TACLOBAN CITY— Nearly 100 multigrade schools in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) of Southern Leyte have received school-in-a-bag (SIAB) portable digital classrooms, expanding access to technology-enabled education for thousands of learners.
The latest deployment, considered the largest distribution of SIAB kits supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to date, benefited 97 last-mile schools through a partnership involving UNICEF, PLDT Inc., Smart Communications, Inc., the Department of Education (DepEd-8), and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).
Each school-in-a-bag package includes a laptop, 10 tablets, a Smart Bro LTE Pocket WiFi with load allocation, teachers’ guides, and a collection of digital learning resources, including contextualized Learning Activity Sheets and #LearnSmart applications designed to improve learners’ literacy and numeracy skills.
UNICEF Education Specialist Jieun Yoon said the initiative seeks to ensure that children in marginalized communities have equitable access to quality education while equipping teachers with digital tools that make classroom instruction more engaging and effective.
Since 2019, UNICEF and the PLDT Group have deployed more than 300 SIAB kits to underserved schools across the country, helping bridge the digital divide through technology-assisted learning.
Roby Alampay, head of the public engagement and corporate communications group of PLDT and Smart, said the program delivers high-quality digital learning resources directly to children in remote communities, ensuring that learners have access to educational opportunities regardless of their location.
Among the beneficiaries is Benit Elementary School in the town of Malitbog, Southern Leyte where teachers said the SIAB will significantly enhance instruction in multigrade classrooms.
Teacher-in-Charge Merry Ann Tagon said the portable digital classroom can be used even without internet connectivity, enabling teachers and students to access offline educational content and continue learning uninterrupted.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
