Digitizing Financial Services in PH with Blockchain, UnionBank partners with Microsoft to pursue blockchain technology in PH

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Today, digital technology is pushing people, businesses, and governments to rethink the way they work and operate. In the banking and financial industry, fintech companies are disrupting conventional methodologies and introducing innovative products to cater to mobile and connected customers that demand state-of-the-art digital services.

Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) is in the midst of a digital shift as it pursues a three-point plan. This aims to transform its operations with digital technology, put up a digital bank, and engage fintechs in catering to the local market.

As part of its endeavours, UnionBank has partnered with Microsoft to conduct blockchain trials on Azure.

“Similar to our mission to empower every person and organization to achieve more, UnionBank is committed to making lives better and enriching the lives of Filipinos through greater financial inclusion. We stand together in the belief that financial service institutions need to ramp up digital transformation efforts to engage users and transform products,” said Hans Bayaborda, Managing Director and Country General Manager of Microsoft Philippines.

Blockchain for greater financial inclusion

A recent BSP survey found that 86 percent of Filipino households remain unbanked. Blockchain can push for greater financial inclusion by allowing financial institutions to provide accessible, useful, and affordable products and services that meet client needs. Whether it’s transactions, payments, savings, credit, or insurance, these can be delivered in a responsible and sustainable way via blockchain.

Arvie de Vera, Head of Fintech at UnionBank, said: “Blockchain technology will revolutionize financial services, and more so in a context like the Philippines where financial inclusion is such a challenge.”

Blockchain is transformational technology that brings down the cost to serve the mass market. At its core, it is a form of data structure used to create a digital transaction ledger that, instead of resting with a single provider, is shared among a distributed network of computers. This promotes financial inclusion by:

Modernizing legacy banking infrastructures. With blockchain technologies, banks can increase efficiencies by addressing the settlement process across the board. Speeding payments, trading of all financial instruments, and automatically outputting regulatory information will massively disrupt the industry and shift labor into better customer service.

Securing transactions. Blockchain technology offers secure transactions through an encrypted ledger. This addresses cyber threats by establishing authenticity and tamper-proof record systems. The decentralization of the command systems in blockchains is critical to safeguarding cyber security.

Azure – a secure blockchain platform

UnionBank is currently conducting and has had successful blockchain trials on Azure.

As an open, flexible, and scalable platform, Azure supports a rapidly growing number of distributed ledger technologies that address specific business and technical requirements for security, performance, and operational processes. Microsoft’s data and AI solution provides unique off-chain data-management and analysis capabilities not offered by others. The vast Microsoft partner ecosystem extends the capabilities of UnionBank’s platforms and services in unique ways that fit specific workload and industry needs.

Azure is secure and provides a rapid, low-cost, low-risk, and fail-fast system for organizations to collaborate on by enabling them to experiment with new business processes—all backed by a cloud platform with the largest compliance portfolio in the industry.

“The Microsoft partnership has also been about sharing best practices and experiences. UnionBank is grateful to have the guidance of such a technology leader—one who has also undergone its own transformation,” de Vera said.

Revolutionizing PH banking

As a tech-savvy organization, UnionBank is embracing digital transformation through its strong culture of innovation and leadership. It is the first bank in the Philippines to pursue blockchain trials.

“It’s an exciting time. The arrival of blockchain in the Philippines is groundbreaking and can revolutionize the financial services industry and lead to greater financial inclusion in the country. As the first bank to pursue blockchain, UnionBank is making big strides in its digital transformation, and Microsoft is committed to helping them make Filipino lives better,” said Bayaborda.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (@microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Microsoft Philippines, the local subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation, has been constantly bringing innovation and making its technology available to Filipino businesses and individuals since 1995. As a committed and trusted partner in nation-building, Microsoft Philippines has made it its mission to fuel growth and healthy communities, as well as transform locally-based businesses and empower them to compete in the global economy.

Learning To Love AI

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February is the month of love, and millions of people across the Philippines - and around the world - will express their feelings and celebrate the special relationships they have with their loved ones, through the exchange of cards and gifts in a tradition that can be traced back to the medieval era. 

