MC Home Depot Supports FPTI-ERDA Thor Premiere

Fr. Pierre T. Tritz S.J.

In 1950 a French Jesuit Priest named Fr. Pierre T. Tritz came to the Philippines to help uplift the rights and dignity of the underprivileged. In 1965, troubled by the results of a drop-out study done by the Bureau of Public Schools, Fr. Tritz gave up his naturalized Filipino, and rededicated his life to helping poor but deserving Filipino people have access to education.

Almost a decade later, Fr. Tritz formed the Educational Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit organization that works with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Education and other government agencies in promoting the total development – physical, social and economic aspects – of poor children.

The ERDA Foundation’s first project “Operation: Balik Paaralan” (Operation: Back to School) benefited only 6 students. But thanks to funding from local and foreign donors, individual and corporate entities, private, government and non-government organizations, the ERDA Foundation has since seen to the educational welfare and development of over 800,000 students in a span of over 40 years.

In 1994, ERDA expanded its scope to include older children aged 13 and above, and so formed the ERDA Technical and Vocational Secondary School (ERDA Tech). ERDA Tech was established in a depressed area in Pandacan and provided a unique 5-year private technical-vocational high-school program where graduates not only earn a high-school degree, but a vocational skill that could lead to employment upon graduation.

FPTI-ERDA Tech Students

The Xavier School Community joined ERDA Tech in 2009 providing it with essential support and guidance that resulted for vast improvements in ERDA Tech. In 2013, the Department of Education ranked ERDA Tech as the 9^th best private secondary school in Manila (It was ranked 36^th in 2008) based upon the National Achievement Test (NAT). ERDA Tech graduating students have also continued to perform impressively in the National Certification Exam conducted by TESDA for vocational school graduates.

Sadly Fr. Pierre T. Tritz passed away in 2016, and the Board of Trustees of ERDA renamed Erda Tech in honor of its founder: “The Fr. Pierre Tritz Institute – ERDA Tech” (FPTI-ERDA Tech).

FPTI-ERDA Tech Student

Xavier school continues to assist FPTI-ERDA Tech as it made the transition to K-to-12. Today FPTI-ERDA Tech focuses on providing a senior-high school-vocational program that grants both a high-school diploma and a TESDA Certification.

MC Home Depot is proud to be able to be able to contribute to an institution dedicated to helping provide quality education to the socially disadvantaged. Like FPTI-ERDA Tech, MC Home Depot is a company that believes in the dignity and uniqueness of its employees, customers and suppliers and supports the FPTI-ERDA Tech’s creation of a culture of justice, solidarity and interdependence within a society.

Thor: Ragnarok is the 3rd film of the highly successful Marvel franchise and stars Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hiddleston, Tessa Thompson and Mark Ruffalo. This action-adventure film is presented by the Xavier School G11 Families (Batch 2019) for the benefit of the FPTI-ERDA Tech school, and sponsored by MC Home Depot.  

*Photos courtesy of Xavier School's website &
The Fr. Pierre Tritz Institute-Erda Tech Facebook Page