Muntinlupa Teachers put AI to Work for More Accessible and Inclusive Classrooms

Teachers in Muntinlupa are exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can help make everyday learning more accessible to students with disabilities, from communicating with a nonverbal learner to providing real-time captions and creating visual materials for young children.

 

Through ‘AI for Accessibility’, a training initiative under PLDT and Smart’s #KonektedforInclusionprogram, Special Needs Education and general education teachers from schools and institutions across Muntinlupa learned how AI-powered accessibility tools can address some of the challenges they encounter in their classrooms and communities.

 

“Technology becomes more meaningful when it responds to real needs,” said Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Engagement at PLDT and Smart. “By working with teachers who understand the day-to-day realities of students with disabilities, we can help bring digital tools closer to the classroom and, ultimately, to the students and families who can benefit from them.”

 

Conducted by PLDT and Smart together with ATRIEV, in partnership with The Birthright Educators Foundation Inc., the workshop introduced participants to assistive technology such as Seeing AI, Live Transcribe, Speech Assistant AAC, Avaz AAC, Gemini Notebook and other applications that can support communication, learning and everyday activities.

 

Rather than treating AI as simply another technology to learn, participants were encouraged to look at how these tools could respond to specific needs among their students.

 

“I have a student who is nonverbal and has difficulty communicating,” said Mary Ann Dalo, a Special Needs Education teacher. “Speech Assistant could give that student another way to express themselves.”

 

She also saw potential in Live Transcribe, which converts spoken words into text in real time and could help students who are deaf or hard of hearing, particularly in situations where teachers or classmates may not know sign language.

 

The workshop also broadened the teachers’ understanding of who can benefit from accessible technology. Zenith Gofredo of the DepEd Inclusive Learning Resource Center in Muntinlupa said AI can provide additional support not only to people with visual disabilities but to anyone who encounters barriers in learning or communication.

 

“One of the things I learned is that AI is not only for people who are blind. It can also help anyone who is struggling and needs additional support,” she said. Gofredo plans to share the lessons with fellow teachers and emphasizes the importance of bringing parents into the conversation.

 

For preschool teacher Danielle Abrasaldo, AI can also help address a more basic classroom need – creating visual learning materials for young children, “I realized that we can really use AI to teach children, not just children with special needs, but children in general. Preschoolers are very visual learners, so these tools can help us make our lessons more engaging and accessible.”

 

She also said that using AI can create templates that can be saved and reused when needed instead of repeatedly drawing and photocopying materials.

 

Other participants saw applications beyond the classroom. Jb Alexis Alambro, who works in early childhood education in Muntinlupa, explored how NotebookLM could help create visual materials for young learners, while Live Transcribe could provide real-time captions during meetings with parents and families.

 

The experience also encouraged participants to introduce accessibility tools to their students and help them understand how technology can support people with different needs.

 

“I was amazed by the tools we learned, especially Seeing AI, because I saw how it can help people with visual disabilities in their daily lives,” said Kimberly Raye Fernandez of The Birthright Educators Foundation Inc. “I want to explore these tools further and introduce them to my students so they can become more aware of technology that can also help their classmates.”

 

The participants also recognized that introducing AI in schools requires teachers to first understand the tools themselves. They plan to test these innovations, identify which ones are most useful for their students, and share their experiences with fellow educators and parents.

 

The initiative is part of PLDT and Smart’s #KonektedforInclusion program, which harnesses technology to help underrepresented sectors gain greater access to learning and livelihood opportunities. It also reinforces the PLDT Group’s commitment to helping the country achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals particularly SDG 10 on reducing inequality.

Globe Equips 300 Taguig Seniors to Spot Online Threats, Stay Safe Online

Globe partnered with the Taguig City Government to equip 320 senior citizens with practical skills to recognize scams and navigate the digital world more safely during a Senior Digizen session at the Taguig Convention Center on September 16. The activity gave participants hands-on guidance they could apply to everyday situations involving suspicious calls, messages, links, and online offers.

The session directly addressed growing cyber risks targeting older Filipinos. Data from the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) revealed consumer fraud as the leading complaint among senior citizens in 2025, with older adults remaining uniquely vulnerable to phishing, smishing, investment schemes, "budol" tactics, romance scams, and fraudulent offers.

Rather than simply telling participants to “be careful online,” Globe volunteers walked them through practical situations they may encounter in their daily lives. Seniors learned how to examine suspicious messages before clicking links, recognize red flags in questionable offers, protect their personal and financial information, safeguard their one-time passwords or OTPs, and seek help when something does not feel right.

