DOST Day Care Center Receives a Boost from National Bookstore Foundation

DOST Asec. Diana Ignacio (3^rd from left) and NBS Foundation Director Bea Torres (middle) holding the design perspective of the DOST Day Care Center. With them are DOST-STII Director Richard Burgos (leftmost), DOST Usec. Sancho Mabborang (2^nd from left), DOST Director Cesar Pedraza (rightmost) , and volunteers from Bayan Ni Juan.

In a recent Kickoff Ceremony held at the DOST Day Care Center (DDCC) in Bicutan, Taguig City, Ms. Bea Torres, Director of the National Book Store (NBS) Foundation, announced a major partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The collaboration aims to transform the DDCC into an optimal learning facility for children.

Established on August 1, 1997, in adherence to Executive Order No. 340, the DDCC provides Day Care Services for children under five years of age belonging to employees of national government agencies. Despite a three-year suspension of operations due to the pandemic, the facility underwent rehabilitation and was relaunched on June 13, 2023, as part of the 65th-anniversary celebrations of the DOST.

National Book Store, in association with its social arm NBS Foundation, plans to convert the DDCC into a fully-equipped learning center. The initiative includes the provision of books, school supplies, learning materials, and a redesign of the center through activities like mural painting and furniture donation.

Ms. Torres highlighted that this partnership signifies the NBS Foundation’s inaugural venture into establishing daycare centers within government agencies. Originating from the challenges posed by the pandemic, the initiative seeks to continue providing educational support to children by creating learning centers in government institutions.

Expressing gratitude, DOST Undersecretary for Regional Operations, Engr. Sancho A. Mabborang, acknowledged NBS Foundation’s longstanding partnership through the Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) Program. He emphasized the foundation’s role in providing books and school materials to schools in remote regions.

The transformed facility’s turnover is scheduled to coincide with the celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11, 2024. Ms. Torres mentioned that this marks the beginning of NBS Foundation’s broader initiative, starting at home and later expanding to other regions.

In a related event, Project Aral, a collaboration between NBS Foundation, Bayan ni Juan, and DOST, organized a gift-giving activity for kindergarten students at Daang Hari Elementary School in Bicutan. Students received NBS notebooks and Oishi snacks and biscuits as part of this outreach effort. The event aimed to spread the joy of learning and provide essential supplies to young students, reinforcing the commitment to education and community welfare.