PLDT, Smart, ATRIEV Empower Visually Impaired Persons with Digital Training in Negros Oriental

PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), together with non-profit organization ATRIEV, held a ten-day Android accessibility training in Dumaguete City to upskill twenty visually impaired persons from eleven municipalities in Negros Oriental.

This training seeks to help participants navigate their Android devices independently with the help of a TalkBack screen reader.

“We want to share with them the power of technology and how it can make a difference in their daily lives. Through this initiative, we also intend to provide them with the knowledge they need to establish their own businesses,” said Jaelene Cristel Mina, Master Trainer II at ATRIEV.

ATRIEV is a non-profit organization that capacitates visually impaired persons using technology-enabled assistive programs. This digital training was also conducted by visually challenged members of ATRIEV.

Participants, composed of students, working adults, and small-time business owners, were also equipped with the basics on financial management and technology for business. ATRIEV trained them on how to use digital tools and applications that they can maximize for their daily activities and businesses, such as social media, email services, editing apps, and online word processors, among others.

Kris John Santillan, 32, from Valencia City, has been visually impaired since he was in high school. He can only see with his left eye now, and it is likewise foggy. “It's my first time using my device's screen reader feature, and it has been very helpful. This training has given me a lot more confidence, especially in my job search,” he said.

To provide additional livelihood opportunities, PLDT and Smart briefed participants about online payments and how they can start their own e-loading business. They also learned about the different types of phishing and how they can protect themselves from online scammers.

“This experience has given me a deeper appreciation for technology. It dawned on me that technology should be most accessible to those who have unique circumstances, like the visually impaired, because they deserve to experience the best things life has to offer,” said Armel Malijan, head of Consumer Business Fulfilment for PLDT Negros-Siquijor Division.

The success of Dumaguete City's training program relies heavily on the crucial support from the local government unit, private institutions such as PLDT and Smart, and NGOs such as NORFIL Foundation/Liliane Fonds and Voice Philippines. These collaborative efforts are vital in ensuring the program's effectiveness and its ability to positively impact the community.

The initiative forms part of PLDT and Smart’s Infoteach program, which is aligned with the group’s commitment to help the country achieve UNSDG #10 on reducing inequality by empowering and promoting the social, economic and political inclusion of all, including persons with disabilities. It also helps underscore the PLDT Group's commitment to innovation and digital inclusion, and to assist in the government's key digitalization efforts. The PLDT Group is a founding member of the Digital Infrastructure pillar of the presidential Private Sector Advisory Council or PSAC.

6 Highly Urbanized Cities with Homes Under 1 Million Pesos

Many assume that buying a home in a highly urbanized city (defined by the National Statistics Office as having a minimum population of 200,000 and an annual income of at least Php50 million) is expensive. But it looks like this is not the case. According to data from MyProperty.ph, the following are highly urbanized Philippine cities that boast urban yet laidback lifestyle, great culinary tradition, buoyant economies, and most importantly, affordable real estate.

DUMAGUETE CITY

Photo by Mike Gonzales via Wikimedia Commons

Dumaguete City, nicknamed the City of Gentle People, is located in the province of Negros Oriental. This city is accessible by air via Sibulan Airport (aka Dumaguete Airport), which is located in the general area of the city. If traveling by sea, it can be reached via daily ferry transportation to and from neighboring Cebu Province.

This city is also the home of Asia’s first American private university, Silliman University, which makes Dumaguete a popular college town in the Visayas region.

According to the 2014 Retire Overseas Index released by Live and Invest Overseas, Dumaguete is one of seven best places to retire in the world. The index, which was cited in an article published in Forbes magazine, singled out Dumaguete’s beaches, affordable real estate, and good health care facilities are major draws.

So if one plans to relocate in Dumaguete, he will be delighted to know that houses for sale in the city are some of the most affordable. MyProperty.ph data shows that depending on the area, a two-bedroom house may cost as low as Php410,000.

