THE DEPARTMENT of Education received 100 school-in-a-bag kits worth over P10.4 million from the United States Agency for International Development, in partnership with Smart Communications and Philippine Business for Social Progress.

Each kit contains a laptop, 10 tablets with additional expandable memory, and pocket Wi-Fi preloaded with P500 worth of internet access.

“Through the Smart School-in-a-Bag initiative, we will be able to advance digital literacy amid and beyond the Covid19 pandemic, especially in remote areas that lack access to technology,” USAID Philippines Acting Deputy Mission Director Brandon Miller said.

“We will continue to forge partnerships with the private sector, the local government units, and the local community so that no one will be left behind and every child will receive quality education,” Miller added.

DepEd will distribute these kits to selected schools in Regions 5, 6, Maguindanao, Cotabato Special Geographic Area and Cotabato City, and to schools associated with USAID’s remote learning study.

Tablets will be loaded with e-resources such as DepEd TV episodes, interactive literacy primers in mother tongue languages, USAID-supported e-books, and other digital resources that can bridge the digital divide and improve early grade reading, especially in remote areas.

“We’d like to express our utmost appreciation to USAID, PBSP, and Smart Communications for our continuous partnership throughout the years. This partnership is yet another evidence that education is a shared responsibility. We will continue this journey of providing support and opportunities for our learners, especially those in the far-flung areas, together with our allies in attaining accessible and quality education,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said.