PLDT and Smart bring hope to last-mile schools through the School-in-a-Bag (SIAB) program. Together with Zone V Camera Club and the Philippine Business for Social Progress, the PLDT Group recently deployed one SIAB package to Paglitaw Elementary School in Antipolo City, Rizal.

“We recognize the power of education in transforming lives,” said Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Engagement at PLDT and Smart. “The ‘School-in-a-Bag’ is packed with tech-enabled learning tools designed to augment current teaching strategies and improve the classroom experience for both students and teachers.”

The School-in-a-Bag functions as a portable digital classroom. Each package includes a laptop for the teacher, 10 tablets pre-loaded with Department of Education (DepEd) curriculum-based learning materials and interactive educational applications, a Smart Bro LTE Pocket Wi-Fi device, and expandable storage.

“Zone V Camera Club believes that every child, wherever he or she may be, has the right to learn,” said Tony Rivera, President of Zone V Camera Club. “We partnered with PLDT and Smart to expand learning opportunities for students in hard-to-reach areas by making classes more exciting through the School-in-a-Bag.”

Nestled in the mountainous part of Barangay Calawis, the last-mile school serves around 45 students, most of whom belong to the Dumagat community. Four teachers handle all classes from Grades 1 to 6. On a good day, they walk at least an hour from Sitio Apia, their drop-off point, to reach the school. For practical reasons, they stay in the upland community during the school week.

“We’re lucky if we can keep the students enrolled long enough to finish grade school,” said Arjen Macabutas, Principal of Paglitaw Elementary School. “With the gadgets that come with the School-in-a-Bag, we’re confident that our students will be motivated to attend school every day.”

Challenges like the ones being experienced at Paglitaw Elementary School continue to drive the PLDT Group’s rollout of the School-in-a-Bag program, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

By the end of 2025, PLDT and Smart had deployed more than 670 SIAB packages nationwide, reaching over 100,000 students. In nearly a decade, the PLDT Group has worked with more than 100 partners and 45 donors to bring digital learning tools to critical areas, helping ensure that no learner is left behind.

As long-time partners of the Department of Education, PLDT and Smart align the program with the agency’s Revised K to 10 curriculum. The initiative also supports the companies’ efforts to advance the United Nation Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Quality Education.