DAVAO CITY

Photo by Constantine Agustin via Wikimedia Commons

The Durian Capital of the Philippines is the most populous city in Mindanao and is also the home of Mount Apo, the Philippines’ highest peak. Davao is also often cited as one of the country’s safest cities. It can be accessed via sea and land as transportation is widely available in and around the city.

The city has a lot to offer to both tourists and residents. Aside from Mount Apo, Davao City has parks and beaches for outdoor fun activities, such as extreme water sports and trekking. Also nicknamed the “Fruit Basket of the Philippines,” Davao City is the island’s leading exporter of mangoes, mangosteens, papayas, and the notable Davao fruit, durian.

Despite being Mindanao’s business capital, Davao City still offers some of the most affordable real estate in the country. A two-bedroom home can be had for as low as Php450,000.

BACOLOD CITY

Photo by Xentran via Wikimedia Commons

The capital of Negros Occidental, Bacolod City is billed as the “Best Place to Live in the Philippines” by MoneySense Magazine.

Dubbed the City of Smiles, it has a modern airport , good infrastructure, and has also been declared as a Center of Excellence by the Department of Science and Technology. But these don’t take away the city’s heritage and character. Bacolod still boasts heritage homes of the sugar barons of the yesteryears, while some of its prime areas are being converted to gleaming shopping malls and BPO centers.

In Bacolod, a starting family may purchase a two-bedroom house for as low as Php550,000.

CALAMBA CITY
Photo by WikiCalambenyo via Wikimedia Commons

Dubbed the City of Hot Springs, Calamba is a popular weekend resort destination among residents of Metro Manila. It also helps that the city is at the southern terminus of the South Luzon Expressway, making commute from the capital very easy.

Tourists flock to Calamba all year round. Apart from its hot springs and resorts, Calamba is also home to the second tallest Rizal monument, which was built at the national hero’s childhood home. Another city landmark relevant to Rizal’s life that still stands today is the St. John the Baptist Parish Church, where the National Hero was christened. The Calambanga, a huge claypot or banga in Filipino, stands at the city plaza to represent where the name “Calamba” originated from. A more modern tourist attraction, the Republ1c Wakepark in NUVALI, serves as a respite for extreme sports enthusiasts.

Calamba has plenty of residential areas and subdivisions. If one would like to live in a two-bedroom home that has a beautiful view, he may acquire one for as low as Php605,000.

ANGELES CITY

Photo by Judgefloro via Wikimedia Commons

A city renowned for its culinary tradition, Pampanga’s Angeles City is also famous for the Clark Freeport Zone, a former U.S. military installation that was turned into an economic zone after the Americans left in the early 1990s. What remained after the U.S. base shut down was a city with an international airport, waterparks, BPO centers, condos, and some of the largest townships to be built in the Philippines. Add to this the fact that Angeles is accessible from Metro Manila via the North Luzon Expressway, making commute to and from the capital fast and easy.

Angeles City’s newfound boom is fueling its real estate market. However, housing here is still quite affordable. A two-bedroom home in Angeles can be had for as low as Php650,000.

ILOILO CITY

Photo by Jennifer S. Kimball via Wikimedia Commons

The capital city of Iloilo Province, it has its own airport, a buoyant local economy, colorful festivals, and now mixed-use townships by national real estate developers.

Iloilo also has international and domestic seaports and fish ports that are heavily used for international trading of fish and marine products. These products supply fresh catch to region’s largest supermarkets, hotels and restaurants.

Native delicacies and cultural, historical and natural tourist destinations await future residents of Iloilo. However, the city is not all fun and no business. More and more BPO companies are setting up shop in Iloilo, drawn by the city’s high number of college graduates.

These developments have led to the city’s real estate boom. Aside from the aforementioned mixed-use township by Megaworld, the city boasts traditional horizontal housing in gated communities or subdivisions. A two-bedroom home can be bought for as low as PHP 980,000.