Also this year, in China, many more are likely to say ‘I love you’ to a girl named ‘Xiaoice’, and she is an Artificial Intelligence-powered chatbot.

Thanks to AI, we are currently witnessing a paradigm shift in technology, moving from a world where we have to understand computers to one where they now understand us and our intent. And this is not only revolutionizing how we live, work and play; it is upending our entire relationship with technology.

This disruption is brought about by the next big shift in computing, one that is fueled by advances in AI and built around a behavior that is the most natural of all to humans — conversations. Conversational AI, such as chatbots, heralds a new era where digital experiences can now mirror the way people interact with fellow humans. And there is much to love about this new development.

First Love: Microsoft’s AI Journey

For Microsoft, the vision of enabling computers that can see, hear, talk and understand us really began 25 years ago when founder Bill Gates created Microsoft Research. And on that journey, they have recently passed some significant milestones that, only a few years ago, would have seemed impossible to imagine.

• In 2016, Microsoft became the first company to reach human parity in speech recognition, enabling a computer to transcribe conversational speech as well as a human does.
• Only last month, Microsoft researchers created technology that uses artificial intelligence to read a document - and answer questions about it - as well as a human being.

Such milestones are vital to the adoption and use of computers for everyone; because when computers can speak “human”, every human can speak with computers.

These kind of advancements are the result of the deep engineering skills and unique technical capabilities of the team at Microsoft Research, who have received many prestigious national and international honours, including the Turing Award, considered the highest distinction in computer science.

Growing Love: Chatbots Around the World

Microsoft’s work with chatbots expanded rapidly with the launch of Xiaoice in China. This intelligent, natural-language bot is programmed to behave like an 18-year-old girl who is emphatic, humorous and affable. The conversations that she has with users range from advice about what activities to do during the day to relationship feedback. Using advanced machine learning algorithms, her responses mirror what a teenage girl would tell her friend, sometimes with sarcasm included.

Xiaoice can also speak with people over the phone and use streaming video to detect emotions and engage in conversations based on the person’s expressions. Today, she has conversed with more than 100 million users, averaging approximately 23 exchanges per session. This is nearly 10 times the industry average. In fact, it has been estimated that 25% of users have already declared their love to Xiaoice.

But that is not all. Xiaoice is also the first AI chatbot to have a real TV broadcasting job on Dragon TV[1], one of China’s biggest TV stations, with a viewer population exceeding more than 800 million.

Building on the success of Xiaoice, local variations are now available in four other countries — Rinna in Japan and Indonesia, Ruuh in India, and Zo in U.S.

Microsoft launched Rinna in Japan in 2015. Modelled after a school girl, Rinna has today spoken with 25% of the country’s population. She is also powering a chatbot that is serving an entire town in Japan.

Modelled after a smart and adorable 7-year-old boy, Shibuyu Mirai is currently helping residents of, and visitors to, Tokyo’s busy Shibuya district access local services and information. Shibuyu-kun is serving the community so well that the Shibuya municipal government has recently granted him residency status, a world’s first.

Much to Love: AI as a Force for Good

Today, many of the conversations revolving around AI are mired in trepidation and alarm – ranging from job displacements to the widening of social inequalities. However, it is evident from these chatbots that there is much to love about AI, and it has brought about both functionality and emotional connection to millions of people around the world.

Beyond conversations and companionship, AI also has immense potential to offer lasting, positive impact on the world by driving global economic and social progress. From the front lines of education to environmental advocacy to healthcare, AI will be vital in creating technological breakthroughs for humanity and facilitating inclusive solutions that will enable every person and organization on the planet to achieve more.

For example, Microsoft’s recent AI for Earth initiative builds on the commitment to use AI technology to amplify human ingenuity and advance sustainability around the globe. Through ongoing projects and partnerships, Microsoft is striving to solve some of the most pressing challenges of our time, including the health of our planet. 

One of these projects is Farmbeat, which strives to address soaring food demands while dealing with limited amount of arable land. This initiative leverages existing connectivity infrastructure as well as the power of the cloud and machine learning to enable data-driven farming. This provides farmers with easily interpretable insights to help improve agricultural yield, lower overall cost, and reduce the environmental impact of farming.

