Present during the turnover of the connectivity donation to the YMCA are, from left: Smart Communications, Inc. Junior Manager Mary Jane Francisco, PLDT-Smart Foundation Program Manager Donna Hernandez, PLDT-Smart Foundation President Esther O. Santos, YMCA Makati President Tomas C. Banguis Jr. and YMCA Executive Director Magda Gana.
PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF), together with Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), recently turned over 50 sets of Smart LTE Pocket WiFi with P150,000 worth of load cards for the students and youth beneficiaries of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) of Makati.
The initiative is part of PSF and Smart’s #NoLearnerLeftBehind advocacy which aims to bridge the divide between digital education and teachers, students and schools nationwide. It is one of the key initiatives of PLDT and Smart to strengthen their commitment to help the Philippines attain the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SDG #4 on Inclusive Quality Education.
The PLDT-Smart Foundation turned over connectivity support to the Young Men's Christian Association.
“We are committed to champion equal and quality education for all. By reaching out to more communities and organizations, we aim to become enablers of opportunities to empower our youth across the country,” said PLDT-Smart Foundation President Esther O. Santos.
The Smart LTE pocket wifi units and the load cards will enable the beneficiaries to connect to the nationwide Smart LTE network, allowing them to access the internet for their learning needs.
"The WiFi donation will help them in the distance learning setup compelled by the onset of the pandemic. The education in Makati is free but there are other needs to be addressed especially the WiFi connectivity and access to information online," said YMCA President Tomas C. Banguis Jr.
The PLDT group and YMCA are also exploring opportunities for hyper-collaboration in their shared advocacies on children’s rights, cyber wellness and safety, education, livelihood, and mental health awareness.
YMCA is an international non-government organization focused on youth empowerment that promotes development of mental, physical, and spiritual well-being of young people in the community. The group also organizes youth clubs in public high schools and provides scholarships to students.
