MPT Mobility, PLDT, Smart, turn over School-in-a-Bag to Baguio and Cebu beneficiaries

MPT Mobility, in collaboration with the Smart and PLDT, launched an initiative that is aimed at providing quality education to students in far-flung areas.

Dubbed the “School-in-a-Bag,” the project by the Manny Pangilinan-led firms is a portable digital classroom that allows remote learning in last-mile schools and complements the Department of Education’s (DEPED) curriculum.

Each package includes a laptop and 10 tablets pre-loaded with DEPED curriculum-based learning materials, mobile Wi-Fi, and expandable storage devices. Every School-in-a-Bag also contains teacher training and year-long monitoring support.

“The contents of School-in-a-Bag are carefully curated to ensure that quality education and smart technology go hand-in-hand for the purpose of enriching our learners with knowledge and skills that would benefit them in the future,” MPT Mobility Director Rodrigo Franco shared. “Through the School-in-a-Bag project, we hope to not only level the playing field for our learners but also pave the way for our country’s greatest hope and future.”

For her part, First Vice President and Group Head of Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart Cathy Yang said that the project highlights the use of technology to ensure that no learner is left behind. “PLDT and Smart are always ready to collaborate with our ‘kapatids’ to improve learning outcomes for students, as we all lend a hand in building a ‘matatag na bayan’ for all Filipinos.”

For this year, MPT Mobility has chosen Sto. Tomas Elementary School in Baguio City and Albert Schweitzer Familienwerk Foundation Philippines, Incorporated (ASFFPI) in Cordova, Cebu as beneficiaries.

Sto. Tomas Elementary School is located on the borders of Baguio City, specifically on the slopes of Mt. Sto Tomas in Benguet, and serves 291 students. School officials hope for learning technology tools and resources for their learning needs.

“We [in the City of Baguio> are grateful to MPT Mobility, PLDT, and Smart for choosing Sto. Tomas Elementary School as the recipient of the School-in-a-Bag project,” Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong said. “This is a worthwhile initiative to enrich the quality of education in the city.”

On the other hand, ASFFPI is a 26-year-old non-government organization that provides short- and long-term care, support, education, and other aspects of development to abandoned, neglected, abused, and exploited children and youth at their “Children’s Haven.”

As of writing, ASFFPI houses 49 kids and 36 youths who are underexposed to learning materials and are challenged in meeting the expected competencies of their grade levels.

"MPT Mobility’s goal of providing access to better education through the School-in-a-Bag will surely have a significant impact on the cognitive development of our children,” ASFFPI Executive Director Ligaya Maquiling said.

“With their assistance, we will achieve our goal of raising the academic performance of our children and youth by providing them with all the tools and materials needed to motivate them to engage in appropriate skills and development training.”

MPT Mobility is hoping that the turned over items would guarantee students’ access to quality education through digital technology.

Moreover, the company said that the School-in-a-Bag highlights the “MVP Group’s commitment to inclusive quality education through technology, content, pedagogy, and capacity-building to ensure that there is #NoLearnerLeftBehind.”  

“These initiatives also underscore the Group’s commitment to helping the Philippines achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) No. 4 on Inclusive Quality Education,” the company ended.

Photos from MPT Mobility

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