To help make digital learning more accessible to Filipino students, Gen Z-dominated newsroom RepublicAsia Media, Inc. will give 100 tablets and three Starlink devices to three public schools in Cebu on April 11.

This is part of the digital media outfit’s partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and iACADEMY for their initiative called “Pay IT Forward: A Digital Transformation Advocacy,” which aims to boost digital transformation efforts and promote awareness about ICT development in the Philippines.

On Thursday, RepublicAsia’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bran Reluao, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda, DepEd Assistant Secretary Aurelio Paolo Bartolome, who represented Education Secretary Sonny Angara, and iACADEMY President Raquel Wong signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the “Pay IT Forward: A Digital Transformation Advocacy” at the RepublicAsia’s headquarters in Intramuros, Manila.

The “Pay IT Forward: A Digital Transformation Advocacy” serves as RepublicAsia’s support to DICT’s “Free Wi-Fi for All” initiative, DepEd’s blended learning programs, and iACADEMY’s mission of providing future-ready education, according to Reluao.

“This is just the beginning. We hope to ignite a nationwide movement that empowers communities to embrace digital transformation because, in reality, we can’t escape digital transformation and advancement of technology. We really need to embrace and understand how to utilize it,” Reluao stressed.

“Education is the great equalizer. As a digital inclusivity advocate, I personally believe that technology can be a powerful equalizer, too, if we give every learner a fair chance at success,” he continued.

As part of the partnership, iACADEMY will also conduct 10 hours of free training sessions for teachers from the three public schools to help them utilize the modern technology in the classrooms.

“These are more than technologies and donations, it’s really providing them knowledge and how to maximize what is being given to advance the lives of our students,” Wong told reporters at the MOA signing.

“What we’re doing today is not for us but for the future generation,” she added. 

Meanwhile, Aguda said that the “Pay IT Forward: A Digital Transformation Advocacy” marks the beginning of a “digital bayanihan,” ensuring that all Filipinos cope with the digital age. 

The DICT secretary stressed that the initiative will help millions of Filipinos, particularly the youth, upscale their “natural talents” in social media use.

“We will professionalize the natural talent of the Filipinos. Imagine, the things that they do on the internet can now be turned into a profession,” Aguda said.

Bartolome thanked RepublicAsia and iACADEMY for joining forces with them in boosting the country’s digital learning, saying that the “Pay IT Forward: A Digital Transformation Advocacy” helps address limitations on school infrastructures.

Digitalization ‘a priority’

According to Bartolome, the DepEd is prioritizing digitalization across schools in the country by providing the necessary equipment that would help teachers to be more effective.

“Providing connectivity, hardware, and content will really allow us to leapfrog from whatever classroom shortages we might have because then you don’t have to build too many classrooms, you’re able to deliver your learning content directly to the students by way of technology,” he emphasized.

“Without a doubt, it’s a priority. We aim to provide the laptops to as many teachers as we can, and also provide them [satellite] connectivity,” he continued.

The Philippines shifted to distance learning modalities due to mobility restrictions at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The DepEd later implemented blended learning, a combination of in-person and online learning experiences, as travel restrictions eased. Several schools in the country continue to use alternative teaching methods, particularly when the heat index rises.

Aguda, on the other hand, said they would help the DepEd provide free internet access to more schools through its “Free Wi-Fi for All” program. This DICT initiative was launched in 2017, following the passage of Republic Act (RA) No. 10929 or the “Free Internet Access in Public Places Act.”

“What we’re going to do in the DICT is provide a media center where people walking on the street, either along EDSA or Ayala, will see ilan na ba ‘yung free Wi-Fi na nagawa, ilan pa ‘yung kailangang gawin, tapos may mapa tayo kung nasaan ‘yung free Wi-Fi,” the DICT secretary said.

He said they are eyeing to build an application that would update Filipinos on the progress of DICT’s programs, including the “Free Wi-Fi for All” initiative.

Continued partnership with iACADEMY

The “Pay IT Forward: A Digital Transformation Advocacy” marks another notable partnership between RepublicAsia and iACADEMY.

The two institutions first teamed up for the “Lead Like a Pro” summit in May 2023 to equip students with the knowledge to become the next digital and technology practitioners.

RepublicAsia and iACADEMY partnered again in October 2023 for their second workshop called “NextUp,” featuring content providers, mobile journalists, and other media personalities who talked about online journalism and the dynamic landscape of the digital world.