Raising a Healthy Child: Family life and surroundings provide holistic care

A child’s health is shaped by more than genetics and nutrition. Everyday family habits, relationships, school schedules, sleep, and even the surrounding environment all play a role in how children grow and develop. 🧒

In an Ateneo Breakthroughs lecture, Ateneo de Manila University professor and developmental-behavioral pediatrician Dr. Lourdes Sumpaico-Tanchanco explained why raising healthy children requires looking at the bigger picture, with families, schools, and communities working together to create healthier environments for children.

Siena College of Taytay champions learning for all with PLDT, Smart disability sensitivity training

What does a truly inclusive classroom look like? For Siena College of Taytay in Rizal, it starts with helping educators better understand the experiences and needs of students with disabilities.

Through a disability sensitivity workshop led by ATRIEV, PLDT and Smart are helping SCT teachers and support personnel build the knowledge and confidence to create more supportive learning environments. The session also encouraged educators to rethink how they teach, communicate, and provide reasonable support so that students of all abilities can participate more fully.

#KonektedforInclusion

CTU mountain campus receives digital tools, PlantSmart kits from PSF

PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications, Inc.’s social outreach arm PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF), in collaboration with Cebu Diversified Advocacy Cooperative (CEDACO), extended support to Cebu Education and agriculture grow hand in hand at Cebu Technological University. PLDT-Smart Foundation, together with CEDACO, has donated digital learning tools, office supplies, and #PlantSmart gardening kits to CTU Cebu City Mountain Campus, helping students enhance their learning while promoting sustainable agriculture. The initiative supports future agricultural leaders with better access to technology and practical resources that empower both education and local communities.

How PLDT and Smart’s KonektedforLearning is Helping Shape Education in the Philippines

From portable digital classrooms to AI-powered learning, PLDT and Smart are helping transform education across the Philippines. Through the #KonektedforLearning initiative, thousands of students and teachers are gaining access to digital tools, AI training, School-in-a-Bag, and future-ready STEM programs that make quality education more inclusive, resilient, and accessible, especially in remote and underserved communities.

School-in-a-Bag reaches far-flung schools in Southern Leyte

For many students in remote communities, access to technology remains a major challenge. In Southern Leyte, however, classrooms in hard-to-reach areas are getting a digital boost through UNICEF's largest deployment yet of School-in-a-Bag kits in partnership with PLDT and Smart. Equipped with interactive learning tools that work even without internet access, these portable digital classrooms are helping students improve literacy and math skills while making teaching easier for educators in underserved schools.

89% of Filipino employers willing to offer higher starting salaries to graduates with micro-credentials

A college diploma may no longer be enough to land the best jobs. According to Coursera's latest Micro-Credentials Impact Report 2026, Filipino employers are increasingly prioritizing job-ready skills, with 96% hiring candidates with micro-credentials and nearly 9 in 10 willing to offer higher starting salaries. As AI reshapes industries and employers seek proof of practical expertise, short-form certifications in areas like AI, cybersecurity, and digital skills are quickly becoming a powerful advantage for students, fresh graduates, and professionals looking to future-proof their careers.

Ayala Foundation, GCash partner to roll out scholarships for girls in STEM through U–GO Scholar Grant Program

More young Filipinas will soon have access to opportunities in tech and innovation through a new scholarship partnership between Ayala Foundation and GCash. The initiative aims to help female students pursue STEM education and build future-ready careers in the digital economy.

Beyond financial assistance, the program also offers mentorship and industry exposure, helping scholars gain the skills and confidence needed to thrive in technology-driven fields where women are still underrepresented.

Ayala Foundation senior director for development programs Jay de Quiros; senior director for marketing and external relations Paul Vincent Mercado; president and trustee Tony Lambino; GCash head of sustainability and corpcomm Michelle Fernandez; and Mynt chief people officer Robert Gonzales

Filipino women learners complete GenAI courses at rates 0.3% higher than men: Coursera Report

Filipino women are showing strong momentum in AI learning. A new report from Coursera reveals that while women still make up a smaller share of GenAI learners in the Philippines, they are completing courses at slightly higher rates than men. The data suggests that once access barriers are removed, Filipino women demonstrate strong persistence in mastering AI skills. As industries increasingly adopt generative AI, expanding access to training could play a key role in helping more women participate in and shape the country’s growing digital economy.

Over 25,000 Learners and Teachers to Benefit from PLDT Enterprise – Muntinlupa Connectivity Partnership

 Better internet means better learning for Muntinlupa schools. With thousands of students and teachers relying on digital tools every day, reliable connectivity is no longer a nice to have. It is essential to keeping classes running smoothly and helping teachers focus more on teaching instead of paperwork.

