Further promoting digital inclusion nationwide, PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) enable Filipino entrepreneurs with disabilities towards productivity through digital technology.
“Technology can be a great equalizer. It improves the lives of persons in unique circumstances. Through IDEATe, we help persons with disabilities (PWDs) develop skills that will help them accomplish essential tasks independently and offer alternative, tech-enabled ways of doing business," said Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Management Team at PLDT and Smart.
Under the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Advocacy through Technology or IDEATe program, PLDT and Smart have also strengthened partnerships with local governments, private sector, and non-profit organizations, such as ATRIEV or Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired, to further advance their digital inclusion advocacy.
“Our mission is to achieve a fully inclusive society for people with disabilities. We were fortunate enough to be given a dynamic partner, PLDT and Smart, who supported our Digital Business Basics Training (DBBT) and provided connectivity, smart devices, and technical know-how. Through our partnership, we were able to reach and train the most vulnerable, underserved sectors, including geographically-isolated and disadvantaged areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,” said Antonio D. Llanes, Jr., ATRIEV Executive Director.
DBBT has provided graduates a chance to start their own businesses online using available digital tools.
“I learned a lot about using available digital tools for my business from DBBT. This encouraged me to become a trainer, so I can share my knowledge and skills with other PWDs, especially with those who do not know where and how to start. As a way of paying it forward, we do not just educate other PWDs on available digital tools, but we also aim to empower them into adapting to technology through DBBT,” said xx-year-old Veronica Tabrilla, one of the DBBT graduates.
“We are grateful for the assistance PLDT and Smart have extended to PWDs through ATRIEV. Sometimes PWDs just need the right opportunities from the right partners. PLDT and Smart's support to DBBT has led PWDs to discover new ways of earning through available digital tools,” Veronica added.
PLDT and Smart’s IDEATe programs also contribute to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which include Goal #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and Goal #10: Reduced Inequalities by empowering and promoting the social, economic and political inclusion of all, including persons with disabilities.
