TSL Foundation donates over 4K laptop bags to PSS

With the opening of new school year just around the corner, the Tan Siu Lin Foundation has stepped forward to assist the Public School System in its online classes.

The TSL Foundation, the charitable arm of TanHoldings, has donated 4,887 laptop bags worth $122,175 to PSS, which will be implementing remote learning across the CNMI starting Sept. 8 in response to the CNMI government’s safety directives against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What a perfect time to receive this generous donation from the Tan Siu Lin Foundation. Just recently, PSS has acquired laptops that will be distributed to students to help conduct our online classes this school year and these bags will be very useful for the safekeeping of their computers and other educational materials,” Education Commissioner Dr. Alfred Ada said.

Ada received the laptop bags from TSL Foundation executive director Merlie Tolentino during the donation turnover ceremony at the TanHoldings Corporate Affairs’ office in Garapan last Monday. PSS director of Instructional Technology Dr. Bobby Cruz and the district’s other department heads were also present at the event.

Cruz thanked the foundation for never letting PSS down, saying its generosity plays a big role in fulfilling the district’s commitment to serve the students and community well.

Tan Siu Lin Foundation executive director Merlie Tolentino, fourth from right, presents the donated laptop bags to the Public School System, which is represented by Education Commissioner Dr. Alfred Ada, center, PSS director of instructional technology Dr. Bobby Cruz, seventh from left, and the district’s other department heads during the turnover ceremony last Monday at TanHoldings Corporate Affairs’ conference room in Garapan. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The TSL Foundation, which gave away over 3,473 Dell brand laptop bags worth $87,000 to students and teachers in both public and public schools and the Northern Marianas College last year, made this second donation to PSS after Kagman High School acting principal Ben Jones Jr. reached out to the group. In approaching the TSL Foundation, Jones took note of the economic challenges the pandemic has brought to the community and getting free laptop bags and protecting the computers from wear and tear would save students and their families money that they could use for other necessities.

“At this time of the pandemic, any amount we could save and use for our everyday needs is important. This bag could easily cost one between $20 and $30, so imagine if one family has three students. Also, with students now having to use their laptops at home every day, you could expect maintenance problems, but having an appropriate storage could help them take care of their computers,” Jones said.

Tolentino acknowledged the PSS leadership for taking initiatives to ensure that students will be able continue their education under a unique, but safer setting at this time. She assured that the TSL Foundation will continue to work with PSS and private schools in the CNMI to find ways to help students.

“Education is one of the top priorities of the Tan Siu Lin Foundation. We can’t allow the many challenges we are experiencing right now to discourage us from educating our children and helping them achieve their goals,” Tolentino said. (PR)