PLDT-Smart Foundation tops up educational grant for PNP dependents

Dependents of Filipino police officers killed or injured in service receive a P1-million educational grant from PLDT-Smart Foundation, now on its 12th year, with the aim of providing college educational opportunities. The PSF has so far produced 639 scholars through the Educational Assistance Program. 

"Education is an integral part of our efforts in the PLDT-Smart Foundation. We continue to do our part in the community to ensure that we provide adequate resources to support today's youth as they become our next generation of leaders,” said PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V Pangilinan who is also the Chairman of the PLDT-Smart Foundation.   

'No learner left behind' MVP leads School-in-a-Bag turnover

PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V Pangilinan, who is also known as MVP, recently marked his birthday through various activities that aim to help schools prepare to reopen classes. 

MVP led the turnover of the School-in-a-bag (SIAB) donation to North Bay Boulevard North Elementary School in Navotas, Metro Manila. The SIAB donation forms part of the $50K grant from Huawei Technologies Philippines, Inc. to the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF). 

LSIs get help from PLDT-Smart Foundation, Alagang Kapatid

Locally stranded individuals (LSIs), currently staying at the Philippine Ports Authority, recently received assistance from the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) and TV5 Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc. (AKFI) who paid them a visit and advised them on health protocols while distributing snack packs and raincoats.

“We hope to provide some comfort and nourishment to over 200 LSIs patiently waiting at the port area for a ship that could transport them to their respective homes in places such as Basilan, Jolo, Sulu, Cagayan De Oro, Butuan City, Iloilo, Bacolod, and Cebu,” said PSF President Ma. Esther O. Santos. 

National Artist Maestro Ryan Cayabyab leads top OPM artists in FREE virtual benefit concert with PLDT Home

National Artist for Music Maestro Ryan Cayabyab top bills the FREE virtual benefit concert of PLDT Home themed “At Home with PLDT: No Learner Left Behind,” in partnership with PLDT-Smart Foundation on July 14, 2020. 

With the aim to raise funds to address the needs of students, teachers, and schools nationwide as they face the new normal in online distance learning, PLDT Home hosts the livestream concert that will gather Filipino musical artists and OPM icons such as, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid alongside husband, Ogie, Martin Nievera, and Pops Fernandez. The concert will be hosted by comedian and theater actor Jon Santos and directed by the award-winning concert director, Paolo Valenciano. Viewers will likewise be serenaded with OPM favorites and timeless music by musical theater artists including 8 Taal Ensemble, Sheila Valderama, Yanah Laurel, Lara Maigue, Gabriela Pangilinan, Gian Magdangal, Arman Ferrer, Flord Tena, and David Ezra.

PLDT-Smart gears up for a more meaningful, flexible learning experience

The start of the schoolyear in the Philippines is an event that parents and their school-age kids await with plenty of excitement and bits of anxiety. This year, however, with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) still lurking in our midst, apprehension overshadows anticipation.

Blended/Distance learning was proposed by the Department of Education (DepEd) as an alternative to the traditional face-to-face classes in a physical school. An educational strategy that enables students to attend learning sessions in the safety of their homes, the Blended/Distance learning can be managed through printed modules being delivered to the homes of students or picked up by their parents; online learning resources such as the DepEd Commons; and television or radio-based instruction.

PLDT-Smart Foundation partners with DSWD, UP Diliman to support communities in Quezon City

PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) recently turned over food pack donations to 300 families from the Yakan Tribe, a Muslim community located in Tandang Sora, Quezon City.  The foundation also provided relief assistance to 600 displaced construction workers located in the University of the Philippines Diliman. 

The donations were from PLDT and Smart’s Kapit Kapatid which is an employee-initiated fundraising campaign for frontliners as well as communities severely impacted by the pandemic. 

PLDT-Smart Foundation partners with women's group to provide face masks, PPEs to frontliners

PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF), in partnership with the Kababaihan, Kamay ng Kalikasan (KKK), recently distributed over 36,000 protective face masks to frontliners from various organizations and communities to help augment the supply of face masks - necessities in the continuing fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Some 500 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) were also donated to the following facilities: Novaliches Hospital, Sta. Ana Hospital, National Center for Mental Health, San Lazaro Hospital, and Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital.

Among the recipients of the face masks were the AFP frontliners, Makati Medical Center Foundation for PNP HPG, and various communities affected by COVID-19.

Gabay Guro launches ‘Learning Never Stops’ online training program for teachers nationwide

Gabay Guro, PLDT’s flagship educational program, provides free online trainings for teachers nationwide through its recently launched ‘Learning Never Stops’ campaign. As of May 30, 2020, Gabay Guro has led 13 e-learning sessions on Facebook with over 300,000 views to date. 

The online training videos uploaded on the Gabay Guro Facebook Page are all for free. These videos are available for replay which allows teachers to go learn at their own pace.

Topics of the live training and recorded webcasts include life learnings from the quarantine, virtual teaching 101, flipping the classroom, improving students' reading and comprehension, as well as teachers' mindset improvement in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PLDT-Smart Foundation spearheads relief efforts in Pampanga

Underserved communities in far-flung areas in Pampanga received much-needed support from the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) which recently turned over grocery packs and PPE donations in Angeles City and San Fernando, Pampanga.

The corporate social responsibility arm of PLDT and Smart, PSF turned over 1000 grocery packs, 250 PPE sets and 10 tents. In Angeles City, 500 grocery packs and 250 PPE sets were turned over to their local government unit (LGU) through Vice Mayor Maria Vicenta L. Vega-Cabigting.

PLDT-Smart Foundation partners with AFP to feed over 4000 families in QC

To support over 4,000 families in communities under lockdown in Metro Manila, the PLDT-Smart Foundation recently turned over 1,250-kg of rice and 500-kg of vegetables to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) mobile kitchen.

The initiative aims to provide hot meals to families in underprivileged communities. 

The fresh vegetables were purchased directly from farmers’ cooperatives including the Batangas Organic and Natural Farming Agriculture Cooperative. This includes potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, squash, green beans and bell pepper.

PLDT-Smart Foundation donates over 50,000 face masks and various PPE for frontline health workers

Health workers at the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 in Metro Manila have received fresh support in the form of face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPEs).

The PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) has turned over 50,000 face masks and other PPEs to various hospitals in the Metro.  

The Philippine General Hospital, which is one of the COVID referral hospitals in the country, received 20,000 surgical masks for their frontline health workers from PLDT and PSF.   

Several hospitals and government response teams also received 50 hazmat suits each from PSF with the assistance of the Makati Medical Center Foundation. This includes the Rizal Medical Center, Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, East Avenue Medical Center, Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.