MANILA, PHILIPPINES — As part of its efforts in ushering Filipino cooperatives into the digital economy, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has recently conducted an interactive digital literacy training for coop members and officers nationwide to equip them with basic knowledge on digital tools for the enhancement of their livelihood.
Held in time for National Cooperative Month, the online training dubbed ‘Smart Coops: E-Asenso ang Kabuhayan‘ featured topics on the use of smartphones, browsing the internet, cybersecurity, social media marketing, and e-commerce, including digital payments.
Seventy-four coops from 36 provinces participated in the livestreamed event, composed mainly of farmers, drivers and operators, teachers, product vendors, small business owners, and other workers. In collaboration with the partner coops of Smart, TNT, and Aboitiz Foundation and with the support of the Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) and the Local Government of Cabuyao, Laguna, the training is part of Smart’s digitalization program, Smart Coops.
“Filipino cooperatives fuel economic growth, and they are important players in the development of the Philippines. With Smart Coops, we will help them recover from this pandemic through a suite of digital solutions that will enable them to better connect with customers, attract more buyers, and earn more revenue,” said Melvin Nubla, Smart Department Head and Vice President for Go-To-Market and Subscriber Management.
Weeks before the online training event, the coops were introduced to ‘Mang Jose’, a virtual character who served as their guide in navigating the digital space. Mang Jose answered their queries via Messenger and provided step-by-step instructions on how to take screenshots, share photos on social media, and tag friends on their timeline.
The learning modules were divided into five categories – Smartphone 101, Accessing the Internet, Internet Safety, Online Transactions, and Social Media Marketing. In each of these segments, short and easy-to-understand videos by Tito Manny, followed by interactive games and prizes like Smart Prepaid load cards, Smart Bro Pocket WiFi kits, and Samsung A03s smartphones, were in store for the participating coop members and officers, guaranteeing them a day of fun and lighthearted learning.
“During the Online Transactions component, I found Paymaya’s Smart Padala feature helpful for my coop because it allows us to send money and complete financial transactions with just a few taps,” said 24-year-old Imee Lubante of Barangay Alapang Multi-purpose Cooperative from La Trinidad, Benguet, who expressed her newfound interest for PayMaya’s widely used consumer e-wallet application.
Apart from learning about the different parts of a smartphone and how to sell items on Facebook Marketplace, Edrian Gladstone, a 39-year-old member of the Laoac Siga Talaga Marketing Cooperative based in Pangasinan, shared how Smart Coops has taught him to become a responsible Internet user. “There are many benefits to modern technology, but we must use it the right way. If we are disciplined in how we conduct ourselves online, we can become an asset to the cooperative we belong to,” he said.
Smart empowers cooperatives to ‘Live Smarter for a Better World’ by fostering sustainable actions through technology, underscoring its commitment to fulfill the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, particularly Goal 1 – No Poverty and Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth.