AI can also be used to create a more inclusive future by empowering people with disabilities.  Seeing AI is a free app designed by Microsoft to make the visual world around us more accessible for the 285 million people in the world with low vision. By harnessing the power of AI, this app is able to perceive and recognize a wide spectrum of visual cues – from people to emotions, from barcodes to handwriting – and translate them into audible descriptions. By turning the visual world into an audible experience, this app is making the world more navigable and richer for those with low vision.

Trust: Fundamental to Our Relationship with AI

These examples are just a few of the positive applications of AI; the benefits it can bring to our world and our lives are multifaceted and countless.

Microsoft has been investing in the promise of AI for more than 25 years, and they are optimistic about the opportunities that AI creates, and how it can amplify human ingenuity to create a better future for all.  

However, the road to a future powered by a partnership between intelligent machines and people will be a long, and sometimes, challenging one. There will be complex questions and broad societal concerns that need to be addressed, including the ethical usage of AI and its impact on employment. 

Addressing these challenges will require trust, integrity, faith and listening to one another – the same fundamental building blocks that are needed to create a lasting and positive partnership with another person.

Microsoft and Gawad Kalinga leave no one behind

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Barangay Walang Iwanan gearing to end poverty for 5M Filipinos

The Philippines is a country undergoing rapid transformation as it navigates the 4th industrial revolution. Today, digital technologies are transforming the lives of many Filipinos in regions across the country. 

(L to R) Jose Luis Oquinena, Executive Director of Gawad Kalinga, Irwin Lee, CEO of Rustans Supercenters Inc., Hans Bayaborda, Managing Director of Microsoft PH, Mayor Joan Lorenzano-Aquende of Castilla, Sorsogon, Tony del Rosario, Gawad Kalinga Trustee, Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, President, HARI Foundation, Inc. Cong. Karlo Nograles, Chairman, 2018 Budget & Committee, Fr. Ben Nebres S.J., Former President of ADMU

As the country moves forward, we mustn’t forget that approximately 21.6% of the Philippine population still live below the poverty line and have limited access to much needed resources.

Hans Bayaborda, Managing Director of Microsoft Philippines reiterated their commitment to serving the underserved. “Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Through advances in technology like cloud computing and IOT, we enable people and organizations to reach those that the market may not be able to reach.” 

Through partnerships with several organizations, Microsoft continues to transform industries through four key pillars: engaging users, empowering employees, optimizing operations, and transforming institutions. 

In the recent Social Business Summit 2018 in Angat, Bulacan, Gawad Kalinga (GK) launched “Barangay Walang Iwanan” (BWI), an enabling and empowering technology-based platform and ecosystem developed in partnership with Microsoft to help end poverty.

“There was a need to harness technology for effective and cost-efficient communication, timely reporting, data consolidation and storage, transparency, accountability, and sustainability,” said Bayaborda.

GK works on the frontlines of disaster preparedness and response in the Philippines. One of the applications of the BWI platform is during disasters when GK’s global network of volunteers is mobilized to bring help where it’s needed the most. Important information on the local population such as household composition, income, and livelihood provide GK with insights for better-informed and quicker decision-making. 

In addition, GK helps members of the community get back on their feet by linking them to sustainable livelihoods via BWI. Through data gathered on the ground, BWI can shorten supply chains -- from manpower to food resources -- effectively cutting the middle layers and increasing profit at the lowest level.

“Barangay Walang Iwanan is a testament to GK’s mission of ending poverty, as well as Microsoft’s commitment to empowering everyone. We’ve been working with GK for more than 9 years now, and this ambitious project is a product of that strong relationship,” added Bayaborda.

Microsoft has a long history of supporting GK on technology and programs that aim to equip all youth to be future ready. Projects such as Raising Social Innovators, WeSpeakCode, and Innovate have provided underserved Filipino youth with access to digital skills which will be critical for their future. 

