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Gokongwei Brothers Foundation

GBF remains dedicated to uplifting STEM education and developing more quality STEM professionals and leaders who will help fuel nation-building.

We are guided by these key strategic pillars:

  • Elevating the professional development of STEM educators
  • Expanding access to quality education for underprivileged students
  • Creating accessible, high-quality resources for both STEM educators and learners
  • Engaging stakeholders to support communities through education-based initiatives

2024 has been a milestone year for the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF), marked by significant advancements in its educator-focused initiatives. The GBF Class Builder, a proprietary platform designed to enhance content mastery and teaching practices of public-school elementary teachers, successfully completed the first phase of its scale-up for the 2024–2025 school year. Meanwhile, the GBF STEM Collab community saw remarkable growth, expanding to 81,000 members by the end of the year—an impressive jump from 30,000 in 2023. Furthermore, the GBF STEM Scholarship programs continue to provide vital financial support to both educators and students pursuing STEM degrees, with 542 new scholars joining the program.

2024 Milestones

Educator Programs
81,000

Teachers in GBF STEM Collab Community

As of December 31, 2024

20,743

Unique teachers provided with certificates

From January–December 2024

1,500

Teachers empowered through GBF Class Builder

From January–December 2024

Scholarships
3,293

Lifetime scholars

As of December 31, 2024

1,759

Lifetime graduates

As of December 31, 2024

Juan Community for Education
4,698

Learners served

As of December 31, 2024

230

Schools served

For SY 2024–2025

Educator Programs

At GBF, we believe educators are the true agents of change in our classrooms. They have the power to shape the minds of our future, making it essential to prioritize teacher quality and professional development to improve student learning outcomes.

GBF Class Builder

GBF’s flagship program for educators, GBF Class Builder, is a dynamic platform designed to empower STEM educators by enhancing their content mastery and pedagogy through accessing effective lesson resources. This is done using a micro-coaching approach through lesson guides coupled with well-scaffolded, DepEd-aligned materials to be used in the class. These ready-to-use materials not only embed content mastery and strengthen pedagogy but are ultimately designed to improve student engagement and learning outcomes.

In 2024, the program successfully completed Phase 1 of its Scale-Up initiative. By the end of the year, the platform had been implemented in 374 schools across 12 divisions in three key regions, reaching more than 1,500 teachers.

GBF Class Builder by the Numbers in 2024
(Scale-Up Phase 1)
1,500+

Math teachers engaged

374

Schools in 12 partner school divisions

338

Grade 4 and 5 Math lessons produced and loaded into the platform

GBF STEM Collab

STEM Collab is a thriving community of STEM educators committed to knowledge-sharing and peer-to-peer learning. In just two years from launch, membership has doubled, now representing teachers from all regions of the country. 2024 marked a breakthrough year, driven by strategic partnerships that significantly boosted both membership and engagement. Notably, the Department of Education (DepEd) National and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) endorsed the "MATATAG-Readiness" series in August, making it the most-watched series to date. The community also became a key platform for the Gokongwei Group to support teachers during National Teacher's Month, with 16 business units participating in exclusive gifts and promotions for educators.

STEM Collab by the Numbers in 2024
81,000

Members

As of December 31, 2024

21,874

Material downloads

From January–December 2024

20,743

Teachers issued with certifications

From January–December 2024

31

Learning sessions

From January–December 2024

1,906

Average live online learning session attendees

As of December 31, 2024

GBF Scholarships

In keeping with its thrust to provide access to quality STEM education, GBF continues to be one of the biggest private sector providers of STEM-related scholarships in the country. In 2024, GBF welcomed 542 new scholars, reaching a total of 3,293 scholars supported since 2016.

