{"id":74534,"date":"2026-07-07T06:56:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T22:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/?p=74534"},"modified":"2026-07-06T17:58:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T09:58:08","slug":"eastwest-partners-with-jci-manila-to-advance-teacher-development-and-community-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/2026\/07\/07\/eastwest-partners-with-jci-manila-to-advance-teacher-development-and-community-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"EastWest partners with JCI Manila to advance teacher development and community impact"},"content":{"rendered":"

East West Banking Corporation (EastWest) stood alongside Filipino educators as the exclusive bank partner of JCI Manila\u2019s 5th Ten Outstanding Guro Awards (TOGA 2026), honoring teachers whose dedication, creativity, and service continue to shape lives and communities across the country.<\/strong><\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

Held at PHINMA Plaza in Rockwell Center, Makati City, TOGA 2026 recognized ten outstanding educators whose work reflects the depth of Filipino teaching excellence.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

Among this year\u2019s honorees is Leticia C. Dela Cruz, a Teacher III from Navotas with 30 years of service, who continues to champion student welfare and learner rights.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

In Cagayan de Oro, Ryan Capilitan Tura, a Master Teacher, serves Indigenous Peoples learners in a remote multigrade mobile school\u2014bringing hope to students despite geographic barriers.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in Isabela, Jerrypol Casil Palma, a Senior High STEM teacher, has earned national and international recognition, with his innovative\u00a0PATIChem<\/i>\u00a0now used by schools across the country.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

Completing this year\u2019s roster are equally dedicated educators from across the country: Marie Joy Jacinto of Batac; Maureen Lou A. Aragoza of Vigan; Catalina M. Canasa of Cebu; Kim D. Grapa of Dipolog; Cesar Sucdad Martin of Benguet; Gloperlyn de Guzman Chavez of Bataan; and Ma. Cristina G. Bagas of Muntinlupa\u2014each recognized for their commitment to advancing education and making a meaningful difference in their respective communities.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

\u201cTeachers are nation builders.\u00a0In many ways, the future of our country is shaped every day in our classrooms, through educators who choose to serve with purpose<\/span>,\u201d said EastWest CEO Jerry Ngo. \u201cAt EastWest, we believe that recognizing and supporting educators is one of the most meaningful ways to strengthen families, communities, and ultimately, the future of the Philippines.<\/span>\u201d<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

Beyond recognition, EastWest advocates for empowering teachers through financial literacy. In 2025, EastWest Rural Bank launched GuroWAIS, a financial education program tailored for Filipino educators. Covering practical topics such as income, savings, budgeting, and long-term planning, GuroWAIS has already reached hundreds of teachers nationwide, with sessions conducted in partnership with JCI Manila and local DepEd offices.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

\u201cWith GuroWAIS, we can help teachers build more confidence to manage today and prepare for tomorrow. And when they gain that confidence, the benefit goes beyond one person. It can reach their families, their students, and the communities they serve<\/span>,\u201d Ngo added.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

Through TOGA and GuroWAIS, EastWest continues to champion educators, promote financial literacy, and invest in programs that strengthen communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cTeachers are nation builders.\u00a0In many ways, the future of our country is shaped every day in our classrooms, through educators who choose to serve with purpose,\u201d said EastWest CEO Jerry Ngo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":74535,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[2550,6756],"class_list":["post-74534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-headlines","tag-corporate-social-responsibility","tag-eastwest-bank"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74534"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74536,"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74534\/revisions\/74536"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}