ANOTHER institution has folded up because of the Covid19 pandemic – the Saint Brother Jaime Hilario Institute.

SBJHI is a training center of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. It provides skills training for persons with disabilities to prepare them for employment.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce that SBJHI will permanently close it operations on September 1, 2022,” DLS-CSB President Br. Edmundo Fernandez and Chancellor Benhur Ong said in a joint statement.

“The Institute received financial support from the Christian Blind Mission, however, such assistance was gradually reduced and eventually ceased because of the pandemic,” they added.

While there were efforts to find potential sources of financial support, they said the expense to maintain the operation of the institute has become “increasingly difficult” for the College to absorb.

The affected SBJHI personnel will be transferred to other offices in the school.

“Every effort to find them comparable work within the College has been made through the People Organization Development Office. Our sincerest gratitude and appreciation to the SBJHI Team for the excellent work that they have done for the College and for the PWD community,” Fernandez and Ong said.