Through a new partnership with PLDT Enterprise, public schools in Muntinlupa are getting the kind of connectivity that supports modern classrooms and faster school operations. Curious how this upgrade is helping teachers save time and giving learners better access to digital education tools? Read on to see how this move is shaping future ready schools in the city.

EWRB Partners with DepEd NCR to Honor 50 Years of Educational Excellence

In a show of strong support for the education sector, EastWest Rural Bank (EWRB) joined the Department of Education – NCR in marking its 50th Founding Anniversary at Quezon Memorial Circle. As the only private bank sponsor, EWRB provided the official event shirts and joined teachers and administrators from across Metro Manila in celebrating five decades of public service and educational excellence.

By partnering with DepEd NCR, EWRB continues its mission to uplift educators and communities through accessible financial solutions designed especially for teachers

Coursera introduces region-aligned pricing to make learning up to 60% more affordable in the Philippines

Learning new skills just got easier and more affordable for Filipinos. Coursera, one of the world’s leading online learning platforms, has rolled out a new course preview feature and localized pricing in the Philippines. With these updates, students and professionals alike can now explore the first module of almost any course for free — complete with video lessons, graded assignments, and even AI-powered learning support through Coursera Coach.

On top of that, Coursera is making high-quality education more accessible with lower subscription rates. From Professional Certificates starting at just $20/month to Coursera Plus offering unlimited access to 10,000+ courses and certificates, Filipinos can now upskill without breaking the bank. With over 2.9 million learners in the Philippines, this move makes Coursera an even stronger partner for anyone looking to boost their career, upgrade their knowledge, or simply learn something new.

EastWest Rural Bank Champions Health and Education through Brigada Eskwela 2025 Initiatives

EastWest Rural Bank (EWRB) continued its strong community involvement by supporting the Department of Education’s Brigada Eskwela 2025 through two focused efforts: the Annual Physical Test (APT) initiative and its flagship volunteer program, EWRB in Action. Both efforts were launched nationwide to support the physical, mental, and academic readiness of educators and learners alike under this year’s campaign theme, “Sama-sama para sa Bayang Bumabasa.”

DepEd and Microsoft Expand AI-Powered Literacy Initiatives Across the Philippines

The Department of Education (DepEd) and Microsoft continue to deepen their collaboration to improve literacy outcomes in the Philippines, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) tools to empower educators and learners. This growing partnership reflects a shared commitment to democratize AI for the collective benefit of the education ecosystem, aligning with Secretary Sonny Angara’s five-point education agenda.

Cerebro Urges Pinoys to Sign a Petition for Educators’ Empowerment in the Season of Giving

Cerebro, an edtech company, is currently focused on reaching a new milestone of signatures for their petition aimed at improving the working conditions and resources available to Filipino teachers. In the spirit of empowerment and support, Cerebro encourages the public to join their advocacy for educators' well-being.

Globe Business hits the road with E-skwela Technology Roadshow to power tech-driven classrooms

As the education sector’s technology enabler, Globe Business earlier this year held an innovation-packed roadshow to ensure that all schools across the country get access to the latest digital tools. This effort aims to help revolutionize learning and equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the challenges of the 21st century.

Together with Globe Business partners and participants are the guest speakers (2nd row, seated from left to right) Yna Claudi_o, Tech specialist_ of W_ELA School Systems_, Engr. Ericson Dimaunahan, Director

From May to July, the E-skwela Technology Roadshow made its way to Pangasinan, Laguna, Iloilo, Roxas, the Greater Manila Area (GMA), and Davao, providing educators the unique opportunity to connect with industry experts, experience digital solutions firsthand, and to empower their classrooms in hybrid education.

“We embarked on this exciting journey to deliver digital solutions to make sure that no school or student is left behind in this digital age,” said KD Dizon, Head of Globe Business. “Through this roadshow, we paved the way for academic institutions to tap into the latest frontiers of digital education para tuloy ang edukasyon, tuloy ang pag-asa,” she added. 

One of the main features of the roadshow was the opportunity for participants to engage in discussions with experts, helping them gain a deeper understanding of how technology can reshape the future of their classrooms.

Shaping the Future of Classrooms with Technology

Engr. Ericson Dimaunahan, director of Mapua University’s Center for Teaching and Learning-Digital, emphasized the importance of cultivating future-ready schools amidst the evolving educational landscape and matching these with the most suitable technologies for the classroom.

“Changing the way we educate students could mean enabling learning beyond classrooms with the help of new technology. These changes aim to improve overall student outcomes and equip them to be future-ready,” said Dimaunahan.

Jim Tuscano, Founder of EmpowerEd Advocacy Program also underscored technology as a necessity to prepare students for the real world. 

“The workforce now requires digital literacy. Therefore, equipping students with digital skills and knowledge will prepare them for their future jobs,” he said.

