The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Leading telecommunications and digital-services provider Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) continues to champion digital literacy among public school teachers and students with its PLDT Infoteach Outreach Program.
Now on its 14th year, the company’s flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) program has produced more than 25,000 graduates from far-flung communities across the country.
“The PLDT Infoteach Outreach Program is a digital enabler aimed at addressing today’s educational needs (amid) the changing times. This evolved into being the biggest and most accomplished free digital-literacy training and education program that the country has ever seen,” PLDT Community Relations Division Head Evelyn del Rosario said.
In partnership with the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), Intel Philippines, and local government units (LGUs), this year’s Infoteach Outreach Program culminated in a grand showdown of computer-knowledge supremacy in an event called the “PLDT Home Fibr Broadband Quiz.”
Divided into two categories (Teachers and Students), the quiz awarded P45,000 in cash to the grand champion in the Students category, and P40,000 for the grand champion in the Teachers category. Four sets of computer units were also awarded to the school of the grand champions as part of the prizes.
It has three levels: the Division Level, in which the participating schools competed to determine the division champion; Regional Level, in which the division champions competed to determine the Top Four; and the National Level, in which the Final Four would face off.
Life-long digital learning
A teacher at Juan Pamplona National High School in Tabuelan town, Cebu province, Rose Pauline Cotejo, emerged as the grand champion of the 9th PLDT Home Fibr Broadband Quiz. Cotejo, who has been an educator for eight months, said she was honored to take her teaching capabilities to be on par with global digitization.
“Through PLDT’s strong commitment in providing digital literacy to teachers, I can definitely say that, as life-long learners, we would be able to compete in this fast-paced world,” she said.
Power duo Geline Lontoc and Ven Benedick Nera bested three other pairs in the Student category to become grand champions. Lontoc, 18, emphasized how many technological breakthroughs can pave the way for change.
“Change is inevitable, as they say. And the world is continuously changing. The major change that we can see and notice is the development of technology, and the PLDT Infoteach Outreach Program aids us, so we can adapt to these changes,” Lontoc said.
Pursuing the digital path
As PLDT embraces a culture of transformation, many of its corporate social action programs are pursuing an increasingly digital tack. In line with this, the company continues to provide educational opportunities that are geared toward shaping a digital mindset. Through this, it cultivates the lifestyle of every Filipino, creating bigger opportunities to learn and truly understand digital literacy.
Anchored on becoming digital citizens, the PLDT Infoteach Outreach Program trains both teachers and students to become globally competitive. The program turns into a learning platform that’s centered on career-defining opportunities that truly paves the digital path.