COMMUNITY | PLDT, Smart promote online safety in Cebu
The partnership recently held the Pista sa Kaalam Cyber-Caravan at the University of San Carlos Main Campus, bringing together students, teachers and parents for sessions on responsible social media use.
PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. are working with Terre des Hommes Netherlands and Bidlisiw Foundation Inc. to promote online safety and child protection among communities in Cebu through Project SCROL.
The partnership recently held the Pista sa Kaalam Cyber-Caravan at the University of San Carlos Main Campus, bringing together students, teachers and parents for sessions on responsible social media use, identifying online risks and protecting against digital threats.
The activities focused on helping participants understand the risks children face online and develop safer digital habits. The sessions also covered the responsibilities that come with online posts, clicks and interactions.
Stephanie V. Orlino, assistant vice president and stakeholder engagement head at PLDT and Smart, said communities need both access to technology and the skills to use it safely.
“Technology can be a powerful tool for learning and empowerment, but communities also need the knowledge to navigate the online world safely,” Orlino said. “By working with organizations that are deeply rooted in the community, we can help equip young people, parents, and educators with practical skills that promote safer digital experiences and protect vulnerable sectors from online harms.”
The companies said the program is part of broader efforts to combat online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) under the #KonektedforSaferInternet campaign.
Through its Child Protection Platform, the PLDT Group uses technology and global monitoring tools to help detect and block access to online content linked to child sexual abuse and exploitation, according to the company.
The initiatives complement partnerships with schools, communities, civil society organizations and government stakeholders working on child protection online and offline.
Bidlisiw Foundation Executive Director Pamela Uy said collaboration is necessary to provide communities with information and resources on online safety.
“Keeping children safe online requires a collective effort. Through partnerships with organizations like PLDT and Smart, we can bring critical information and resources directly to communities, helping parents, educators, and young people become more aware, more prepared, and ultimately more empowered,” Uy said.
PLDT Home also provided connectivity during the learning activities, allowing participants to access educational content and participate in interactive sessions.
The companies said the collaboration combines connectivity, digital literacy and child protection efforts to promote safer internet use among children and communities.
Full disclosure: All news articles published on the TechSabado website are written by human journalists, unless otherwise specified. Final text editing is also performed by human editors, with artificial intelligence (AI) used only to assist with additional grammar and style guide corrections..
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