Through BWI, GK and Microsoft hope to create a culture of caring within the community and to build solidarity by connecting resources where they are needed so that no one is left behind. 

“BWI is a great step forward to ending poverty in the Philippines. Microsoft will continue to work with GK towards this mission of inclusion. Through technology, data can be used to drive value, development, and economics transition to more communities across the Philippines and ensure that nobody gets left behind, walang iwanan,” added Bayaborda.

To learn more about how Microsoft Philanthropies is advancing a future for everyone, visit www.microsoft.com/philanthropies.

ASUS brings to life World’s Thinnest and Lightest Laptops and Officially Unveils, Asia’s Next Top Model Season 5 Winner, Maureen Wroblewitz, as its Newest Brand Endorser

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Showcasing the latest ASUS thin-and-light laptops that push the boundaries of design and performance.

Coming from a phenomenal 20x growth in sales from 2011 to 2016, ASUS is set to break new records fronting the latest in top-of-the-line notebook innovations. The country’s no. 1 premium brand in consumer laptops opens its 10th anniversary this year with its most premium line to date; featuring the world’s thinnest 2in1 – the ZenBook Flip S – which has finally arrived in Manila. 

To embody this new profile and to further amplify its elegance and style is no other than the Grand Winner of Asia’s Next Top Model (AsNTM) Cycle 5 Maureen Wroblewitz, who has shown that when style and technology intertwines – a heightened level of influence emerge.

(From left): Anvey Factora, Head of Marketing, Verlyn Perez, Microsoft Consumer and Devices Sales, Maureen Wroblewitz, ASUS Consumer Notebook Brand Ambassador, George Su, ASUS Systems Group Country Manager, Ana Regala, Consumer Notebook Product Marketer, Joey Nocom, Country Product Manager

Upholding its standards in offering accessible premium laptops, ASUS launches an entire line of NEW ZenBook laptops that fully interprets the redefined lifestyle of the modern and stylish consumer: chic, dynamic, and aspirational.

“Just like our newest ASUS notebook collection that perfectly marries innovation and style, Maureen’s win at the Asia’s Next Top Model competition has sparked revolution in the fashion industry; the kind of synergy that makes our premium notebook line and Maureen redefine the word luxury. At ASUS, we bring forward the best notebooks to complement a lifestyle that is both high-powered and elegant. We welcome everyone to the world of thinnest notebook innovations with our ASUS ZenBook and VivoBook modern devices,” shares Anvey Factora, Head of Marketing for ASUS Philippines.

Holding true to the promise of creating the incredible, the latest ZenBook line and VivoBook thin-and-light laptops have gone beyond their boundaries when it comes to design and technology, transcending all forms of possibilities - never thought of before today.

A collection of premium notebooks that redefined luxury

ZenBook Flip S

Officially the world’s thinnest 2-in-1 convertible laptop with 1.1kg and 360°- flippable display, the ASUS ZenBook Flip S combines elegant sophistication with convenience and versatility. It’s a 360° convertible laptop designed to go anywhere and can turn from tablet to notebook as you please. Its Intel® Core i7 processor keeps your daily work and play at ease, and it comes with a stylus too, making it a perfect partner for Windows 10. For the chic and on-the-go – this is a perfect match.

ZenBook Flip 15

The all-new ZenBook Flip 15 is the most elegant and sophisticated yet, giving you all the convenience and versatility of a 360°-rotatable 15.6” display in a stunning new design. It’s the most powerful Zenbook 2in1 ever, yet remaining remarkably compact with its extraordinary state-of-the-art Nano-edge Full HD touchscreen that has more powerful graphics, and can outperform everything with 40% faster than the 7thgen CPU. It has a 178° wide-view technology and precision stylus support, making ZenBook Flip 15 the perfect laptop for design and creative work.

