Archbishop’s November
Appeal 2025

Supporting primary education in the Philippines

Something special is happening in the Philippines. In the Diocese of Santiago, a school is growing: St Mark’s Children’s Learning Centre. Responding to the needs of the community, and with the generous help of supporters in Australia, the school’s goal is to provide local children with a complete education, from kindergarten right up to Year 7.

St Mark’s started from humble beginnings – what began as a church converted into a classroom, with pews as the chairs, is currently catering for keen young students aged from kindergarten up to Grade 3. Teacher Mary Josephine Ngislawan describes the school’s development as “an answered prayer for the community where it stands.”

Frenzel Piluden, Bishop of the Diocese of Santiago, says that the expansion of St Mark’s has been a transformative project, filled with both challenges and blessings.

What’s Happened So Far

• After detailed consultation, the original school building was divided in half with four standard classrooms each.
• Construction began in November 2023, and to date, two classrooms and a principal’s office on the ground floor have been completed.
• On the upper floor, columns, beams and a floor slab are installed.
• The availability of a new classroom enabled St Mark’s to increase its student capacity, and a Grade 3 class began in the 2024-2025 school year.
• This year, St Mark’s was able to hire a new qualified school principal and additional teacher.

What’s Needed Next

• The school intends to complete the construction of four classrooms and start building the foundations for the next four classrooms. The completion of four standard classrooms with associated facilities will allow the school to offer a Grade 4 class, increasing the number of students served by the campus.
• St Mark’s is also establishing a Campus Endowment Fund to sustain the school for years to come. This Fund, to be supplemented by school fees, will enable the Diocese to pay its teachers at the rate required by the Government (currently the teachers are being paid below minimum wages).

With your support, we can make this dream a reality and ensure kids in the Philippines get the primary education they need.

Most of the Anglicans in this area are Igorot, the Indigenous people of the Mountain Province, but the school is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds.

As well as classrooms, the building will include toilets, a laboratory and a library. It will also be accessible to children and adults with disabilities.

The St Mark’s teachers and parents are excited about the new school facilities and express their gratitude to ABM supporters for making their dream a reality.

Parents and teachers say that expanding St Mark’s also keeps children safer, as they no longer need to cross a major highway to go to school outside of the community. St Mark’s is within walking distance, which also means parents save money on public transport fares.

Thank you for your generous support of this appeal. Together, we can ensure that generations of Filipino children are educated at St Mark’s Children’s Learning Centre.