Globe Telecom has partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd) in Region IX to bring its responsible digital citizenship program to all public schools in Zamboanga Peninsula which includes the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zamboanga del Sur as well as the two independent cities of Isabela and Zamboanga.

Launch of the Digital Thumbprint Program at the Hotel Guillermo in Pagadian City graced by (seated from L-R):  Dr. Pedro Melchor Natividad, Officer in Charge and Assistant Regional Director, DepEd Region IX; Dr. Margarita Consolacion Ballesteros, Director IV, External Partnerships of DepEd; Dr. Isabelita Borres, CESO III, Regional Director of DepEd Region IX; and a representative of Hon. Antonio Cerilles, Governor of Zamboanga del Sur. They were joined by Globe representatives and other DepEd partners.

Together with the local government of Pagadian City and DepEd’s regional office in Region IX, Globe will introduce the Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP) to the growing number of student Internet users in the region to remind them of the importance of respecting human dignity while online and at the same time, ensure their safety and well-being as cyber citizens.  The program forms part of the digital nation roadmap created by Globe to promote intelligent and judicious use of the Internet.

“We are happy to know that the program can help change the lives of the students when it comes to using social media. We hope that once this program is fully implemented in our division, we could see a significant increase in the digital responsibility awareness level among our students,” said Michael Jolo, IT Officer, DepEd Isabela City Schools Division and President of the Isabela City ICT Council.

Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications said: “The success of our Digital Thumbprint Program is largely due to the support of the Department of Education.  For this particular implementation, we are grateful to DepEd Region IX and the local government of Pagadian.  By working together with DepEd and other private sector partners, we are helping address UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 which ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.   This also allows the youth today to realize the value of online safety and responsible digital citizenship.  This is our proactive way of providing opportunities to young netizens to take advantage of available technologies fully.”

Globe also conducted the “Trainers’ Strand” of the DTP to key stakeholders of DepEd in Region IX through trained facilitators and workshop experts.  These stakeholders, in turn, have the responsibility to share with other schools in the region what they have learned in the program.

DTP is composed of a series of workshops that aims to help create responsible digital citizens. The program was in response to the prominent role that the Internet now plays in the lives of many Filipinos, especially the youth who spends a significant amount of time online to do schoolwork, play games or connect to various social media platforms. However, these “digital natives” also became exposed to a variety of issues like identity theft and worse, cyberbullying, which saw the need to educate them regarding the importance of responsible use of technology and the Internet.

The program has three informative modules for students such as “Digital Insight” which is designed to help students discern proper online behavior; “Digital Impact” which focuses on issues related to technology’s impact on students’ social activities; and “Digital Ambition” which aims to equip students with skills in using technology to help them achieve their life goals.

The modules were developed to expand students’ knowledge about digital citizenship and cybersafety by taking a critical look at their behavior when online and helping them develop insights into the influences of the online world and the choices they make. Specific content that puts emphasis on issues such as safety and security, responsibility and etiquette, and leadership and empowerment when the youth are online are also included in the workshops.

At present, the program, which runs alongside Globe Telecom’s award-winning Global Filipino Schools (GFS) initiative, already reached 6,374 students while 911 teachers were already empowered to share and teach the program to their students. For more about the Digital Thumbprint Program, visit www.globe.com.ph.

 Globe Telecom has partnered with Ashoka Philippines for Globe Future Makers (GFM) program which seeks to build an ecosystem of social innovators using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to address various causes of poverty in the country.

Globe SVP for Corporate Communications Yoly Crisanto and Ashoka Philippines Chairman Rico Gonzalez at the contract signing.  Witnesses are Globe Manager for Citizenship Apple Evangelista (left) and Terri Jayme-Mora, Ashoka Country Manager (right).

GFM is currently looking for individuals or groups with at least a working prototype of their solution to issues on health and well-being, learning and education, climate change, and peace and security in response to UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 9 which calls for investment in infrastructure and innovation to find lasting solutions to both economic and environmental challenges. Applications for the program is extended until May 21, 2017 and may be accessed via www.globefuturemakers.com

Globe engaged with Ashoka—the largest professional network of social innovators in the world—as the GFM program’s implementing partner. By leveraging Ashoka’s unique expertise in finding and supporting social innovators worldwide, the GFM program was designed with a more nuanced selection process. The program also gets access to Ashoka’s national nominator networks, regional mentors, and partners. 

“Globe and Ashoka both have the same goals — to create positive societal impact by enabling social innovators with digital technology to drive social development in the Philippines. We are confident that with Ashoka’s more than 30 years of expertise in the field of social entrepreneurship, they can help us identify startups with systems-changing solutions who can make large-scale impact to society.  Globe, on the other hand, will provide the best ones with technology support, mentorship, and network that will allow them to scale and further make a difference to society,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications.

The top five teams will be provided with expert mentorship from Globe, Ashoka, and Singtel Group.  On the other hand, the Portfolio Development team of Kickstart Ventures, Inc., Globe Telecom’s corporate venture capital arm, will facilitate access to relevant startup workshops or clinics, introductions to potential partners, mentors, advisers, and investors via Kickstart’s broad network as well as provide free Semaphore web-to-SMS API credits. Such support will allow the five teams to build their products faster and launch sooner to benefit the communities they aim to serve.  GFM Candidates will be selected on a merit-basis in terms of business solutions and social impact.

Rico Gonzalez, Chairman, Ashoka Board of Trustees said: “In Ashoka, we understand that for solutions to succeed it is critical to collaborate across sectors. Our partnership with Globe Telecom allows us to continue to create an enabling ecosystem for social innovation in the Philippines. We know that technology plays a key role in our future in its ability to connect people and increase access to information.”

Founded in 1980, Ashoka is the world’s pioneer in establishing the field of social entrepreneurship. With over 3,000 Fellows from 89 countries, Ashoka is also the largest network of leading social innovators in the world. Some notable Fellows include: Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, for his work in making information more accessible; and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Kailash Satyarthi, for championing children’s rights around the world. 

In the Philippines, there are currently six Ashoka Fellows such as: Girlie Garcia-Lorenzo, co-founder of Kythe Foundation, Inc., for her work in integrating psychosocial support in the country’s healthcare system; and Laurindo Garcia, for his work in creating online communities of inclusion for the most marginalized sectors in South East Asia.

Future Makers is the social innovation program of the Singtel Group of Companies within the Asia Pacific region.  Launched in 2016 in Singapore and Australia, the program seeks to recognize the most innovative technology-enabled solutions focused on solving social issues in Singapore, Australia, and the Philippines.

KonsultaMD, a 24/7 health hotline service that provides access to licensed and professional doctors to provide immediate medical attention to Filipinos, recently partnered with MedGrocer, FamilyDOC, Healthway Medical, and Lifeline with these benefits:

By calling 79880 (mobile) or (02) 798 8000 (landline), callers can speak to a licensed Filipino doctor regarding their health concerns. Inquiries about health-related issues include, but is not limited to, maternity, pediatrics and primary conditions like fever, rashes, and allergies, to name a few. Callers may also inquire about matters pertaining to health coaching, nutrition counselling, permissible medication, and even laboratory results.

To be able to connect with the hotline service, customers need to apply for a subscription, which can be done by visiting any Globe store nationwide, calling the KonsultaMD hotline at 79880 (mobile) or (02) 798 8000, or by signing up at their website, https://www.konsulta.md/.  Currently, only Globe customers can subscribe to KonsultaMD but this service will be opened to other operators soon.