VivoBook Flip 14

ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 (TP401) is a 14-inch convertible laptop that can be flipped into laptop, stand, tent or tablet modes — or anything in between. Designed for people on the go, VivoBook Flip is only 15.4mm thin and weighs just 1.5kg. With a NanoEdge design that fits a 14-inch Full HD display with 178˚ wide-view technology into a frame the size of a typical 13-inch laptop, VivoBook Flip 14 has a 74.3 percent screen-to-body ratio and a larger display area for more immersive viewing. A 7th Generation Intel Core i7 processor provides powerful, energy-efficient performance, and a clever fanless design that keeps noise levels down — even at full power — enabling users to conduct presentations or watch movies without distractions. ASUS Pen support enables intuitive interactivity.

VivoBook E12

The ASUS VivoBook E12 is designed to help you be productive all day — even when you’re on the move. This compact and lightweight 11.6-inch laptop is powered by the latest Intel® processor and provides up to 10 hours of battery life. And with pre-loaded Windows 10, it offers full compatibility with a wide range of software and peripherals. It’s the best laptop for people on the go.

This premium notebook offers effortless mobility, thanks to its compact and lightweight design. It has a desktop footprint that’s smaller than an A4 sheet of paper and weighs just 980g*, and it’s 3 percent thinner than its predecessor — making it one of the thinnest 11.6-inch laptops available. It’s the perfect take-anywhere laptop that’s always ready to go where your day takes you. The VivoBook E12 is available in three gorgeous graduated finishes: Star Grey, Petal Pink and Pearl White. Unique hexagonal motifs on the front cover add a distinctive touch of individuality.

VivoBook E402

The latest ASUS VivoBook is an affordable 14-inch compact and lightweight notebook. It gives you a larger display, more than adequate storage, and is packed with technologies designed to enhance your computing experience, making it the best choice for daily productivity tasks and entertainment. A value notebook doesn't have to mean settling for something basic.

ASUS VivoBook E402 gives you all the notebook essentials with a premium feel. ASUS VivoBook E402 features compact dimensions with streamlined curves. It is available in three expressive colors, and has a tactile finish.

ASUS VivoBook E402 employs a simple yet elegant design. Despite its compact dimensions, it has everything you need, giving you all the necessary features and ports required for everyday computing.

ASUS VivoBook E402 features a powerful processor that gives it the power to handle all your daily computing needs. It gives you smooth multitasking performance to give you the perfect platform for working on Microsoft Office, watching movies, or surfing the web.

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

The newest ASUS premium notebooks is now available nationwide through ASUS authorized dealers and resellers. For other updates, please check ASUS Philippines Facebook Page.

UX490UA 14" FHD IPS i7-8550 16G 512GB SSD Shared PHP 99,995.00 UX370UA 13.3" FHD IPS i7-8550 16G 512SSD Shared PHP 89,995.00 UX561UD 15.6" FHD i7-8550 8G 512SSD GTX1050 PHP 79,995.00 UX561UN 15.6" FHD i7-8550 8G 1TB+128SSD MX 150 PHP 69,995.00 TP510UQ 15" FHD i5-8250 8G 1TB+128SSD GT940MX PHP 59,995.00 TP401CA 14" FHD i5-7Y54 4G 128G Shared PHP 39,995.00 E402NA 14" N4200 4G 500G Shared PHP 18,495.00 E402NA 14" N3450 4G 32G Shared PHP 14,995.00 E203NAH 11.6" N3350 2G 500G Shared PHP 13,995.00

Microsoft PH employees to get enhanced leave benefits

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Multinational company rolls out new leave policies for parents and family caregivers

Microsoft Philippines has introduced a new suite of enhanced leave benefits for its employees, including a minimum of 20-weeks paid leave for birth mothers and a minimum of six-weeks paid leave for new fathers.

“We believe in fostering a healthy work-life balance. And at times, your personal commitments and responsibilities outside the office deserve all your focus. This is something Microsoft fully understands and supports,” described Karrie Ilagan, Microsoft Philippines Managing Director.

The company’s enhanced leave benefits also cover adoptive parents and parents who choose to have a child via surrogacy.

Likewise, the Information Technology leader has leave policies for family caregivers—allowing employees to take a four-week full-paid leave to care for immediate family members with serious health conditions.

“Our employees bring their best to work everyday to support our mission, strategy, and culture. In return, we want to bring the best to them as well by continually providing them world-class benefits to ensure they have the time they need to take care of those that matter the most in their lives,” concluded Ilagan.

