PLDT and its wireless unit Smart, PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) and Huawei Philippines (Huawei) bring inclusive quality education in hard-to-reach areas in Mapanas, Northern Samar through the PLDT and Smart School-in-a-Bag. Mapanas is a 5th class municipality in the coastal area of the province, where poverty, physical isolation, and transportation difficulties are typical.
“PSF remains fully committed to extending quality education nationwide, especially in hard-to-reach areas. We aim to supplement the existing education system of Mapanas through inclusive and sustainable digital tools included in each SIAB,” said Esther Santos, President of PSF.
A portable digital classroom that allows remote learning in last-mile schools, the PLDT and Smart School-in-a-Bag complements the Department of Education’s ‘MATATAG’ curriculum.
“We acknowledge that last-mile schools still have limited access to technology and connectivity. In the last 20 years, PLDT and Smart have been implementing education programs to help address this existing digital divide and to eventually spark joy in learning among Filipino students,” said Stephanie Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Management Team at PLDT and Smart.
Each School-in-a-Bag contains a laptop and 10 tablets pre-loaded with DepEd curriculum-based learning materials, mobile Wi-Fi, and expandable storage devices. It is also inclusive of teacher training and year-long monitoring support.
“One of the advocacies of Huawei under Tech for All is education, specifically its digital component, because we believe it to be life changing and formative. We want today’s youth to become digitally empowered,” said Karrie Buenafe, Senior Manager of Public Affairs at Huawei Philippines.
“We all know that technology is a force that you cannot disregard, and it is already a part of our lives. Because of certain challenges, our municipality can hardly keep up. We thank PSF, PLDT, and Smart, and Huawei for giving us an opportunity to elevate the quality of education in our hometown. Letting our learners experience such technology from School-in-a-Bag can help them reach their full potential, which can go a long way,” said Mapanas Mayor Ronn Michael Tejano.
The School-in-a-Bag highlights PLDT, Smart and PSF’s commitment to inclusive quality education through Information and Communications Technology, content, pedagogy, and capacity building to ensure that there is #NoLearnerLeftBehind. This initiative is also aligned with the UNSDG #4: Quality Education.
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