1,172

Total Current Active Scholars

As of December 31, 2024

421

Learners

High School & College

621

Educators

College & Masters

130

Iskolar ni Juan

Tech-Voc

Educators

Scholarships

391 scholars
TeachSTEM College Scholarship

2018

For undergraduate students who aspire to teach and champion STEM in public schools

229 scholars
TeachSTEM Master's Scholarship

2019

For public school teachers and college instructors who champion STEM and aspire to become academic leaders

Learners

STEM

201 scholars
GBF-Gokongwei Group STEM Scholarship for Excellence

2011

For outstanding students and future STEM professionals requiring financial assistance to pursue their STEM undergraduate degree in centers of excellence

30 scholars
STEM Agri Senior High School and College Scholarship

2020

For URC partner planter-farmers’ children enrolled in agriculture-related fields of study

28 scholars
Young Scientist Award Scholarship

2019

For outstanding finalists of leading Philippine-based STEM and innovation competitions

Learners

Scholarships with Affiliates and Partners

123 scholars
Next Gen Scholarship for Excellence

2010

For Gokongwei Group employees' children and siblings who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership potential

6 scholars
DLSU Gokongwei College of Engineering Grant

2012

For outstanding students taking any undergraduate degree program at DLSU Gokongwei College of Engineering

9 scholars
Ateneo John L. Gokongwei Scholarship

2006

For outstanding students of the Ateneo John Gokongwei School of Management and GBSEALD

11 scholars
Go Family Association College Scholarship

2019

For outstanding members of the Go clan

Learners

High School

10 scholars
St. Stephen High School Scholarship

2012

For select students enrolled in St. Stephen High School

5 scholars
Xavier-Zuloaga Scholarship Fund

2020

For select students of Xavier High School

Technical-Vocational Scholarship

130 scholars
Iskolar ni Juan Tech-Voc Scholarship Program

2014

For senior high school graduates with technical inclination and financial challenges

Iskolar Ni Juan TechVoc Program

GBF's Tech-Voc scholarship program has been transforming lives through technical vocational education for ten years. "Iskolar ni Juan" (INJ) marked its 10th anniversary at the GBF Technical Training Center in Calamba, Laguna, in July 2024. The celebration was attended by key partners, including Universal Robina Corporation, local government units and employment offices, and various youth development organizations that have been integral to the INJ journey. Since its inception, Iskolar ni Juan has graduated over 500 students and continues to actively recruit out-of-school youth and senior high school graduates who face financial barriers to higher education. The program equips them with industry-relevant skills in Mechatronics Servicing, earning them a TESDA NCII certification with the promise of a job opportunity at employment partners such as URC.

Scholar Development

The annual servant leadership program for select GBF scholars, titled “Juan to Serve (JTS) 2024: Layag: Dahil sa 'tin, posible,” took place last November, with 58 scholars participating in immersive activities and workshops. The program began with visits to various organizations, including local government units (LGUs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Pasig LGU, Don Bosco Youth Center, to name a few. These visits deepened the scholars' connection to their communities and reinforced their commitment to service. Following this, scholars applied the insights gained from their Futures and Design Thinking Workshops to develop actionable project proposals aimed at creating a positive impact on these communities they visited.

The goal of all our scholarship development programs is to enhance our graduates’ work readiness and develop co-advocates for nation building not only through promoting excellence in their field but also by encouraging and co-creating pathways for giving back to the community.

Juan Community

GBF strives to contribute to building the nation through education, one community at a time. Through Juan Community, GBF seeks to encourage and support communities to work together toward building a better future through education.

Juan Kapatid

Juan Kapatid is GBF’s community-based learning recovery program designed to support struggling learners in developing foundational literacy and numeracy skills. By applying the proven "teaching-at-the-right-level" approach, combined with a robust socio-emotional learning framework, Juan Kapatid has effectively improved the literacy and numeracy competencies of learners committed to the program.

Since its launch in 2021, Juan Kapatid has implemented three intervention models to scale its impact: Direct-to-Learner Intervention, Teacher-to-Learner Intervention, and its most recent iteration, Teachers Training Teachers. To date, the program has trained 351 teachers across 30 schools in the CALABARZON and CARAGA regions, positively impacting 4,500 struggling learners.

4,698

JK Achievers supported

As of December 31, 2024

351

JK Teachers from 30 public schools in CALABARZON and CARAGA

12%

non-numerates at the end of the session from 60% non-numerates at the start, which means more students could perform basic mathematical operations expected of their grade level.

SY 2023–2024

6%

non-literates at the end of the session from 47% at the beginning, which means more students are able to read full sentences and paragraphs.

