Written by John Oliver M. Ramos, MAEd
On June 20, 2026, the Brigada Eskwela activity titled “Brigada Brush-Up: Fresh Coats, Brighter Dreams for Mabini & Kias” was held through the continued partnership between A. Mabini Elementary School and University of Baguio STELA from 8:30 to 11:30 in the morning.
The activity gathered volunteer faculty from five undergraduate STELA programs: BA Communication, BA Music, BSEd, BPEd, BS Psychology, and also the Graduate School for the painting and improvement of the AMES Social Hall. The main task was to repaint the whole hall to make it cleaner, brighter, and more welcoming for school use. Teachers worked together across different parts of the hall, each group helping with different sections while still working in close coordination with one another. This steady teamwork led to the full completion of the Social Hall, showing how shared effort can quickly turn into real and visible improvement.
Leadership and coordination were guided by key persons who helped ensure that everything ran smoothly from preparation to implementation. Mr. Norman Patiang, outgoing UB STELA COE Coordinator and overall lead for outreach work for the current short term, provided direction and preparation for the activity while stationed onsite at Kias Elementary School. Also, Ms. Jenny Gumabay, AMES Outreach Coordinator, handled onsite coordination and made sure that all needed support and arrangements were in place during the activity. Lastly, Mr. John Oliver Ramos, incoming UB STELA COE Coordinator, was present onsite to supervise the activity. This event also served as his introduction to the role, as leadership responsibilities were formally passed on following Sir Norman’s term.
Anchored on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the activity supports SDG 4: Quality Education by helping improve learning spaces that support better teaching and learning. Clean, safe, and well maintained school facilities help students feel more comfortable and more ready to learn, which improves the overall school experience. It also supports SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals by showing the strong working relationship between A. Mabini Elementary School and University of Baguio STELA. The activity reflects how schools and partner institutions can work together in a steady and shared way to reach common goals and support public education.
Overall, the activity shows that real change happens when people work together with a clear purpose. Through simple acts of service and shared effort, learning spaces are improved and partnerships are strengthened in ways that directly benefit the school community.
