SWEEP member schools are now taking a deeper dive into artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and intelligent systems.
PLDT and Smart are accelerating digital transformation in Philippine education through their #KonektedforLearning initiative, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), digital classrooms, and connectivity solutions to improve learning access and build education resilience across the country.
The initiative combines technology with innovative teaching strategies to help students and educators overcome challenges in geographically isolated communities and areas affected by natural disasters and conflicts. According to PLDT and Smart, the program aims to equip Filipino learners with future-ready digital skills while supporting teachers with modern educational technologies.
PLDT and Smart’s School-in-a-Bag is a portable digital classroom equipped with a teacher’s laptop, 10 tablets preloaded with DepEd curriculum-based learning materials and interactive educational applications, a Smart Bro LTE Pocket Wi-Fi device, and expandable storage.
PLDT and Smart’s School-in-a-Bag brings portable digital classrooms to last-mile schools, giving students access to quality, technology-enabled, and inclusive learning.
One of its flagship programs, School-in-a-Bag (SIAB), delivers portable digital classrooms equipped with a teacher’s laptop, 10 tablets preloaded with Department of Education (DepEd)-aligned learning materials and interactive applications, a Smart Bro LTE Pocket Wi-Fi device, and expandable storage. To date, 784 SIAB packages have been deployed nationwide, benefiting nearly 120,000 students, with UNICEF contributing more than 300 units for underserved communities.
To help ensure learning continuity during disruptions caused by extreme weather, earthquakes, and armed conflicts, PLDT and Smart continue supporting the Central Visayan Institute Dynamic Learning Program (CVIF-DLP). The crisis-tested learning model uses activity-based lessons and a parallel class system that enables one expert teacher to handle multiple classes simultaneously. Around 33,000 teachers have been trained under the program.
The company’s long-running Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP) is also preparing students for emerging technologies. Now in its fifth phase, the industry-academe initiative focuses on AI, automation, and intelligent systems, helping engineering and ICT students develop skills aligned with evolving industry demands. Since its launch in 2003, SWEEP has trained more than 53,000 teachers and students.
PLDT and Smart are likewise introducing AI into classrooms through the AI-in-a-Box program, which trains educators to responsibly use generative AI for lesson planning, personalized learning activities, data analysis, and administrative automation. Since its pilot bootcamp last year, the initiative has trained over 800 teachers.
Through these technology-driven programs, PLDT and Smart continue to promote digital inclusion and support the country’s efforts to advance digital literacy and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Quality Education.
