PLDT and Smart Communications Inc.’s “School-in-a-Bag” (SIAB) program has benefitted around 116,000 students nationwide as the company commits to provide accessible education to all communities in the country.
The SIAB functions as a “portable digital classroom” that enables young students to engage in remote learning modes, following the MATATAG curriculum of the Department of Education (Deped).
It also includes teacher training and monitoring support for a year to ensure the full implementation of the program.
As of December 2023, the SIAB has turned over 650 packages since the program began in 2016.
The package includes a laptop and 10 tablets loaded with DepEd learning materials, mobile Wi-Fi, and storage devices.
Aside from the thousands of student beneficiaries, it has also reached nearly 7,000 teachers, especially those in geographically isolated and far-flung areas in the provinces.
“The School-in-a-Bag has empowered PLDT and Smart to collaborate with fellow education champions in ensuring that no learner is left behind. The SIAB is not a one-time act of charity but a sustainable program that brings positive impact to communities for generations to come,” said Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Management at PLDT and Smart.
PLDT and Smart have partnered with technology companies such as Huawei Philippines to provide gadgets and government agencies like the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to deliver the packages.
For instance, Huawei donated one SIAB package that was given to Batanes, and two packages delivered to Allen and Mapanas in Northern Samar.
The telco emphasized its commitment to “inclusive quality education through Information and Communications Technology, content, pedagogy, and capacity building.”
The SIAB program is regarded as a source of pride for the telco as it follows a #NoLearnerLeftBehind principle in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) No. 4 on Quality Education for all.