Pencils to Write Children’s Future

For most people, the pencil is a mere writing or drawing implement. Placed in the hands of impoverished school children, it becomes a tool to sketch the future.

Thanks to the Council for the Welfare of Children, PNP, Department of Education (DepEd), SM Cares, AMSPEC, more underprivileged public elementary school students will each get their own pencils for their use in school. Going beyond the initial target of raising one million pencils from donors, the nationwide campaign collected over 3M pencils in time for the celebration of the 24th National Children’s Month.

SM Cares alone was able to raise around 2.7M pencils in donations and pledges coming from the employees of SM Supermalls and SMDC. The project was a result of a discussion two years ago between SM Cares and then DepEd Undersecretary Mario Deriquito. Upon learning of thousands of Filipino school children who are in dire need of school supplies, specifically pencils, the company embarked on an initiative to help come up with a campaign for this purpose.

To help further elevate public awareness for the campaign, SM By the Bay provided the venue for the campaign’s bid for the Guinness Book of World Records. The record attempt is for the longest line of pencils held by more than 2,500 students after the ceremonial turnover of the donated pencils.