IN a world increasingly shaped by digital proficiency, PLDT and Smart are working to ensure a level playing field for all Filipinos, particularly persons with disability (PWDs).
In Bukidnon, PWDs recently acquired the confidence, tools and skills necessary to build their own livelihoods, demonstrating how inclusion and innovation can transform lives.
The companies’ Digital Business Basics Training (DBBT) equipped participants with practical digital and entrepreneurial expertise.
The curriculum covered Financial Literacy, Basic Android Accessibility, General Virtual Assistance, Social Media Management and Marketing, and Graphics and Video Creation for Brand Marketing. The goal of the training was to enhance their access to diverse livelihood opportunities.
For Maribeth Doresa, a 41-year-old entrepreneur who sells kakanin (local delicacies) to support her family, the training opened new avenues.
“I’m very thankful for this training because it will help me improve my kakanin business and better support my family,” Doresa shared.
She added: “As a PWD, I always look for ways to learn and grow. Through this training, I have learned how to manage my business, set the right prices, and believe that even if I can’t walk, I can still do everything else.”
Mercy Balendez, a staff member of the local government unit of Manolo Fortich, found the experience both empowering and inspiring.
“I have learned so much about technology and business management — how to start a business properly, manage capitalization, and plan for our goals,” Balendez said.
Mercy Balendez, who has a physical impairment, shared what inspired her most during the training: seeing visually impaired trainees confidently using computers and mobile devices. For her, this proved that disability is not a barrier to learning. She realized that PWDs are not left behind and that “we are all equal and capable.”
The Bukidnon DBBT was organized in partnership with Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (ATRIEV), NORFIL Foundation, and the Bukidnon Provincial Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PPDAO).
It is part of the PLDT and Smart’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Advocacy through Technology (IDEATe) program.
These IDEATe initiatives underscore the PLDT Group’s firm commitment to advancing digital inclusion and supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.
Through IDEATe, the companies continue to empower PWDs by promoting their social, economic, and digital participation in today’s connected society. (PR)
