A PROJECT of the Department of Information and Communications Technology and University of the Philippines Open University won in the Capacity Building category of the World Summit on the Information Society Prizes 2021.

The project, dubbed as Enabling Teachers on Remote Teaching and Learning in the time of Pandemic, bested 582 entries worldwide and was hailed as the category champion.

It was the only Philippine entry to bag an award.

DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said the agency was proud that its digital solution was recognized by the international community.

He added that the department remained committed to help deliver education in the country.

“Because of the pandemic, the education sector had been drastically affected, and most schools and universities had to adapt online or blended learning systems to be able to continue with the school term. Despite these challenges, however, your DICT remains committed to assist in education delivery to securing our children’s future,” Honasan said.

“We commit to support the education sector in facilitating the achievement of human, social, and national development. We shall likewise continue to explore more channels to deliver ICT-based educational solutions to our schools and universities as we pursue inclusive development,” he added.

As DICT’s partner, UPOU prepared the session plan and provided the experts and resource persons for the online seminar sessions free of charge.

“Working with DICT MC1 on this initiative was really a good opportunity for UPOU to broaden or widen the reach of our capability building programs. This global recognition is an affirmation of the value and the impact of what we did. It inspires us to do more of this kind,” Dr. Melinda Bandalaria, UPOU chancellor, said.

More than 1,270 projects from around the world were submitted for the 2021 run of the competition.

International Telecommunications Union’s WSIS Prizes aims to create a platform to honor projects and activities that harness ICTs to advance sustainable development.

The 18 winners from the list of champions will be announced during the Awarding Ceremony scheduled on May 17 to 21.