PLDT’s wireless arm Smart Communications said that it has switched on a new mobile site in San Vicente, Palawan, as part of the Philippine government’s Bayanihan SIM programme to connect geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).
At the launch ceremony, Smart and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) distributed around 1,500 free SIM cards with prepaid load to government-identified beneficiaries, including students.
Under the partnership, beneficiaries will receive 25GB of data per month for 12 months, fully subsidized by the government.
“By bringing fast and reliable mobile connectivity to towns like San Vicente in Palawan, we enable more Filipinos in underserved communities to access opportunities in education, livelihood, and innovation,” said Menardo G. Jimenez, PLDT’s chief operating officer and network head.
As part of the launch, PLDT also gifted Old Caruray Elementary School with a “School-in-a-Bag” package. Billed as a “portable digital classroom”, the package includes a laptop for the teacher, 10 tablets pre-loaded with Department of Education curriculum-based learning materials and interactive educational applications, a Smart Bro LTE Pocket Wi-Fi device and expandable storage.
San Vicente is located around 500 km southwest of Manila, with a population of 33,768 people as of 2024.
