PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) are boosting with connectivity the pilot run of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Mobile E-Learning Hub in Barangay Cabancalan, Mandaue City.
“We are honored to be part of this project that perfectly aligns with our advocacy to bring inclusive quality education to hard-to-reach communities. With the combined efforts of the AFP and its partner organizations, we can surely impact more lives, especially in the marginalized sector,” said Marylou B. Gocotano, Stakeholder Management Visayas Relations Head at PLDT and Smart.
First launched by the AFP in Central Visayas, the Mobile E-Learning Hub project aims to empower communities, especially the out-of-school youth and adults in far-flung areas, through education and digital upskilling programs.
As its official telco partners, PLDT and Smart provided fast and reliable connectivity powered by PLDT Home, addressing the connectivity needs of the teachers and learners to help maximize the digital tools available in the hub.
In addition to teaching the children and the youth in Cabancalan, this initial deployment of the Mobile E-Learning Hub also seeks to enable adult residents through the various entrepreneurial and skills development content provided by its partner government agencies.
“On top of securing and protecting our constituents, we also aim to bring programs that could help uplift our communities. Through this meaningful collaboration with government agencies and private institutions, we can further provide quality education and conduct digital training that could help the people we serve become more productive individuals and help them land better job opportunities,” said Maj Joe Patrick A. Martinez PA, Group Commander of the 3rd Civil Relations Group, CRSAFP and Mobile E-Learning Hub Project Officer.
PLDT and Smart also donated a School-in-a-Bag (SIAB) package to enhance the learning experience of the Mobile E-Learning Hub’s beneficiaries, allowing them to have access to technology, connectivity, and additional learning content.
SIAB is a portable digital classroom that includes a laptop, 10 tablets, a Smart Bro LTE Pocket WiFi with load allocation, and a teacher’s guide. Each package also has digital educational materials such as contextualized Learning Activity Sheets (LAS) and 10 #LearnSmart apps that teach literacy and numeracy in the Mother Tongue.
PLDT and Smart’s effort to support like-minded organizations in elevating quality education and boosting livelihood in last-mile communities is part of their commitment to help the country achieve UNSDG No. 4: Inclusive Quality Education and UNSDG No. 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.
