DigiPlus Foundation, the social arm of Philippines-listed DigiPlus Interactive Corp, says it signed on January 14 a partnership agreement with Liceo de San Jacinto to support technology-driven education in the country.
Liceo de San Jacinto is located in Ticao Island in the province of Masbate, in the Bicol region.
“Often overlooked on the national map, Ticao Island in Masbate is among the most remote island communities in the Bicol region and one of the first areas to feel the impact of incoming typhoons in the Philippines,” DigiPlus Foundation said in a written announcement.
Responding to what it described as “persistent gaps in access to technology and digital learning” for students in Ticao, DigiPlus Foundation said it has officially established its fourth “FutureSmart: PLUS Center to Liceo de San Jacinto Foundation” (LSJF).
“LSJF is the only educational institution on the island offering programmes up to the tertiary level and serves nearly 90 percent of the island’s student population, supporting around 400 junior and senior students, and 2,200 college students, making it a cornerstone of educational opportunity on Ticao Island,” the organisation stated.
Dubbed as “PLUS Center for Technology”, DigiPlus Foundation said it upgraded the school’s former computer laboratory into a “modern, fully equipped digital facility that meets current industry and digital learning standards”.
The announcement cited Angela Camins-Wieneke, executive director of DigiPlus Foundation, as saying: “The aim of our PLUS Centers is to bridge the digital divide and skills gaps in technology education and livelihood by delivering capacity-building and infrastructure investments in communities.”
Francisco Altarejos, chairman of LSJF and mayor of the municipality of San Jacinto, Ticao Island, said in prepared remarks that the new computers would allow the institution “to deliver quality, future-ready learning, expanding access, enhancing instructions, and equipping our students with skills essential in an increasingly digital economy”.
Beyond the LSJF community, the PLUS Center for Technology is also expected to “support other schools in nearby municipalities, community-based programmes, and livelihood workshops, extending its benefits across the island,” observed DigiPlus Foundation.
