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| In photo, L-R: PLDT and Smart Assistant Vice President and Group Head of Stakeholder Management Stephanie Orlino; Huawei Philippines Senior Public Affairs Manager Karrie Buenafe; Hon. Mayor Ronn Michael Tejano of Mapanas, Northern Samar; PLDT-Smart Foundation President Esther Santos (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/PLDT Inc.) |
PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) continue to bring inclusive quality education to last-mile communities in the Philippines. The PLDT Group’s School-In-A-Bag (SIAB) are reaching the country’s far-flung provinces, boosting the government’s efforts to improve learning outcomes of Filipino students. “The School-In-A-Bag has empowered PLDT and Smart to collaborate with fellow education champions in ensuring that no learner is left behind. The SIAB is not a one-time act of charity but a sustainable program that brings positive impact to communities for generations to come,” said PLDT and Smart Assistant Vice President and Head of Stakeholder Management Stephanie V. Orlino.
Huawei Philippines collaborated with PLDT and Smart to donate one SIAB package to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) that the agency has deployed to Batanes, the Philippines’ northernmost province. The tech company also worked with the PLDT Group to deploy two SIAB packages in Allen and Mapanas, both fifth class municipalities, in the province of Northern Samar. “We support programs that innovate how our students learn in schools and communities. The School-In-A-Bag helps us amplify our efforts in bringing meaningful change to the country’s future nation builders,” said Huawei Philippines Vice President for Public Affairs William Hu. Together with partners, PLDT and Smart have deployed more than 650 SIAB packages all over the Philippines since the program was launched in 2016. So far, SIAB has reached more than 116,000 students and almost 7,000 teachers nationwide.
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| Hon. Mayor Ronn Michael Tejano of Mapanas, Southern Leyte personally received his own School-In-A-Bag donated by Huawei Philippines (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/PLDT Inc.) |
The portable digital classroom allows remote learning in last-mile schools and complements the Department of Education (DepEd)’s ‘MATATAG’ curriculum. Each package contains a laptop and 10 tablets pre-loaded with DepEd curriculum-based learning materials, mobile WiFi, and expandable storage devices. The initiative also includes teacher training and year-long monitoring support for better implementation. The DepEd has recognized PLDT and Smart as long-standing partners in improving the quality of education in the Philippines. Across the country, PLDT and Smart have helped learners and educators transition to the new normal of education whether schools opt for full on-site learning or hybrid mode where students alternate between face-to-face classes and distance learning through education programs powered by digital innovations.
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| Every School-In-A-Bag package comprises of a laptop and 10 tablets pre-loaded with DepEd curriculum-based learning materials, mobile WiFi, and expandable storage devices. (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/PLDT Inc.) |
The School-In-A-Bag highlights PLDT, Smart and PLDT-Smart Foundation (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 United Nations Sustainability Development Goal (UNSDG) #4: Quality Education.