To showcase how educational institutions could drive innovation into the classrooms and elevate student engagement, Globe Business introduced a comprehensive suite of digital solutions and services fit for their needs. Among these, the Wela School System empowers educational institutions to efficiently manage their operational and administrative tasks while offering real-time monitoring of daily school activities through a single platform.

Another noteworthy introduction was ClassIn, an online classroom platform equipped with built-in teaching tools designed to make classes more interactive and engaging. It seamlessly combines online classes, chats, cloud drives, exams, and assignments into one platform.

Meanwhile, Zoom for Education allows for up to 300 participants in a meeting per license which is suitable for remote and hybrid learning, allowing students and teachers to engage and collaborate from different locations.

Zoom for Education and ClassIn both have integrated interoperability features with other applications, simplifying and enhancing the classroom experience for teachers and students within a single platform.

Globe Business has been at the forefront of bringing technology closer to the education sector. Its initiatives aim to empower Filipino educators with innovative ways to engage students in emerging learning environments. For more information on Globe’s education initiatives, services, and offers, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/education.html

PLDT and Smart cybersecurity bootcamp for teachers help fortify digital learning platforms

CyberSmart is the PLDT Group's premier cyber safety awareness campaign that equips online users with information and practical tips on protecting one’s self on- and offline. 

In celebration of the International Literacy Day, PLDT and Smart have enlisted teachers in fortifying digital learning platforms and turning them into safe spaces through CyberSmart. CyberSmart is the PLDT Group's premier cyber safety awareness campaign that equips online users with information and practical tips on protecting one’s self on- and offline. 

“At PLDT and Smart, cybersecurity is everybody’s job. We hope that through CyberSmart—you embrace a culture of cybersecurity. Together, we can make the internet safer for all,” said Cathy Yang, FVP and Group Head of Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.  

With phishing attacks on the rise, the CyberSmart bootcamp focused on helping teachers identify social engineering tactics. 

Elijah Mendoza, Senior Manager for Digital Communications at Smart, cautioned against opening suspicious emails and links

Elijah Mendoza, Senior Manager for Digital Communications at Smart, cautioned against opening suspicious emails and links. He also reminded teachers to avoid replying to strangers and to refrain from providing personal information as well as one-time passwords or OTPs to unknown callers. “Remember, banks never ask for OTPs,” he said. 

Smart have enlisted teachers in fortifying digital learning platforms and turning them into safe spaces through CyberSmart.

Khristian Pagurayan, Awareness, Training, and User Adoption Supervisor of PLDT and Smart’s Cyber Security Operations Group, helped teachers spot text scams. He said that the sender is usually unknown. The message contains too-good-to-be-true offers or promises a large amount of money. Victims are urged to immediately act on the offer by clicking a link that leads to a phishing domain.  

Yves Gonzalez, Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google Philippines, said that hackers employ visual confusion to steal user data. They copy the login page of a legitimate website on a malicious domain to lure users into thinking that they’re logging in to a secure domain.  

Dr. Melinda dela Pena Bandalaria, Chancellor of UP Open University, reminded participants to use social media responsibly. Because of social media’s wide reach, she stressed the importance of verifying information before sharing them.  

For over 20 years, the PLDT Group has supported the Department of Education in improving the country’s literacy through innovative and technology-enabled programs, and PLDT and Smart count this support as among their most important advocacies. Meanwhile, the efforts of PLDT and Smart to share CyberSmart tips are fundamental to the PLDT Group’s much broader program to elevate the quality of customer experience by protecting them from threats and cyber-attacks. 

Together, these PLDT and Smart initiatives support the government’s Go Digital Pilipinas Movement and the Digital Infrastructure pillar of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), which seek to elevate lives of Filipinos through digital services.

Jordan Brand Expands its Wings Scholars Program to the Philippines

Jordan Brand Expands its Wings Scholars Program to the Philippines, as it help break down barriers to Higher Education

Samsung Electronics launches SPARK11 program to cultivate future Filipino innovators

Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation (SEPCO) believes in the potential of young Filipinos and their skills to make a significant impact on society. With the Philippines’ youthful and dynamic population, Samsung is keen on tapping the Filipino youth and exploring their talents in developing world-class and cutting-edge technologies. 

Quipper and ELSA Speak collaborate to promote better services for students and teachers

Leading LMS platform collaborates with an AI-driven English-speaking coach to promote a better learning experience through their services

Quipper all set to support teachers and students this back-to-school

With the start of the new school year this August, teachers, and education leaders are now gearing up to ensure a smooth transition to face-to-face classes. 

Schools have previously fully embraced distance-learning strategies to maintain unhindered learning. The Department of Education (DepEd) recently mandated that educational institutions return to conducting five days of in-person instruction starting in November. 

Whether the chosen modality is face-to-face or blended, there is a need to ensure high-impact learning recovery programs for learners. A recent report by the World Bank Group noted that school closures in the last two years resulted in long-term impact and learning losses on schoolchildren.

