Learning is a struggle for students living in remote areas like in the Blaan and Tboli communities in Sarangani Province in Mindanao.
To help provide quality learning for students, PLDT and Smart recently donated “School in a Bag” (SIAB) packages to the Schools Division of Sarangani to scale up the deployment of its Learning Resource on Wi-Fi Hub for Expanded e-Learning (LR on WHEeLS). LR on WHEeLS is a learning delivery modality developed in Sarangani, and which is now endorsed by the Department of Education (DepEd) for nationwide implementation.
“We value our partnership with PLDT-Smart because we cannot realize this project fully without their help. When we shared with them that we need gadgets to be used by students for LR on WHEeLS, PLDT-Smart immediately responded to our call through their “School in a Bag” initiative,” said Donna S. Panes, Curriculum Implementation Division (CID) Chief.
PLDT-Smart provided SIAB packages to seven schools in the province using LR on WHEeLS, namely Wata-wanan Indigenous Peoples School (IPS) in Maitum; Falel Kesbung IPS in Kiamba; Datal Basak IPS in Maasim; Niyas Mental IPS and Calay IPS in Malapatan; Lanao Kapanglao Blaan IPS in Glan; and Kibac IPS in Alabel.
SIAB is a portable digital classroom package which includes a laptop, a Smart LTE Pocket WiFi for teachers, tablets, teacher’s guide and digital learning resources for elementary students.
LR on WHEeLs enables learners even in the remotest communities of the province to access e-Learning through a learning management system that can be downloaded via wireless local area network or intranet. 46% of the 320 schools in Sarangani are in far-flung IP communities.
Panes said that they have installed antennas in 72 schools since 2020, of which 34 are already enjoying LR on WHEeLS. DepED Sarangani hopes to activate all 72 schools in six municipalities in Sarangani by May 2022.
Antennas are installed in the school premises, and teachers come up with schedules when their students can use the learning system and the gadgets, since students need to be near the antenna to do their lessons. It is also safer for learners as they can’t access other sites, decreasing their exposure to other threats in cyberspace.
PLDT-Smart’s participation in the implementation of LR on WHEeLS is part of its commitment to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal #4: Inclusive Quality Education.
