TO improve their learning in the digital landscape, students and youth beneficiaries of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Makati recently received from the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF), together with Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) 50 sets of Smart LTE Pocket Wi-Fi with P150,000 worth of load cards.
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’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG #4 on Inclusive Quality Education.
“We are committed to champion equal and quality education for all,” said PLDT-Smart Foundation President Esther O. Santos. “By reaching out to more communities and organizations, we aim to become enablers of opportunities to empower our youth across the country.”
The Smart LTE pocket Wi-Fi units and the load cards will enable beneficiaries to connect to the nationwide Smart LTE network, allowing them to access the Internet for their learning needs.
“The Wi-Fi donation will help them in the distance learning setup compelled by the onset of the pandemic,” said President Tomas C. Banguis Jr. of the YMCA. “The education in Makati is free, but there are other needs to be addressed, especially…Wi-Fi connectivity and access to information online.”
Santos said the PLDT group and YMCA are also exploring opportunities for hypercollaboration in their shared advocacies on children’s rights, cyber wellness and safety, education, livelihood, and mental-health awareness.
YMCA is an international nongovernment 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.