Given these challenges, the same report recommends that educators monitor and assess students’ learning, which is critical in implementing learning recovery programs. This may include just-in-time assessments of each student’s learning levels and intensive tutoring. On the other hand, teachers must receive training in adaptive learning, which prioritizes children’s acquisition of essential skills while adapting instruction and pedagogical techniques to students’ abilities and requirements.

Because learning gaps are anticipated to vary among children, teachers must also be ready for lower and higher levels of learning inequality in their classes. Meanwhile, students can carry on studying through multiple modalities to maximize learning.

Unlocking possibilities, ensuring smooth transition using edtech

For Quipper, one of the leading edtech platforms present in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia, Learning Management Systems (LMS) have proven that they support educators’ adherence to the changing demands of students and educators  in all modalities – whether in-person classes or blended learning.

“The evolving needs of today's tech-savvy learners have pushed schools to adopt modern classroom setups that support adaptive learning strategies. At Quipper, our goal is to help bridge today’s learning gaps by providing teachers with an easy-to-use platform with comprehensive content aligned to the DepEd curriculum. Quipper lets teachers monitor and evaluate their students' learning levels. It also provides them with relevant and engaging learning materials for their in-person classes and blended modules,” said Yusuke Takagi, CEO of Quipper Philippines.

Leveraging Quipper edtech for multiple learning modalities

Working closely with schools nationwide, Takagi noted that edtech platforms could help teachers create more fun, meaningful, and engaging learning experiences for their students. The Quipper School platform, for instance, provides features that cater to every educator’s needs, complementing today’s classrooms. 

Through Quipper School, teachers can take advantage of the ready-made teaching guides, editable presentation slides, and other resource materials to support their daily lessons. More than 4,000 downloadable study guides can be used as alternatives to textbooks, and more than 1,000 video lessons can cater to all learners. 

All these comprehensive materials and content are aligned to the K-12 DepEd curriculum. They are also developed to empower teachers to ensure that they can teach schoolchildren, whether they are visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or reading/writing learners. 

Meanwhile, teachers can also track their students’ learning performances using the platform, enabling them to become more adaptive in the lesson plans and materials they prepare to help their students.

“Our platform offers features that allow educators to manage multiple classrooms through a personalized dashboard, schedule assignments, and evaluate student performance. Along with a new Essay app for writing assignments, it also offers a content management tool, enabling teachers to create and publish their own materials,” added Takagi.

In addition, the Quipper School platform can also complement blended learning approaches that teachers may adopt for their in-person classes, like the station rotation and flipped classroom models.

Station Rotation is a blended learning strategy in which students alternate between different classroom-based learning modes on a set timetable or at the teacher's discretion within a specific course or subject. At least one station for online learning is part of the rotation. On the other hand, the other stations concentrate on whole-class or small-group instruction, group projects, one-on-one coaching, and pencil-and-paper assignments.

Meanwhile, the Flipped Classroom approach refers to a rotation-model implementation in which students alternate on a set schedule between face-to-face teacher-guided practice on campus during the regular school day and online delivery of instruction and content of the same subject at home after school. Unlike students who only practice their homework online at night, students in a Flipped Classroom receive most of their subject instruction online.

Updates in Quipper School

As part of its commitment to helping today’s educators, Quipper constantly updates its Quipper School platform. These latest updates include:

• Live Class. Teachers can now set up synchronous classes from LINK through the Live Class feature. Teachers can connect with students on a Zoom Meeting directly on the Q-Link platform without having to create a Zoom account. Q-Link is a platform that enables educators to assign activities directly to their students and easily track their progress online. 
• On the Quipper LEARN (Q-Learn), a feature in the LMS platform where the students study, learners can locate and join these Live Class sessions directly on the platform as an embedded window or switch to the Zoom app, as desired. These integrations with Zoom are the outcome of the recent ISV Partner Program that Quipper entered into with Zoom.
• Flexible Content Structure. Teachers can now create and publish courses, units, and topics without questions, which previously required at least one question, on the Q-Create, our content management  platform that allows teachers to create their lessons and quizzes and upload study guides. This enhancement is also reflected on Q-Link, where teachers can see indicators on questionless topics before sending them as an assignment.
• On Q-Learn, students can access the topics without questions as assignments; completing the topic by viewing all the lesson pages and finishing the “Complete Topic” response panel will mark them as “Mastered.”
• Flexible Points System. Lastly, teachers can now assign a point value per question on their content in Q-Create. With this enhancement, the student’s score or grade calculations and how they are displayed on the student’s result page on Q-Learn, downloadable reports, and several Q-Link pages were updated. 
• Quipper has an array of content, including over 5,982 videos and 69,752 quiz questions. It also caters to 316,239 teachers and over five million students globally.

To learn more about Quipper Philippines, visit https://www.quipper.com/ph/.