The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), have tapped PLDT to link the massive public Wi-Fi access roll-out to 220 state universities and colleges across the country.

“We at PLDT believe in the power of education as an enabler of Filipinos in the face of challenges. As long-time supporters of the academic sector, we remain committed to exploring more solutions for students and faculty of learning institutions across the country,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, president and CEO, PLDT and Smart Communications.

Launched at the Bulacan Polytechnic College in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, with a simultaneous online screening at Nueva Vizcaya State University on June 7, the flagship project will further boost the online and blended learning programs of the education sector and support the connectivity requirements of faculty and academe.

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The program includes major state universities such as Bulacan State University, Bacolod City College, and Bukidnon State University, among others.

“Part of UNDP’s mission is to promote inclusive quality education and to bridge the digital divide, especially in the academic sector. This initiative strives to enable public higher education institutions and their students to access and participate in opportunities for economic development,” said Dr. Selva Ramachandran, resident representative of UNDP.

This initiative highlights PLDT and Smart’s advocacy for digital inclusion through technology and promotes #NoLearnerLeftBehind. It also underscores PLDT’s commitment to helping the Philippines achieve UNSDG 4 on Inclusive Quality Education.