About Microsoft

Microsoft  (@microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Microsoft Philippines, the local subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation, has been constantly bringing innovation and making its technology available to Filipino businesses and individuals since 1995. As a committed and trusted partner in nation-building, Microsoft Philippines has made it its mission to fuel growth and healthy communities, as well as transform locally-based businesses and empower them to compete in the global economy.

Power-Up with ASUS Notebooks and Get a stylish, limited edition ASUS ROG Shuttle Backpack plus, 2-Year Global Warranty

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Power up with ASUS Notebooks and enjoy incredible performance, style and 2-Year Global Warranty at an amazing price. From October 1st until November 30th, select ASUS Notebooks with Intel™ Core® i5 and i7 processors are now bundled with limited edition water-resistant Republic of Gamers Shuttle Backpacks worth PHP 4,995 so you can bring your device wherever you go! Bag is roomy enough to fit most devices even laptops up to 17”. Store all your cables, mice, powerbanks and even other belongings in this functional ROG Backpack. Rainy days won’t be a problem since the water-resistant ROG Backpack keeps all your gadgets safe and secure.

As a big bonus, select ASUS notebooks now also come with a 2-year global warranty to lessen your worries on parts and services.

Protect your investment with an extended global warranty worth Php2,500 available for select ASUS notebook models with pre-loaded Microsoft Windows 10.

Benefits you can enjoy from the extended warranty services:

· Provides you with peace of mind knowing that you device is covered for two-years. 

· Save money on laptop repair service and parts 

· Convenience of enjoying the warranty in any of the 57 countries ASUS service centers are present. 

· Whether you plan to travel with your ASUS Notebook or plan to purchase it as a gift for your loved ones abroad, ASUS 2-year Global Warranty gives you the best value for your device.

Bundled ROG Backpacks Mechanics:

1. Promo is open to all endusers who purchase select ASUS notebooks from October 1 to November 30, 2015.

2. Each enduser who purchase any of the select ASUS notebook from authorized ASUS resellers will get a free ROG Shuttle backpack. One notebook is equivalent to one backpack.

3. Redemption of free item starts from November 1, 2015 and ends on January 31, 2016.

4. Enduser may claim their free backpacks in two (2) ways:

Claim at ASUS Concept Stores:

· Enduser must present the photocopy of their official receipt, serial number

box cut-out and provide their name, e-mail, contact number in the

following concept stores:

• SM Megamall (ASUS Shop-in-Shop), 4th Floor, SM Cyberzone

• SM North EDSA, 4th Floor, SM Cyberzone

• SM Fairview, 3rd Floor, SM Cyberzone

• Festival Supermall, 3rd Floor, Festival Supermall

• SM Lanang, 3rd Floor, SM Cyberzone

• SM Bacolod, 2nd Floor, SM Cyberzone

• SM Cabanatuan, 2nd Floor, SM Cyberzone

5. Ship to Customer’s Address

Enduser must email a copy of their official receipt, serial number box cut-out and provide their name, e-mail address, contact number and complete shipping address to: asusredemption@gmail.com.

Upon sending an email to ASUS from November 1. Customer just needs to wait up to 7days to receive the free item

6. Premiums are transferrable but not convertible to cash. Employees of ASUS Philippines, its advertising, PR and events agencies and their relatives up to the second degree of affinity or consanguinity are exempted from the promo.

Eligible model for free ROG Shuttle Backpacks

Mobile learning package Text2Teach celebrates 10th Anniversary

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Ayala Foundation, DILG, DepEd, ULAP, Microsoft and Globe sign commitment to bring tech innovation to all Philippine public elementary schools.

Mobile learning package Text2Teach celebrates its 10th year Thursday June 19, 2014. In line with the anniversary, Ayala Foundation, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Education (DepEd), Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) , Microsoft, and Globe Telecom have signed a commitment to mainstream Text2Teach, implementing it in all 38,000 public schools across the country. Text2Teach uses Lumia Devices installed with the Microsoft Education Delivery (MED) software application. MED harnesses mobile devices, networks, applications and cloud technology to deliver more than 300 educational video materials on grade 5 and 6 Math, Science, English, and Values Education even in remote communities. It comes with a Globe prepaid SIM and a 32-inch LED Toshiba TV that will play the videos for classroom use.

