MANILA, PHILIPPINES — In support of the 2021 Brigada Eskwela Program of the Department of Education (DepEd), PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) recently turned over pocket WiFi devices and load cards to various schools across the country, providing reliable connectivity to teachers and school administrators as they usher at the beginning of another school year.
PSF’s donation of 104 Smart LTE pocket WiFi devices and P312,000-worth of load cards were allocated to 26 schools in Metro Manila and other regions of the Philippines. These include the Nagpayong High School, Rogelio Gatchalian Elementary School, F. Torres High School, Lagro High School, Quirino High School, Caybiga High School, Lucrecia R. Kasilag Senior High School, Sta. Maria Magdalena Elementary School, Taywanak National High School, and Bagong Sirang Elementary School, among others.
“With the PLDT Group’s core value of malasakit, we are always glad to support teachers, especially in their connectivity requirements in these pandemic times,” said PSF President Ma. Esther O. Santos. “We commend our determined teachers who, despite the challenges, relentlessly continue to provide quality education to their students–our country’s future leaders,” she observed.
The Smart Pocket WiFi and load cards will enable teachers to connect to the internet, making it possible for them to work online where they can safely deliver lessons, attend seminars and conferences, and submit requirements, as well as download the centralized self-learning modules for their classes.
An annual event that has always been supported by the PLDT Group, this year’s Brigada Eskwela will focus on the preparations and partnership activities that will support the implementation of the Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) including the multiple learning delivery modalities.
Brigada Eskwela focal person for Quirino High School Melalaine B. Austria expressed her school’s gratitude to PSF Chairman Manuel V Pangilinan: “We, in Quirino High School (QHS) are very thankful for the donations. The WiFi and data connections you’ve shared with us have reached our students and helped make the teaching and learning process possible. The students, school administrators, and QHS faculty are all praying for your good health and well-being so you could reach more people and help more individuals achieve their goals.”
Earlier, PLDT supported the Brigada Eskwela by providing refurbished personal computers to various public schools across the country to allow teachers to attend webinars and communicate online with their students and parents. PLDT has also donated printers and reams of bond paper to some DepEd schools to support teachers and students as they carry out their blended mode of teaching and learning.
To ensure that there is #NoLearnerLeftBehind, PLDT and Smart enable learning communities through technology. This is also part of their commitment to helping the country achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #4: Inclusive Quality Education.
