COMING the rescue of Pasig Catholic College, Smart Communications Inc. recently provided connectivity assistance for the institution’s students and teachers who were severely impacted by the pandemic.
Under its company core value of malasakit (genuine concern), the telco firm provided 200 preloaded Smart Bro Pocket Wi-Fi units, and complemented these with 200 Smart Call and Text prepaid cards in P300 denomination.
“The [health crisis has made learning hard] for students and teachers alike… Through [our] fastest network and connectivity tools, we can help ensure that no learner is left behind, even in these challenging times,” said Smart’s Vice President Melvin Consunji Nubla, who also heads Go To Market and Subscriber Management.
Pasig Catholic College President Bp. Mylo Hubert C. Vergara DD said they experienced a sharp drop in enrollment, as some students transferred to public schools due to financial constraints. He added the shift to online classes became a financial challenge to their marginalized learners, many of whom took odd jobs like doing their neighbors’ laundry or babysitting, to buy data load for online classes.
Bishop Vergara also pointed out that the school’s teaching personnel also struggled to migrate courses to digital platforms. While most of the devices are allotted for college students, a few Smart Bro Pocket Wi-Fi units will also be allocated to select teachers in basic education.
This will supplement Pasig Catholic College’s existing initiatives such as allowing teachers to use the school’s computer laboratories for online classes and lending them desktop computers so they may conduct online classes at home.
“Smart’s assistance will enable…recipients to cope with the demands of e-learning and online transactions being adopted by the school,” added the prelate. “[It] serves as the bridge that allows…students and teachers to transfer to the next phase of the process of teaching and learning.”