The author (center) looks forward to the time KCFI can meet and get to know more Filipino children face to faceWe recently said goodbye to another challenging, yet I must say, hopeful year that is 2021. This was the year where we looked forward for the pandemic to finally end. The year where we aspired to go back to our normal lives. Be able to do whatever picture “hope” paints in our minds. But life often gives us what we don’t expect, and we still ended 2021 with masks on our faces and community quarantine protocols in place.

Still, the Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. (KCFI) strived hard to make our collective hopes for our country happen, proving it with all the events and victories KCFI celebrated and shared together.

For content, KCFI developed more than a hundred new video lessons, produced weekly livestreams on Facebook and Kumu, and expanded our multimedia library on its website and YouTube channel. We’ve partnered with more digital content creators and private organizations to acquire additional video lessons for teachers, parents and kids to learn from.

In 10 million homes in 2021

Offline, we provided more than 842 portable media libraries, 24 Knowledge TVs and 37 flash drives to various divisions and schools around the Philippines. The cease-and-desist orders against ABS-CBN and SKYdirect drastically declined Knowledge Channel’s reach from nine million to only 1.8 million in June 2020. Through the foundation’s partnerships with local cable operators and channel service providers, we were in five million homes by the end of 2020. In 2021, we’re back up to not only nine million—its original number—but 10 million homes! The KCFI team continues to be in the service of the Filipino children.

We continued to train teachers, principals and parents through its technical training, KC TINN, and ECD [early childhood development] program. In 2021 alone, we trained more than 8,000 teachers, principals and other early childhood care providers in more than 1,062 schools and child development centers across the country. That means thousands and thousands of kids will benefit from the improved care and teaching strategies of their guardians and teachers.

KCFI attended several events, shared its stance on the importance of addressing early childhood development and the Philippine learning crisis, and encouraged stakeholders to collaborate. We also brought 2,000 learning kits to schools affected by typhoon Ulysses, brought books and tablets to kids, all with the help of partners and generous individuals.

Great effort from volunteers, interns

We thank KCFI volunteers and interns who exerted great effort to accomplish their various tasks, and those who guided and mentored them to ensure that they deliver their best.

KCFI was recognized as a valuable partner by DepEd, received the Outstanding Industry Partner Award from iAcademy, Best TV Show of the Year for Education for “MathDali” from Gawad JUAN 2021, Outstanding CSR Project in Education for our “School at Home” program from the League of Corporate Foundations, Special Citation for the Children and Youth Program category for “Wikaharian” from the 43rd Catholic Mass Media Awards, and the recognition I received as one of Forbes Asia’s 2021 Heroes of Philanthropy.

We wish to bring the same hope that fueled us in 2021 into 2022 and the years to come. We look forward to the day when all children can safely learn and socialize at school; for 0- 4-year-old kids to have better nutrition, health, social protection and the brain stimulation they need to grow into highly productive Filipino citizens; for the Philippines to beat the learning crisis. We look forward to the time when this pandemic is over and we won’t need to wear masks and stay physically distanced anymore. We pray that our country will experience the service of a transparent, accountable and competent government.

May 2022 bring you all love, light and many happy miracles for you and your families.

Support the distance learning of our Filipino children! Donate to Knowledge Channel Foundation so we can continue to provide free access to over 1,500 video lessons to teachers, parents and learners. BPI Acct. No.: 0201-0409-14. For documentary purposes, email us a copy of your deposit slip at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . (Story/Photos by: Rina Lopez)