To mainstream the program, Text2Teach works closely with ULAP and the DILG in advocating and sharing the program with local government units. ULAP will hold advocacy workshops with LGUs and highlight the benefits of Text2Teach.

In addition to this, Ayala Foundation, with its aim to reach all public elementary schools in the Philippines, will conduct capability-building training sessions for all 203 local DepEd divisions, which in turn will train teachers in their respective areas to implement the Text2Teach program.

In celebration of Text2Teach's 10th anniversary, representatives from the Text2Teach Alliance sign a commitment to mainstream the project into the public elementary school system. From left: Czarina Medina-Guce, Executive Director, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines; Ana Bonagua, Director, Bureau of Local Government Development, Department of Interior and Local Government; Dina Ocampo, Undersecretary for Projects and Programs, Department of Education; Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman and CEO, Ayala Corporation; Ernest Cu, President and CEO, Globe Telecom; Sanna Eskalinen, Global Lead for Social Solutions, Microsoft; and Rowena Lopez, Senior Director for Programs, Ayala Foundation.

As part of its mainstreaming efforts, Text2Teach will also have all its materials and content available for DepEd teachers, through DepEd’s Learning Resource Management and Development System (LRMDS) portal. Videos, teaching guides, and other Text2Teach materials will be made available online as supplemental guides for teachers.

Text2Teach will also receive a system upgrade using Microsoft’s new devices. Text2Teach schools will be using Lumia Devices, which run on Windows OS8.1. The MED application where the Text2Teach videos are sent and stored will be updated with a new user-friendly interface. Additional features also include the ability to comment and ask questions about the media files. Text 2Teach will also make use of the mirroring function of the Lumia Devices, with the help of a dongle connected to the television. This means that teachers no longer need to hook up the phone to the 32-inch LED Toshiba television through a cable connector. Through its mirroring function, teachers can wirelessly connect their phones to the television and play the Text2Teach videos.

Text2Teach is the Philippine name of the global program BridgeIT conceptualized by Nokia, Pearson, the International Youth Foundation, and the United Nations Development Programme. The Philippines has the longest-running Bridge IT program from among 12 countries in the world. Last year it was hailed by Nominet Trust, a UK funder for tech projects, as one of the 100 most inspiring social tech innovations. It was also identified as one of the ten “Exemplary Information Communications Technology Innovations for Education” at the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Forum on ICT in Education held at Shenzhen, China last 2013. This year, Text2Teach received a Merit Award for Best Community Program at the 6th Annual Global CSR Summit and Awards in Bali, Indonesia.

The use of Text2Teach has shown improvement in student’s performance and National Achievement Test scores. It has fostered positive attitudes towards learning and the use of technology for teaching. The program’s impact can be seen in disadvantaged schools, thus helping bridge the social gap. To date, Text2Teach has served over 300, 000 students from 1,103 schools nationwide, covering a total of 78 cities and municipalities.

The mainstreaming of Text2Teach marks the fifth phase of the program, led by the partnership among DepEd, DILG, Microsoft, Globe, ULAP and the Ayala Foundation. The success of Text2Teach is also credited to Toshiba and Pearson Foundation who have supported the program in its earlier phases. Text2Teach also thanks the teachers, students, and volunteers who continue to believe in the program.

Be a part of Text2Teach! The program is open to groups and organizations who wish to become a partner in mainstreaming the program.

For more information on Text2Teach visit http://www.text2teach.org.ph/

or email info@ayalafoundation.org

About AYALA FOUNDATION

Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI) envisions communities where people are productive, creative, self-reliant, and proud to be Filipino. As a believer in creating shared value and inclusive business, it has four key program areas— Education, Youth Leadership, Sustainable Livelihood, and Arts and Culture. AFI is a member of the Ayala group of companies.

Visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ayalafoundation 

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ayalafoundation