Fifty-eight percent of enrolled Filipinos between five and 20 years old use devices as distance learning tools during the pandemic, according to the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results released on Monday, March 1.
The survey conducted on Nov. 21-25, 2020 among 1,500 respondents showed that the devices were either already owned (27 percent), bought (12 percent), borrowed (10 percent), given (9 percent), or rented (0.3 percent).
Meanwhile, 42 percent said they do not use devices for distance learning.
Among the 13 percent of enrolled school-age Filipinos who bought or rented devices for distance learning, 79 percent got a smartphone, 13 percent got a desktop/laptop, five percent got a television, and three percent got a tablet.
Meanwhile, among the 12 percent of students whose families bought devices for distance learning, an average of P8,687 was spent. The median amount is P6,800.
SWS found that the use of devices for distance learning was highest in Metro Manila at 96 percent.
In other areas, the use of devices for distance learning was 64 percent in Balance Luzon, 43 percent in Visayas, and 41 percent in Mindanao.
Moreover, the percentage of those who use already owned devices was higher in Metro Manila and Balance Luzon (36 percent and 30 percent) than in the Visayas and Mindanao (20 percent and 23 percent).
Only four percent in Metro Manila said they do not use devices for distance learning, much lower compared to more than half in the Visayas (56 percent) and Mindanao (58 percent), and more than a third in Balance Luzon (36 percent).
SWS said the use of devices is more common among students in urban areas (67 percent than among students in rural areas (49 percent),
Meanwhile, more students in rural areas do not use devices (51 percent) than in urban areas (33 percent).
By area, buying or renting a smartphone is most common in Balance Luzon (86 percent), although large percentages did the same in Mindanao (77 percent), the Visayas (76 percent), and Metro Manila (60 percent).
Meanwhile, buying a desktop/laptop is higher in Metro Manila (34 percent), compared to the Visayas (17 percent), Mindanao (10 percent), and Balance Luzon (seven percent).
By type of locale, more students acquired a smartphone in rural areas (86 percent) compared to in urban areas (74 percent), while more in urban areas bought desktops/laptops (19 percent) compared to in rural areas (five percent).