Twenty teams from three senior high schools, and 17 colleges and universities in the Philippines showcased their tech-powered solutions at the Demo Day of the PLDT and Smart Innovation Generation Season 4.

Tech for inclusion just got smarter. PLDT and Smart are harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enable more persons with disabilities to access digital innovations. The move expands the PLDT Group’s efforts to reduce inequality and narrow the digital divide.

Initiatives to empower persons with disabilities and help them uplift their livelihoods through technology form part of PLDT Group's IDEATE program or Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Advocacy through Technology.

Mayet suffered a debilitating knee injury years ago while working at her previous job, which forced her to find alternative ways of earning a living.

PLDT and Smart welcomed almost a hundred teams that have qualified for the Innovation Generation 4.0 (InnoGen 4). Launched with the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), the fourth season is anchored on the theme “Innovation for All” which aims to empower persons with disabilities.

PLDT and Smart, together with ATRIEV, NORFIL Foundation, and the Persons with Disability Affairs Office of Quezon City successfully trained 21 persons with disabilities to enhance their digital skills and introduce them to business opportunities.

Thirty-one persons with disabilities in Daanbantayan, northern Cebu, successfully completed an eight-day Digital Business Basics Training (DBBT) facilitated by ATRIEV or Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired. This activity was conducted in partnership with PLDT Inc., Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), and NORFIL Foundation, Inc.

Further promoting digital inclusion nationwide, PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. enable Filipino entrepreneurs with disabilities towards productivity through digital technology.

PLDT and wireless unit Smart have ramped up digital inclusion efforts in the Visayas region, empowering senior citizens and visually impaired persons through digital training under the group's Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Advocacy through Technology or IDEATe program.

PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. have teamed up with ATRIEV to enable Filipino entrepreneurs with disabilities through technology.