PLDT and its wireless arm Smart Communications Inc. have long supported efforts that bring inclusive quality education to underserved communities. Through the pandemic-tested Central Visayan Institute Foundation - Dynamic Learning Program (CVIF-DLP), the crisis-resilient teaching pedagogy raises a learner's academic performance by giving them time to study and work independently. Together, CVIF-DLP and School-in-a-Bag (SIAB) help PLDT and Smart ensure no learner is left behind.
Driven by the same advocacy, Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) trained volunteers under its Madaris Volunteer Program (MVP) to implement the CVIF-DLP in partner madaris all over Mindanao that had earlier received a School-in-a-Bag (SIAB) package.
Madaris broadly refers to Muslim private schools with a core emphasis on Islamic studies and Arabic literacy. Many of these privately-operated institutions rely on local community support or foreign aid, particularly from Islamic or Muslim countries.
MVP is a volunteer service program implemented by ADDU to promote quality education in the poorest Bangsamoro communities as part of its efforts to advance peacebuilding through education and friendship.
Hannan Limba, an MVP Volunteer and a teacher from Sakeenah Al-Islamiya Institute, Inc. in Cotabato City shared how the program complemented her teaching strategies, "The SIAB and the CVIF-DLP have provided a dynamic and interactive learning experience for our learners, making classes more enjoyable and effective. Teachers are also able to employ a more efficient and adaptable teaching approach that promotes love for learning among our students."
The SIAB is a portable digital classroom that allows remote learning in last-mile schools with the help of mobile technology and easy-to-understand learning modules called the CVIF-DLP Learning Activity Sheets (LAS). Part of the program includes onboarding teachers to the CVIF-DLP. As demonstrated at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SIAB with the CVIF-DLP can facilitate learning even in the most challenging times.
"Technology can be a powerful ally in shaping the future of learners. As we celebrate the International Day of Education, we thank PLDT and Smart for the School-in-a-Bag and the CVIF-DLP. These transformative initiatives help make education more accessible for communities in far-flung areas," she added.
These initiatives form part of PLDT and Smart's #NoLearnerLeftBehind advocacy that promotes inclusive education for all. These also underscore PLDT and Smart's commitment to helping the country attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 on Quality Education.
