MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Following its successful launch in Pasig City, PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is expanding the Barangay Grassroots Esports League (BGEL) to tap fresh talent in the cities of Manila and Tuguegarao. Together with Omega Academy, BGEL enables local government units (LGUs), particularly youth organizations within LGUs to connect with their constituents through esports.
“We are grateful for the support of the leadership of Tuguegarao and Manila City for our push to help our youth pursue their passions and find their purpose in esports. BGEL is our way to help communities empower the youth with competitive activities during the pandemic, and at the same time, discover homegrown talents who can maybe one day, represent the country in global competitions,” said Jude Turcuato, First Vice President and Head of Sports at PLDT and Smart.
Tuguegarao just wrapped up its two-day competition, while over 5,000 budding esports players from six (6) districts are expected to join the Manila City-wide Mobile Legends tournament in February 2022.
BGEL is supported by youth development councils, with the guidance of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Esports Organization (PESO). Omega Academy, on the other hand. is the developmental department of Smart Omega which aims to find and develop young talents in the Filipino esports industry. Smart Omega is the Smart-supported professional esports team that competes in The Nationals, the top esports league in the Philippines.
Omega Academy also pushes for a healthy balance between physical and online activities for the holistic development of potential esports athletes. Smart Omega has also been joining programs such as Better Today, the mental health advocacy program of PLDT and Smart, to help promote mental health across all generations.
PH biggest esports supporter
Smart has proven its strong commitment and support to the Philippine esports community by partnering with game creators and esports tournament organizers here and abroad, delighting subscribers with exclusive offers, and actively playing a role in PESO, the official National Sports Association that governs and develops esports for the over 43 million gamers in the country.
Smart also provides Filipino gamers with the best mobile gaming experience on 5G devices with its continuous network improvement. With around 6,400 5G base stations nationwide, Smart operates the country’s widest 5G network in the Philippines. It has also been named as the fastest* and most reliable 5G Mobile Network by Ookla**. This mobile network is supported by PLDT’s fiber infrastructure, the country’s most extensive at about 615,000 kilometers nationwide as of end-September.
Interested customers can enjoy Smart’s fastest network by making the Smart move via the GigaLife App or book a virtual store booking for MNP at http://smrt.ph/bookanapp. To know more, visit smart.com.ph/switch.
