As part of its commitment to promote the value of learning and education, National Book Store Foundation, Inc. (NBSFI) has distributed 65,000 study packs to over 100 school beneficiaries.

Dubbed Project Aral, the endeavor which counts ABS-CBN Broadcasting, ABS-CBN Foundation,
Inc., Black Pencil Project, Canon Philippines, Cartwheel Foundation, KIDS Foundation, Monde Nissin’s SNITCH and Pizza Hut Philippines as partners, collects school supplies for primary school students.

School beneficiaries include Badja Elementary School, Dananao Elementary School, Gatungan Elementary School, Lobo Elementary School, Pangi Daycare Center, Parangbasak Elementary School, Sagpat Elementary School, and Tacadang Elementary School, etc.

NBSFI chairman Trina Licauco-Alindogan says that the idea for the project came about on a trip to a school in an Aeta resettlement in Antique.

“We went there to donate books for the children. I remember that the kids were so happy to receive them. But when we asked them what else they wanted to get during our next visit, their chieftain asked for a sharpener! He told us that they only had one sharpener, which was being used by the 100 students enrolled in the school. We were so taken aback by that. We didn’t have any supplies with us during that time, but it triggered an idea to also start raising school supplies for the children,” Alindogan narrates.

While they only aimed to collect 15,000 study packs, the support of customers allowed NBSFI to donate a total of 65,000 study packs. This thus inspired the primovers to make Project Aral an annual undertaking.