The Context
The Philippines, with a population of over 118 million, continues to face significant challenges in its education sector. Despite a literacy rate of around 94%, only about 60% of individuals complete secondary education. The government has made efforts to improve access to learning. Still, issues persist due to underfunding—less than 4% of GDP is allocated to education, one of the lowest rates in Asia. This results in inadequate teacher salaries and a lack of necessary resources for many schools. The quality of teaching is another major concern, with many educators needing more training and resources to teach effectively.
Additionally, using English as the medium of instruction complicates learning for students who do not speak it as their first language. Recent studies have shown that Filipino students perform significantly below the global average in key areas such as mathematics, reading, and science. For further details, please visit the EDCOM 2 Report.
ST Foundation’s Presence
Starting the DU Program in the Philippines in 2012, the ST Foundation aimed to raise infrastructure and educational standards for underprivileged populations. Local ST volunteers’ efforts have helped this project advance in the Cavinti and Calamba regions. Moreover, the program’s success was highlighted in 2017 when it teamed with the Calamba Department of Education to present the Tablet for Kids (T4k) course.
After the pause imposed by the pandemic, 2023 was the year of returning to normal. The activities expanded and enhanced their impact. Training centers and labs increased from 2 to 7, providing students and teachers greater access to digital education. The T4K course grew, benefiting an increasing number of students. The T4S course was also launched in collaboration with the Real Elderly Association, offering elderly community members valuable digital skills and resources. More ST employees joined the diversified initiatives as volunteers, enthusiastically participating in activities such as coordinating with partner schools, processing teacher allowances, and facilitating T4S sessions. These efforts significantly contributed to the success and expansion of the program.
With the beginning of 2024 in the first semester of the year, we have reached over 7,000 beneficiaries since the inception, demonstrating resilience and adaptability in addressing the educational needs of disadvantaged communities.
