PLDT pushes digital upskilling

MANILA, Philippines — PLDT Inc. is pushing for the digital upskilling of more Filipinos to help the country attain its digitalization goals.

The telco giant said it has pioneered initiatives aligned with the the digital upskilling focus area of the GoDigital Pilipinas (GDP) movement, an initiative recently launched by the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC).

“We support GDP and the government’s initiatives in bridging the digital divide, all aimed to help ensure that no Filipino is left behind as we empower more of our countrymen through technology,” PLDT president and CEO Alfredo Panlilio said.

GDP heeds the call of the government to address the risk of a digital divide by promoting digital literacy and building a sustainable digital ecosystem.

“To hasten the country’s digital upskilling and transformation, we at PLDT remain committed to provide best-in-class connectivity infrastructure, digital services, and cloud applications that serve the needs of individuals, families, businesses and enterprises nationwide,” said Panlilio, a founding member of the PSAC’s Digital Infrastructure group.

“GDP goes hand in hand with our thrust at PLDT of empowering our customers with knowledge, which will ultimately help them best leverage on our products and solutions,” he said.

Panlilio cited the importance of having a pipeline of professionals that would power the country’s digital pivot.

“PSAC’s GDP aligns with the whole-of-society approach encapsulated in the Philippine Development Plan, with jobs creation as one of the focus areas. As we aim for a revitalized society, we need to upskill more Filipinos toward jobs of the future,” he said.

The PLDT Group pioneered efforts in producing industry-ready Filipino graduates through science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) specialization in 2003.

The Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program, on the other hand, contributes to the academic and professional journey of 27 partner colleges and universities nationwide through equipment, technical trainings, innovation platforms, immersive experiences, and extension services.

PLDT said more than 15,000 teachers have also been trained on the Central Visayan Institute Foundation Dynamic Learning Program, producing students whose competence in STEM disciplines are comparable to global standards.

PLDT, Smart, and social outreach arm PLDT-Smart Foundation have likewise been supporting the disaster-resilient and innovative teaching strategy since 2010.

In support of the digitalization initiatives of GDP, PLDT said efforts to strengthen the country’s position as a promising hub for jobs-generating hyperscale investments in Asia Pacific are being undertaken by its data center subsidiary ePLDT and corporate business arm PLDT Enterprise.

PLDT said construction is in full swing for VITRO Sta. Rosa, set to be the Philippines’ largest data center campus.

The telco said ongoing capacity expansion projects of premiere VITRO data centers in Makati and Paranaque would also further strengthen PLDT’s foothold as the dominant data center provider in the country.

PLDT’s investments in the Jupiter Cable System, the country’s fastest transpacific cable system connecting the Philippines to the US, and the upcoming Asia Direct Cable and Apricot Cable systems, meanwhile, are expected to help meet the hyperscale industry’s future requirements for massive data capacity and high-speed connectivity.

The telco giant also continues to expand the reach and capacity of its fiber infrastructure, enabling tit to offer fiber-to-the-home services across the Philippines.