PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc., together with the Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation Integration and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (ATRIEV) and NORFIL Foundation Inc., continue to enhance the digital skills of persons with disabilities in the Visayas.
The group recently conducted its Digital Business Basics Training (DBBT) in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, and San Jose de Buenavista in Antique.
“Many persons with disabilities now have access to technology and connectivity. Our goal in PLDT and Smart is to assist them in leveraging technology to improve their lives,” Dane Macapagal, PLDT head for Panay and Palawan, said in a statement. “We hope that the knowledge the participants gained from this training will be beneficial to them and enable them to contribute to their communities.”
DBBT is a week-long digital training that seeks to equip persons with disabilities (PWDs) with the digital skills and tools necessary to establish or grow their business online.
Since 2023, PLDT, Smart, and ATRIEV have brought the DBBT to five towns in Central and Western Visayas, and trained more than 100 persons with disabilities.
At the training, participants learned about the basics of financial management, e-commerce platforms, social media marketing, and internet safety, among others. Smart also presented its retailer program and the Maya Business App, providing other livelihood opportunities to persons with disabilities.
“I am delighted to witness our participants’ perseverance and dedication to completing this digital upskilling initiative,” Leosam Antonio, PWD Affairs Office focal person at Bayawan City Social Welfare and Development Office, said.
“We thank ATRIEV and its partner-institutions because this would not be possible without the combined efforts of the LGU and organizations that truly care for our persons with disabilities,” Antonio added.
This initiative forms part of PLDT and Smart’s IDEATE, or Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Advocacy through Technology, program, which is aligned with the Group’s commitment to help the country attain the United Nations sustainable development goal on reducing inequality, by empowering and promoting the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, including PWDs. ||