SY 2023–2024

Juan Brigada Eskwela

Through Juan Brigada Eskwela, GBF supports both learners and educators by addressing their essential needs in schools. In 2024, the program expanded through the Juan Commitment initiative of the Gokongwei Group, broadening its reach to 201 schools nationwide. 18 business units participated by contributing in-kind donations and volunteering for activities like school repair and clean-ups, further amplifying the program’s impact.

Juan Community for Disaster Resilience

GBF together with the Gokongwei Group supported families affected by natural disasters namely Typhoon Carina, Typhoon Kristine, and the Mount Kanlaon eruption. Relief items were distributed to 7,324 families in 18 communities with the help of six Gokongwei Group business units.

Advocacy

GBF furthers its advocacy for advancing STEM education and excellence in STEM fields by strategically supporting our partners' relevant initiatives.

GBF Young Scientist Award

GBF Young Scientist Award (YSA) is a recognition given to selected outstanding finalists of two prestigious STEM and innovation competitions in the country: DepEd National Science and Technology Fair (NSTF) and DOST’s “imake.wemake.wecollaborate”. In 2024, GBF awarded STEM college scholarship grants to 28 winners of these two competitions.

GBF also supported the 12 finalists from the NSTF competition in their participation in the International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles last May. Two projects won special recognition: three students from Cebu National High School won fourth place in the Life Science Category, and one student from Tarlac National High School won a special award from National Geographic Society.

Supporting Teachers through DepEd

GBF was present at the Regional Assembly of Education Leaders in Makati City last August, attended by over 1,000 teachers in the NCR region. GBF presented its programs for educator capacity building and set up a booth with raffle giveaways to teachers present during the gathering.

For the first time, GBF participated in the National Teacher’s Month by bringing together 16 Gokongwei Group business units to show their love and support for teachers through special gifts and promotions. In this month-long celebration, teachers got treated to shopping vouchers in Robinson’s Supermarkets, free movie passes in Robinson’s Movieworld, and gifts such as free Cebu Pacific tickets, GoTyme e-cash, GoRewards points, clinic vouchers from Maxicare, to name a few. To cap the celebration, GBF brought Rita Daniela to offer a special serenade for teachers during the National Teacher’s Day celebration at Araneta Coliseum attended by almost 9,000 teachers from all over the country.

Endowments & Synergies

GBF has supported centers of excellence and innovations in Philippine education through endowments that consist of significant allocations for student scholarships, faculty and student research, and facility improvement.

Ateneo de Manila University John Gokongwei School of Management

2002

  • Launched the Business Insights Laboratory and Development (Ateneo BUILD)
  • Supported students in academic competitions
  • Enhanced private sector engagement and regional partnerships with other educational institutions to strengthen its curriculum
De La Salle University Gokongwei College of Engineering

2011

  • 13 faculty development grants were approved that supported research and publication in journals and conference presentations
  • Seven additional research projects approved and initiated in 2024
Ateneo de Manila University Gokongwei Brothers School of Education and Learning Design

2021

  • Launched the first undergraduate degree program in Education, Bachelor of Science in Education and Learning Design (BS LEARN)
  • Welcomed the second cohort of doctoral students
  • Established the Research Institute on the Futures of Education (RIFE)
  • Full-fledged operations of the Lily NgoChua Leadership Academy

2025 Plans and Targets

The gaps in the country’s education landscape continue to pose significant challenges for both the government and private sector. As a result, GBF is more committed than ever to improving learning outcomes by focusing on educator capacity-building programs and providing access to quality education for underprivileged students. GBF will continue to improve and strengthen the impact of its various programs through close on-ground observation and collaboration, iterating for relevance and broadening program reach.

120,000

STEM educators receiving timely and relevant professional development opportunities through the STEM Collab Community by end of 2025

30,000

teachers in 7,800 schools supported with quality learning and teaching materials for Grades 3-6 Math and Grade 3 Remediation through GBF Class Builder by end of SY 2025–2026

529

new scholars onboarded by end of 2025

Conquering Currents, Charting Horizons

2024 Annual & Sustainability Report

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