DepEd honors valued partners
THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) recognized Aboitiz Group and mobile company Smart Communications for their help in improving education in the country.
Aboitiz Group is DepEd’s biggest long-standing contributor. Last year, it spent P437 million on education.
The group’s 11 companies and social development arm were awarded certificates of appreciation by Education Secretary Armin Luistro.
The companies were Aboitiz Foundation and business units Aboitiz Land, City Savings Bank, Cotabato Light and Power Co., Davao Light and Power Co., Hedcor Inc.- Benguet, Hedcor Inc.- Davao, Hedcor Sibulan Inc., Luzon Hydro Corp., Pilmico Animal Nutrition Corp., Pilmico Foods Corp. and Visayan Electric Co.
Aboitiz extends assistance from Kindergarten to college and even after graduation.
It has also actively supported since 2007 the Adopt-a-School Program that encourages the private sector to help address resource needs of schools to improve quality of learning.
Aboitiz Foundation chair Erra- mon Aboitiz said Aboitiz was committed to helping Filipino children become lifelong learners through its “Education for a Better World” campaign.
Smart is also a corporate partner in the Adopt-a-School program, helping enhance the quality of public education through technology support and training, among other things.
The telecommunication company’s education initiatives include Technocart, a mobile digital laboratory donated to public schools to provide teachers and Kindergartners with modern learning tools.
Each Smart TechnoCart has 20 tablets preloaded with Batibot, an Android application to help children develop essential thinking skills through fun-filled games.
The TechnoCart also has a laptop and projector for the teacher, a Smart Bro pocket Wi-Fi with prepaid load for connectivity and the Smart One Campus, a learning management system that helps administrators and teachers track and measure their students’ academic performance.
Smart has so far donated 15 Smart Technocarts. Visit www.smart.com.ph/learnsmart.