MSC Foundation, UNICEF Launch Education Program in Philippines

A floating school in the Philippines with a teacher and pupils on deck
Corporate News Cruise Industry Asia
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The MSC Foundation and UNICEF have unveiled the next chapter of their 16-year partnership — a collaboration that has already raised $17 million — with a new initiative focused on supporting children in the Philippines.

The new project, called the “Learning Bridge,” aims to strengthen education for 400,000 children over the next three years.

According to MSC, the initiative targets the severe learning crisis in Mindanao, the Philippines’ second-largest island, which has some of the nation’s lowest school enrollment and literacy levels.

The program will introduce updated teaching methods to boost learning outcomes for large groups of students and will also include a floating school designed to ensure classes continue even in areas prone to flooding.

Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Group’s cruise division and chair of the MSC Foundation executive committee, said: “Our relationship with UNICEF began more than 16 years ago and formed the cornerstone of the MSC Foundation when it was founded in 2018.”

“Together, we have shown how innovation rooted in a shared purpose can help to transform children’s lives. This new program in the Philippines is especially meaningful to us because many MSC employees and crew members who inspire our mission come from this country, reflecting both our partnership with UNICEF and our support for the communities that our people call home,” Vago added.

UNICEF deputy executive director Kitty Van der Heijden said: “Education is crucial for children to break intergenerational cycles of inequality and poverty and build brighter futures.”

“We are grateful for the MSC Foundation’s renewed support that will enable us, together with the government and local communities, to deliver innovative and scalable solutions to improve vulnerable children’s access to quality education, including those on the frontline of the climate crisis,” she added.

According to the announcement, the project focuses on:

• Strengthening disaster preparedness at the community level
• Investing in digital learning
• Providing essential regional expertise and resources

A climate-resilient floating school will be introduced in the Caraga region to ensure uninterrupted learning in flood-prone areas. The structure is intended to serve as a model for climate-ready education infrastructure.