PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) assured Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara of their continued support in helping improve the country’s basic education system under its five-point agenda.
“PLDT and Smart’s digitally-enabled education programs can help the DepEd address focus areas and promote inclusive and equitable quality education for all. As advocates of ‘Technology for Good’, we are committed to ensure that there will be no learner and no teacher left behind,” said PLDT and Smart assistant vice president and head of stakeholder management Stephanie Orlino.
PLDT and Smart executives, in a courtesy call with Angara, presented their flagship education program – School-in-a-Bag (SIAB).
Each SIAB package includes a laptop and Smart LTE Pocket WiFi for teachers, ten tablets for students, educational apps in local languages, a guide for teachers, as well as learning materials stored in flash drives.
Accompanying each SIAB deployment is an orientation to the PLDT and Smart-supported Central Visayan Institute Foundation Dynamic Learning Program (CVIF DLP), a crisis-resilient teaching strategy which helps develop independent learners with the help of the CVIF DLP Learning Activity Sheets (LAS) that break down complex concepts into simple lessons that students can easily follow.
The method works particularly well with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education where a strong familiarity with foundational ideas is crucial to appreciate more advanced topics.
Dr. Christopher Bernido, CVIF DLP founder, theoretical physicist and Ramon Magsaysay awardee, was also present to share his experiences with the changing education landscape.
With more than two decades of overseeing the implementation of the innovative program, Bernido also talked about developing important values that would allow learners to adapt to disruptions.
