PLDT Inc. is batting for the digital upskilling of more Filipinos as key to the country’s digitalization goals, having pioneered initiatives aligned with this focus area of the GoDigital Pilipinas (GDP) movement.

This was reinforced by the leading integrated telco alongside other action points of GDP, an initiative recently launched by the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC). “We support GDP and the government’s initiatives in bridging the digital divide, all aimed to help ensure that no Filipino is left behind as we empower more of our countrymen through technology,” said PLDT President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio, who is a founding member of the PSAC’s Digital Infrastructure group.

GDP heeds the call of the government to address the risk of a digital divide by promoting digital literacy and building a sustainable digital ecosystem. “To hasten the country’s digital upskilling and transformation, we at PLDT remain committed to provide best-in-class connectivity infrastructure, digital services, and cloud applications that serve the needs of individuals, families, businesses and enterprises nationwide,” said Panlilio.

“GDP goes hand in hand with our thrust at PLDT of empowering our customers with knowledge, which will ultimately help them best leverage on our products and solutions,” Panlilio added.

In addition to PLDT’s network investments, Panlilio reiterated the importance of having a pipeline of professionals that would power the country’s digital pivot. “PSAC’s GDP aligns with the whole-of-society approach encapsulated in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP), with jobs creation as one of the focus areas. As we aim for a revitalized society, we need to upskill more Filipinos toward jobs of the future,” he said.

Aligned with GDP’s digital upskilling focus area, PLDT Group pioneered efforts in producing industry-ready Filipino graduates through Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) specialization in 2003. The Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP) contributes to the academic and professional journey of 27 partner colleges and universities nationwide through equipment, technical trainings, innovation platforms, immersive experiences, and extension services.

More than 15,000 teachers have also been trained on the Central Visayan Institute Foundation Dynamic Learning Program (CVIF-DLP), producing students whose competence in STEM disciplines are comparable to global standards. PLDT, Smart, and its social outreach arm PLDT-Smart Foundation have been supporting the disaster-resilient and innovative teaching strategy since 2010, along with other long-running group-wide initiatives that back United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #4: Quality Education.

Holistically supporting the digitalization initiatives of GDP, efforts to strengthen the country’s position as a promising hub for jobs-generating hyperscale investments in Asia Pacific are led by PLDT’s data center subsidiary ePLDT and corporate business arm PLDT Enterprise.

Construction is in full swing for VITRO Sta. Rosa, set to be the Philippines’ largest data center campus by far. Ongoing capacity expansion projects of premiere VITRO data centers in Makati and Paranaque will also further strengthen PLDT’s foothold as the dominant data center provider in the Philippines. PLDT’s investments in the Jupiter Cable System – the country’s fastest transpacific cable system connecting the Philippines to the US – and the upcoming Asia Direct Cable and Apricot Cable systems are expected to help meet the hyperscale industry’s future requirements for massive data capacity and high-speed connectivity.

PLDT also continues to expand the reach and capacity of its fiber infrastructure, enabling the company to offer fiber-to-the-home services across the Philippines.

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