“Digital inclusion must also mean digital protection. As more seniors use their phones for communication, financial transactions, and essential services, we must equip them to spot online risks and act with confidence,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer. “Through the support of Taguig City, we are bringing these practical lessons directly to seniors,” she added.

The session also introduced participants to practical mobile tools that can help them stay connected with family and access useful services. Volunteers worked closely with the seniors throughout the activity, answering questions and helping them apply what they learned to situations they may encounter on their own.

“With around 120,000 senior citizens in Taguig, helping our elderly population navigate technology safely is a priority,” said Hon. Lani Cayetano, City of Taguig Mayor. “Through our partnership with Globe, we are giving our seniors practical knowledge to identify scams, protect their personal information and make better use of technology in their daily lives.”

The event, which supported Taguig City’s broader efforts to serve and protect its senior citizens, was organized with the Taguig City Government, the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs, and the teams of Deputy City Administrator for Health and Social Services Dr. Cecilia R. Montales and Councilor Alvinleen “Ivie” P. Dizon. Senior Citizens Party-list Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Ordanes also attended in support of senior digital literacy, while private-sector partners HONOR, McDonald’s, AC Health, Healthway, and Generika provided meals, tokens, and raffle prizes.

Launched in 2024, Senior Digizen is Globe’s digital inclusion program for older Filipinos, helping them build practical digital skills and greater confidence in using technology. Since its launch, the program has reached thousands of seniors, with Globe continuing to expand its reach through partnerships with local government units such as Taguig to promote digital safety and independence among older Filipinos.

The Taguig session formed part of Globe’s annual GDay celebration, which mobilized Ka-Globe volunteers for community activities across the country. Through Globe of Good, employees contributed their time and skills to initiatives addressing community needs, including digital literacy and disaster response.

For more information about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.

PH Fintech Players Call for Balanced Regulation to Sustain Financial Inclusion and Digital Economy Growth at ASEAN Tech Summit

The country's leading fintech executives urged policymakers to adopt balanced, future-ready regulations that protect consumers while enabling innovation, expanding financial inclusion, and supporting the continued growth of the digital economy.

At a panel during the ASEAN Tech Summit, Barbie Dapul, General Manager for Consumer Business and Chief Operations Officer of G-Xchange (the mobile wallet operator of GCash); Maya Bank President Angelo Madrid; Alliance of Tech Innovators for Nation Lead Convenor Monchito Ibrahim; and Tala Director for External Affairs Arianne Ferrer talked about how regulations play a role in advancing the digital economy. 

"The goal should be a level playing field that will let the financial institutions compete on value, compete on innovation, on better security, and while ensuring also that pricing is fair and reasonable," Dapul explained.

Madrid and Ferrer underscored the need for regulation that supports both consumers and the fintech industry, ensuring protection without stifling innovation.

"Regulation has two jobs. The first is protection: putting in place the safety protocols to make digital transactions safe. The other is enabling the investments the country needs to accelerate its digital economy," Madrid said.

"We need consumer-centric co-regulation that balances financial inclusion goals—greater access, choice, and control to unleash the economic power of the global majority—and a pathway to profitability and sustainability for local and foreign investors," Ferrer added.

Ibrahim, meanwhile, stressed the need for regulations to keep pace with rapid technological advancements. "Technology is moving so fast that our regulatory policy is reactive. We need to re-engineer the process to match our technological revolutions," he said.

Balancing affordability and sustainability

Dapul noted that GCash shares the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas's (BSP) vision of expanding financial inclusion and supports the implementation of BSP Circular No. 1238, which encourages financial institutions to reduce fund transfer fees, including offering zero-fee transfers where viable, to accelerate digital payments adoption.

In line with the circular, GCash lowered its transfer fee to P10. Dapul explained that while lower fees make digital services more accessible, maintaining reasonable charges enables fintech companies to continue investing in technology, platform resilience, cybersecurity, and customer protection.

"I think the circular also recognizes that there are costs involved in delivering quality services," she said. "The circular says that pricing needs to be fair. It needs to be reasonable. It didn't necessarily say that it had to be zero."

"Progressive regulation should strike a balance between affordability and sustainability,” she stressed.

Moving fintech sector forward

Dapul added that fintech companies and traditional banks operate under fundamentally different business models. While banks generate revenue from lending and deposit products, fintech firms rely primarily on payment services to fund continuous investments in innovation and digital infrastructure.

"It's really digital payments that enable us to make the investments needed to sustain innovation, build the infrastructure, and continue providing quality services to our customers," she said.

Dapul stressed that sustaining these investments ultimately benefits consumers by allowing fintech companies to continually enhance security, strengthen fraud prevention measures, and deliver more innovative and reliable financial services.

