The MOA signing for the implementation of the <code/it> project in Pasig City was attended by Ortigas Land Corp. Head for Trade Fairs & Exhibits Mr. James Candelaria, Ayala Foundation’s Chief Information Officer and Senior Director Ms. Vivien V. Reyes, Ortigas Land President and CEO Mr. Jaime E. Ysamel, Ayala Foundation President Mr. Ruel Maranan, Pasig City Mayor Mr. Vico Sotto, Mr. Jaime Urquijo of Ayala Corporation, and DepEd Division of Pasig City, OIC – Office of the Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Ma. Evalou Concepcion A. Agustin.

PASIG CITY, Philippines – It is undeniable that technology has become an integral part of the everyday lives of Filipinos. The past year reinforced this as people shifted towards working and learning from home. With the desire to better equip public schools in strengthening their curriculum to enable today’s youth in developing necessary digital skills to be more competitive, Ortigas Land participates in Ayala Foundation’s digital literacy program “<code/it>” along with the Department of Education and the City of Pasig.

The “<code/it> project” is the digital literacy program of the Ayala Foundation which provides Filipino youth access to computer science education to hone their skills. Through the program, select public schools in Pasig City will be equipped with the necessary hardware, and will have faculty be trained to be adept in conducting the curriculum, and to teach fellow teachers.

As Ortigas Land develops master planned communities, the company ensures to partake in programs which enrich the lives of those who reside in cities where it is present. Being a part of the <code/it> project is an example of this as the company is able to support the Pasig City government in its long-term development agenda which includes improving the quality of education in its public schools.

Through <code/it>, an initial 120 teachers will undergo intensive training which will enhance their knowledge in using various online collaboration platforms, and basic programming language. Following a “train the trainor” methodology, they are then expected to teach fellow teachers to be able to implement in their own classes.

Public school students from Grade 3 to 6 will go through Department of Education-approved computer programming modules where they will be exposed to basic programming languages namely, Scratch, Kodu and micro:bit. The students are expected to learn how to do visual block programming and use their knowledge in practical application. Periodic monitoring will be done to ensure the effectiveness of the program and would be used as a benchmark to possibly scale in the future.

Participating schools are: Bagong Ilog Elementary School, Buting Elementary School, De Castro Elementary School, Dela Paz Elementary School, Dr. Sixto Antonio Elementary School, Maybunga Elementary School (Annex), Nagpayong Elementary School, Napico Elementary School, Rosario Elementary School, and San Joaquin Elementary School.