Converge ICT Solutions Inc. will provide free Internet access to five Pagsasarili Family Care Centers serving Aeta children in Mabalacat City, Pampanga, and Bamban, Tarlac, under a renewed agreement with the Clark Development Corporation (CDC).
The memorandum of agreement, signed on Nov. 12 by Converge co-founder and CEO Dennis Anthony Uy and CDC president and CEO Agnes Devanadera, also covers upgrades to satellite broadband equipment previously provided to the learning centers and the donation of cloud personal computers.
The release did not specify the connection speeds, duration of the free service, number of computers to be donated, or timetable for the upgrades.
“The important thing here is how we can work together toward building a more digital society. In today’s economy, access to information, connectivity, and technology are among the most important things. Converge will continue to advocate for greater access to connectivity, technology, and quality education. Progress must include everyone,” Uy said during the signing ceremony.
Launched in 2019, CDC’s Pagsasarili Family Care program provides early childhood education and adult learning opportunities for Indigenous communities living in and around the Clark Freeport Zone.
Converge’s support for the program began in 2021 with the donation of 60 learning tablets and nine large-format displays to selected Aeta students and learning centers.
In 2022, the company provided another 100 tablets and free Internet services to two Pagsasarili centers in Barangay Marcos Village and Sitio Calapi in Mabalacat City. It also donated 22 tablets to students at the CDC-Bloomberry-OB Family Care Center in Barangay San Vicente, Bamban.
In 2023, ComClark Network and Technology Corp., Converge’s parent company, installed a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) satellite broadband system at the Aeta nursery school in Barangay San Vicente to connect the off-grid community.
“Kailangan nating yakapin ang teknolohiya, at sa pagyakap natin nito, dapat makita natin ang kabutihan at ito ay dapat makapagpaunlad sa ating katauhan. It should improve our well-being, increase connectivity, and bring progress; so let us make the most of it without forgetting our values… Technology should make the community one and strong. For this, we are deeply grateful to our benefactors,” Devanadera said.