Promoting financial inclusion

E-wallets, Dapul said, help accelerate digital adoption by lowering barriers to financial access, particularly for underserved and unbanked Filipinos.

She explained that GCash continues to make financial services more accessible by simplifying account opening requirements and rolling out initiatives such as National ID registration and electronic know-your-customer (e-KYC) verification, making it easier for more Filipinos to securely onboard and participate in the digital economy.

“We want them to have ease and access to their mobile phones,” she quipped. 

The ASEAN Tech Summit is a two-day event that brought together thousands of industry leaders, policymakers, regulators, and innovators to discuss cross-border digital trade, interoperable payments, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data governance, and other key issues shaping ASEAN's digital economy.

Prior to this event, GCash was an official partner of the 48th ASEAN Summit, enabling seamless cashless payments for delegates and participants in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu—demonstrating how regional collaboration can help build a more connected digital economy.

For more information, please visit www.gcash.com. 

2GO Recognized by Data Lake for Enabling Rapid Nationwide Rollout of PIALEOS Connectivity Project

Manila, Philippines, 18 May 2026 – 2GO, the country’s largest logistics solutions provider, was recognized by Data Lake Inc. as a trusted partner in the successful rollout of the PIALEOS Project under the Free Wi-Fi for all program of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), with the Department of Education as its key beneficiary. The PIALEOS project is an initiative led by Data Lake Inc., with the joint venture partner, We Are IT, Inc., to deliver high-speed satellite internet connectivity to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas across the Philippines. Anchored on the principle that reliable connectivity enables access to possibilities, the project brings Starlink-powered internet to public schools, helping bridge the longstanding digital divide.

 

The recognition highlights not only 2GO’s logistics capabilities, but also its role in enabling communities to grow through improved access to information, services, and opportunities.

 

Data Lake Inc. positions itself as a national enabler of connectivity, working in close partnership with the government to advance national program agendas such as digital transformation and the nationwide deployment of resilient digital infrastructure. As the first and largest authorized Starlink reseller in the Philippines, Data Lake delivers secure, audit-ready, and rapidly deployable connectivity solutions that support large-scale public sector requirements. This capability is operationalized through initiatives such as the PIALEOS Project, implemented with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Education (DepEd), to bridge connectivity gaps in geographically isolated and underserved areas. PIALEOS enables reliable high-speed internet access for public schools and institutions, strengthening service continuity and expanding inclusive digital access at scale.

 

Enabling this level of execution requires strong operational partners, which is why 2GO plays a critical role. Through the timely and efficient movement of equipment, 2GO supported the rapid deployment of these services. As a result, public schools in far-flung areas now have access to essential digital services, reaching even the most remote and hard-to-reach communities across the country.

 

Ria Valdez, Vice President for Operations of Data Lake Inc., reflected on the challenges encountered during implementation. “There were long travels, storms, power interruptions, and real challenges on the ground. There were times we had to go back to the same site, changes in our master list, travel for days again, just to complete what was needed,” she said. “But we didn’t give up because we understood the why. We saw the students, the teachers, the communities waiting to be connected, and that made everything worth it. Because this project was never just about connection. It’s about hope, opportunity, access, and the future of our students and our communities.”

 

“Everybody really gave 100% every day just to make it happen. And a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of stress, a lot of worry, but it’s sharing a dream together. And we all have the same dream,” said Jose Cobarrubias, Chief Operating Officer of Data Lake Inc. “And it’s beyond connectivity, right? The free Wi-Fi, internet, but what’s behind that? What’s important to us is what internet can provide. It’s the future. It’s giving that one student a chance to realize their dreams… It makes everything possible.”

 

Faye Alonzo, Business Unit Head of 2GO Forwarding, emphasized the broader impact of the partnership. “We are proud to support initiatives like the PIALEOS Project, under the Free Wi-Fi for all programs, that create meaningful impact for communities across the country. Our role goes beyond moving cargo. We help drive progress by ensuring that essential infrastructure reaches the areas that need it most, including students who now have better access to education and opportunities that can shape their future. This recognition reflects the strength of our operations and our commitment to delivering solutions that support national development.”

 

As part of this milestone, 2GO was also honored with the Special Leadership Award in Delivery Operations for its role in the project. The award underscores the company’s ability to execute complex, large-scale deployments with speed, consistency, and operational discipline, even in the most challenging environments.

 

Through its multimodal and tailored logistics solutions, 2GO goes beyond the movement of goods. The company plays a role in connecting communities, supporting access to essential services, and opening opportunities that help both businesses and people grow and move forward.

 

To learn more about 2GO’s services, visit 2go.com.ph.