Programs and Services
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
CEC classified its educational programs into: educational assistance and scholarship, tutorial services, scholarships for Technical Educational Skills Development Authority or TESDA skills training, alternative learning system or ALS and computer literacy programs. These are all within the context of community development and organizing.
CEC works hand in hand with its partner, the San Beda College Benedictine Educational Foundation Inc. (SBCBEFI) that financed the operation of the different programs.
The educational assistance or scholarship aims to assist parents of school children in partner communities in meeting the financial and material needs of the children in school as well as providing added opportunities for learning and enrichment outside the school setting.
To supplement this program, tutorial classes are given to students in various levels from elementary to high school as spearheaded by the Integrated Basic Education Department and National Service Training Program students (home-based).
Meanwhile, the Alternative Learning System was also revived by the Integrated Basic Education Department (IBED) through the BED faculty community involvement.
Further, the CEC educational programs also cater to the scholarship of some Bedan students and athletes in support of their personal and book allowances. The said athletes should pass the rigid case study conducted by the assigned social worker. The CEC with SBCBEFI have organized income generating activities to finance these educational projects for deserving poor student-athletes.
LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM
As part of its holistic community development approach, CEC has spearheaded livelihood initiatives as alternative source of income for people in the communities. Livelihood initiatives follow the organizational base procedures where members develop their own system of managing their team including the formulation of constitution and
by- laws, set of officers, regular trainings and later on SEC registration for them to get the legal entity to transact businesses.
Livelihood Program Framework
In the context of a more relevant academic pursuit to nation building, the Community Engagement Center (CEC) was established to provide venues for all San Beda University stakeholders- Benedictine monks, administrators, faculty, students, service personnel, alumni, parents and corporate sponsors to express their social responsibility and commitment to social change. CEC adheres to deepen their awareness on the problems and needs of the marginalized sectors of society, and raise their level of consciousness on issues and advocacies that bring them to a meaningful commitment to alleviate the situation of the poor and the marginalized.
CEC is attuned to its vision of forming and developing partner communities by means of sustainable programs strengthened by innovative and collaborative interventions.
Given the circumstances that CEC should address to represent the corporate social responsibility of the institution, it has developed two types of involvements namely, the short-term and the long-term through community development.
The short-term community involvement will respond to immediate specific needs, and could appear in short programs such as medical missions, relief drives, gift-giving, and blood donation among others.
On the other hand, the long-term community involvement through community development seeks to address and help in the resolution of community problems and needs. People empowerment will be the by-product of the long-process of community organizing, assessments through participatory situation analysis and on-going formation on its members to ensure sustainability.
CEC will provide necessary reinforcement for this development program by linking the community to local government units and non-government organizations that could provide them training and necessary assistance be it in their livelihood programs, educational and values formation.
Thus, San Beda’s livelihood initiatives for its partner communities are designed based on the results of the PSA and needs assessments considering to the available resources within the community. As a result this shall ensure sustainability of a certain income generating project.
LEGAL AND PARA LEGAL SERVICES
Being a topnotch institution for its law program, San Beda also stand as a champion in working for social justice and promoting the welfare of the indigent clients. This is realized through the legal and paralegal services rendered by the school spearheaded by the College of Law - Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) which is both a practicum course and a community engagement. As a practicum subject, selected graduating seniors comprising the LAB will render regular office works where they do legal counselling, legal advice and court representation under the guidance of their lawyer-mentor and LAB director. As a form of community involvement, LAB represents the school by working with indigent clients for free. Together with the LAB interns, the alumni serve as volunteer lawyers, and render their free consultations in San Beda main campus LAB office, as well as in the satellite offices located in The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila and Sinag sa Sais Center in Pandacan, Manila.
Since 2004, San Beda College of Law - Legal Aid Bureau has been accredited by the Supreme Court of the Philippines to operate as a bureau allowing LAB members to do court representation under the mentorship of its director.
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
The Health and Environment programs of the school are handled and led by the College of Medicine and the College of Nursing. There are two ways to effectively implement the projects, through service learning model and/or volunteer approach.
For service learning, the College of Medicine has its Family and Community Medicine Course, while the College of Nursing has the Community Health Nursing. Memorandum of Agreements with the local government units and concerned institutions should be in place to ensure safety and organized facilitation of people and resources.
For the volunteer approach, the College of Medicine and College of Nursing hold a regular Institutional Blood Donation, Medical Missions and related projects.
For Environmental concerns, there is a collaboration of all entities including the service personnel, alumni, students, faculty and administrators.
SPIRITUAL LIFE, MORALS AND VALUES
As a Catholic institution, it is of paramount importance that San Beda should engage in the work of apostolate and evangelization. Partner communities undergo spiritual exercises which include participation in Sto. Nino Procession, Eucharistic masses and recollections presided by the Benedictine monks, the Graduate School of Liturgy and the Department of Theology.
DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT AND GIFT GIVING
The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Program is designed to render immediate services to victims of typhoons and calamities. It brings all the stakeholders of the institution (colleges, student organizations, service personnel, alumni, faculty, monks, and administrators) together to help affected individuals get basic needs. The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Program strengthens ties with our partner institutions, communities and local government units. Those recommended by the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), and the San Beda College Alumni Association are the top priorities along partner communities and institutions with existing Memorandum of Agreements (MOA) with the school. Trainings to reduce the risk of disaster are also being conducted in Bedan community and partner communities.
Gift Giving Activities are done whenever possible where various colleges and student organizations are giving their shares and tokens to the service personnel and the members of the partner communities, institutions and the less – privileged (street children and elderly). Companies and sponsors who are supportive of the projects take part in the events which are expressions of generosity and gratitude to the services rendered by these partner agents.
