the McDonald’s Restaurant Support Center (RSC) participated in Brigada Eskwela at Diosdado Macapagal Elementary School through Good Trip, the company’s employee volunteerism platform. Volunteers repainted Grade 4 and Grade 5 classrooms, cleaned school facilities, and distributed school kits that included raincoats for students.
Building a Culture of Malasakit
The activity reflects McDonald’s core value of Malasakit, which guides how the company serves both customers and communities.
“It is a powerful reflection of who we are as McDonald’s. It speaks of our culture of malasakit, our spirit of volunteerism, and our shared commitment to make a difference in the lives of others, especially for the benefit of our youth,” said Ben Marasigan, Vice President for McDonald’s Human Capital Group.
For Diosdado Macapagal Elementary School, which serves nearly 5,000 students, the support helped ease resource constraints. Aside from classroom improvements, the school received cleaning tools, school supplies, signages, and raincoats to help students stay protected during the rainy season.
“Our partnership with McDonald’s is important because it reminds us that we are not alone in our mission of providing children with a better future,” said Assistant Principal Enelda Martinez.
Making a Difference Together
For employees like Senior Financial Analyst Francesca Acop, whose grandparents were public school teachers, volunteering through Brigada Eskwela was a meaningful way to give back and help create a better learning environment for students.
More than preparing classrooms for the new school year, McDonald’s Brigada Eskwela participation demonstrates how collective action, volunteerism, and Malasakit can help build stronger communities and brighter futures for Filipino students.