More learning communities in Mindanao have received Learn Smart Kits (LSK) from PLDT and its wireless arm, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart). Partnering with local government units, schools and like-minded organizations, the telcos have helped provide Filipino learners, especially in hard-to-reach areas, with high-quality and accessible education, through technology. 

“Supporting the education sector has long been a key priority area for PLDT and Smart, particularly in the use of technology and innovation to provide access to inclusive, quality learning,” said Stephanie Orlino, head of Stakeholder Management at PLDT and Smart. 

In the past two years, 255 LSKs have aided 35 schools all over Mindanao, including Dansolihon Elementary School, Casildo Nonol Elementary School, and Bayanga National High School. The kits have also helped sustain the advocacies of school organizations like the ABAKADA Balik Eskwela Project of Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) SAMAHAN, ADDU's Madaris Volunteer Program, and the HELP project of Mapua Malayan Colleges. 

"The internet plays a crucial role in education, and these programs can encourage students who lack access to technology, to achieve more in their studies. We thank PLDT and Smart for helping us create a better educational environment for our students," shared Renan Andalan of Batutuling Integrated School in Sarangani, an ABAKADA beneficiary. 

Each LSK mini-bag contains a Smart Bro LTE Pocket WiFi device and a 32GB USB flash drive pre-loaded with educational content such as the pandemic-tested Central Visayan Institute Foundation - Dynamic Learning Program Learning Activity Sheets and Maging Laging Handa videos, among others. 

For beneficiaries, the LSK is a gift that keeps on giving- even for generations to come. Powered by crisis-resilient learning tools, impactful digital innovations, and Smart’s superior wireless network, the LSKs help ensure that no learner is left behind.

“The LSKs have improved the classroom setting - the learners are more participative because of the interactive videos, and with the stable internet from the Smart Bro pocket WiFi, we can stay connected every day," said Crissan Zapatos, Brigada Eskwela Coordinator at Remedios N. Saplala Elementary School in Digos City. 

PLDT and Smart continue to collaborate with partners nationwide to promote inclusive quality education, developing education programs that help build a Matatag nation. These initiatives align with the Group's efforts to help achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), especially SDG No. 4: Quality Education, with a strong emphasis on digital literacy.