Smart Communications held on Friday, April 24, an eBootcamp for its SWEEP, short for Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program — the first time it held virtually its flagship student competition since it started 17 years ago.
SWEEP is an industry-academe linkage program with a network of 36 colleges and universities all over the country that offer ECE (electronics and communications engineering) and IT courses.
In the eBootcamp, Smart Communications emphasized the need of supporting the Filipino youth in its pursuit to learn and develop tech solutions, including analytics, which can bring significant impact to our country.
“Data analytics as the modern oil of the industry can help us in adapting and finding solutions for our current situation. Empowering the students with the knowledge on how to utilize it is somehow a way of giving our future a chance to be better than it is now,” said Darwin F. Flores, VP for community partnerships at Smart.
“The lockdown presented us with a lot of challenges, but this is also one of the main reasons why we must continue learning and innovating,” said Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP for community partnerships at Smart.
Held on April 24 in partnership with the Asian Institute of Management – Dado Banatao Incubator, the e-Bootcamp brought together over a hundred students and mentors from all of the Philippines.
Prim Paypon, executive director of Asian Institute of Management – Dado Banatao Incubator, opened the session which showcased educational training lectures spearheaded by startup entrepreneurs from various industries such as Raphael Layosa, founder and CEO of Retailgate (retail); Angela Chen, co-founder and CEO of Eskwelabs (education); JoJo Gumino-Ocol, co-founder and COO, Agrabah (farming); Timmy De Jesus, co-founder and COO, Payruler (human resources); and Aaron Hilomen, co-founder and director, Antipara (environment and marine resources). They also shared their journey and tips on how to respond to the current Covid-19 crisis through innovation and technology.
“This year’s SWEEP Bootcamp takes place under the most exceptional circumstances. With the Covid-19 pandemic forcing people to stay at home and practice social distancing, technology and innovations have truly become the most powerful means for people to stay in touch and work together,” said PLDT-Smart chief technology and information advisor Joachim Horn.
“We are so glad that we successfully pulled off our first webinar because we believe that now more than ever, students need encouragement to create more smart ideas for our future,” said Ramon R. Isberto, public affairs group head at PLDT-Smart. “We are looking forward to hosting more webinars and other accessible opportunities for the growth and learning of the Filipino youth,” he added.
