When innovator Elon Musk established the experimental Ad Astra School, it grew out of a conviction that traditional classrooms were failing to prepare young minds for a future defined by artificial intelligence, rapid innovation, and technological fluency.
Half a world away, in the quiet hills of Cavite, a different educational revolution—less publicized but no less ambitious—has been unfolding for decades.
Here, the students are not children of Silicon Valley executives. They are girls who grew up in the deepest poverty. And yet the mission is equally bold: to prepare them for the future.
On March 14, 2026, the Sisters of Mary School–Girlstown dedicated the Felicidad Sy Hall Digital Transformation Center, a four-story building where young women will learn programming, cybersecurity, and the fundamentals of artificial intelligence. For these students, technology is not simply a subject—it is a bridge to a life they could only imagine before.
Ribbon cut, building blessed, sponsors honored—the Sisters of Mary continue shaping futures at GirlsTown, fulfilling Fr. Al’s vision.
The day began with a Thanksgiving Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles Brown, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines. His homily reflected on how knowledge, when guided by faith and compassion, becomes more than progress—it restores dignity, lifts communities, and transforms lives.
Nearby, the Virgin of the Poor Chapel, where the beloved American missionary Aloysius Schwartz, known to generations simply as Fr. Al, now rests, stood as a quiet sentinel. Here, the mission that began decades ago continues to grow.
It was in 1985 that businessman Carlos Rufino first met Fr. Al. The priest had devoted his life to building schools for the “poorest of the poor,” earning the nickname “the priest and beggar” for his tireless fundraising worldwide.
Fr. Aloysius Schwartz, Fr. Al, had devoted his life to building schools for the ‘poorest of the poor,’ earning the nickname ‘the priest and beggar’ for his tireless fundraising worldwide
“My life changed the day I met Fr. Al,” Rufino recalls. “He showed me that when you invest in the poorest children, you transform not just one life—but entire families and communities.”
Decades later, that vision lives on in the Sisters of Mary, a congregation of women whose dedication goes far beyond teaching. They care for the students’ health, provide spiritual guidance, and foster the discipline and courage needed to pursue a future many could only dream of.
Hundreds of Sister of Mary students, nuns, and sponsors gathered in the gym for a Thanksgiving Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles Brown, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.
This high-tech haven was fueled by an unlikely intersection: horsepower and hope. Charlie Rufino has long leveraged his passion for the road through “Sports Cars for a Cause” (SCFC). Now in its seventh year, SCFC—spearheaded by the Sisters of Mary School, NEO, BGC, the BGC Car Club, and Threadborne Group, with support from CCI France Philippines—has turned a love for performance vehicles into a sustainable funding engine for the school’s digital expansion.
The center’s completion was a family-led crusade. Debbie Sy, executive director of the SM Foundation, who led the turnover of the four-story facility, framed the project as a continuation of the SM Group’s foundational values: “The building embodies the belief of Nanang Felicidad Sy, that every young woman deserves the chance to dream, to learn, and shape her own future.”
Ambassador Cesar Wee and the W Group strengthened accessibility with a donated elevator. The Schneider Electric Foundation supported specialized technical floors designed to meet global industrial standards, while Monocrete handled the technical construction and structural framework.
Inside, classrooms honor the generosity of key benefactors: Rufino Hall recognizes the family whose decades of support have sustained the Sisters of Mary mission, while the Calvin Ayre Foundation Hall on the third floor houses a Learning Resource Center and dedicated spaces for cybersecurity and programming. The foundation describes the partnership as part of its mission to empower young people through education and innovation—equipping students to thrive in the global digital economy.
As Sr. Maria Cho, Sisters of Mary Vicar General, welcomed guests, the message was clear: The nearly 90,000 alumni who have passed through these halls—now working as doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, chefs, and corporate executives—are the true stories of the Sisters of Mary. Their individual success stories, if compiled, would fill a library; they are the living evidence that the “poorest of the poor” are no longer just seeking a way out—they are shaping the world.
The message was clear: The nearly 90,000 alumni who have passed through these halls—now working as doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, chefs, and corporate executives—are the true stories of the Sisters of Mary
Overseeing this mission is Sr. Maureen Antido, GirlsTown school superior and a 1998 SOM graduate. With experience spanning SOM schools in Latin America, South Korea, and Tanzania, Sr. Maureen brings a global perspective to a campus that provides 100 percent free, full-boarding education to thousands of students.
The school’s success relies on a rigorous, evolving pedagogy. As GirlsTown Principal Sr. Mylene Arambulo, herself an alumna, explains, “In 2005, we restructured the academic calendar so students could dedicate their final year to post secondary education. With the K-12 system in 2012, our post-secondary training extended to 10 months. It is a purposeful immersion.”
Today, that intensity is applied to the digital frontier. In the new Felicidad Sy Hall, students begin digital literacy in Grade 7, moving from basic logic to Python, cybersecurity, and AI prompt engineering—skills at a level rivaling college graduates.
Working closely with Charlie Rufino has been his sister, Marixi Prieto Rufino. The siblings help ensure graduates find their place in the world beyond the campus gates. Through networks of companies, institutions, and private supporters, thousands of young women from GirlsTown—and young men from BoysTown—begin their professional lives, often becoming the first in their families to hold stable jobs.
As the ceremonies ended and guests drifted into the Silang afternoon, the campus settled into its gentle rhythm. Yet inside the Felicidad Sy Hall, a new chapter had begun. Here, the mission of Fr. Al, the dedication of the Sisters of Mary, and the generosity of countless supporters converge, shaping futures —one student, one lesson, one digital breakthrough at a time.
