Intel Philippines, together with the Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST), the Foundation of Information and Technology Education and Development (FIT-ED), and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), highlighted the importance of digital literacy efforts and device ownership in the country by providing a progress update on its DigiBayanihan initiative.
“While we see an increased adoption of digital devices in Southeast Asia and in the Philippines, there is still a growing gap in digital skills that needs to be addressed in order to fully take advantage of the benefits of the digital age. We introduced DigiBayanihan to promote digital inclusiveness in the country and empower Filipinos with access to digital skills training and devices,” shared Prakash Mallya, Intel Southeast Asia Managing Director.
More than 4,000 individuals and 20 partner organizations volunteered to be ‘DigiBayanis,’ to facilitate training and outreach initiatives that have touched 1,690,763 individuals on the impact of digital literacy in their everyday lives. DigiBayanihan partners have listed 336,722 completed training encounters this year, highlighting the interest and value of digital inclusiveness in the country.
Intel also introduces DigiBuy, a device acquisition platform built under the DigiBayanihan initiative to provide beneficiaries with access to affordable digital devices. This platform will help them maximize their productivity, boosting device ownership and promoting digital inclusiveness in the country.
“We know the digital literacy efforts would only go so far. This is why we looked for an opportunity to help beneficiaries take the next step in their digital literacy journey by providing them affordable options to own a device. The DigiBuy Device Ownership Platform will help ensure the sustainability of the DigiBayanihan program and help bring devices to the hands of every Filipino,” said Calum Chisolm, Intel Philippines Country Manager.
Three existing DigiBayanihan partners were tapped for the initial roll out of the DigiBuy Device Ownership Platform. This includes organizations such as the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), Philippine Society of IT Educators (PSITE), and Technical Vocational Schools and Associations of the Philippines (TEVSAPHIL).
“We at Intel acknowledge the role of education and connectivity in empowering developing countries throughout the world. With Southeast Asia being a relatively young but strong region in terms of digital adoption, introducing programs that help promote and sustain digital literacy will help increase productivity and lay the foundation for a stronger digital economy,” concluded Mallya.
