A Victory for Charity  

Winners of the recent GIGA Arena Street League, an esports tournament powered by Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have turned over LearnSmart kits to their chosen beneficiary, the Department of Education, benefitting almost 13,000 students in alternative learning system (ALS) communities in Masbate and Samar.  

“Aside from providing the best mobile game experience to Filipinos through our fastest mobile network and innovative gaming platform like Giga Arena, we are happy to have set up this opportunity to allow grassroots all over the country to compete and show their skills,” said Melvin Consunji Nubla, FVP and Group Head, Go-to-Market and Subscriber Management at Smart.   

Rebourne Phoenix of ELG Sports, the runner up of the Giga Arena Street League, was able to donate P15,000-worth of LearnSmart kits to assist 19 ALS communities implementing the Dynamic Learning Program (DLP) in Masbate. The LearnSmart kit is a learning connectivity companion that contains a Smart LTE Pocket Wifi and flash drive preloaded with learning content to help more than 7,500 students in the province.   

“Mahalaga sa amin yung mga ganitong program sa esports, kasi nakakatulong kami sa mga nangangailangan. Hindi lang basta laro, nakakatulong din kami sa kapwa,” said Dickson Tan, Coach of Rebourne Phoenix. (This program is important to us, because we can help those in need. Aside from playing games, we are also able to help our fellow men.)  

“We are happy that PLDT and Smart are always supportive of our goals of educating our learners,” said Renie F. Socito, Division ALS Focal Person at DepEd Division of Masbate.   

Meanwhile, DepEd Samar was able to receive P5,000-worth of LearnSmart kits to help 87 ALS communities implementing DLP with over 5,000 students in Samar.   

“We are so grateful for this chance to be chosen as one of the recipients of LearnSmart kits. We accept the responsibility that comes along with it, and we assure you that these kits will be used according to its purpose,” said Rosa Cecilia O. Oronos, Public Schools District Supervisor, DepEd Division of Samar.  

LearnSmart is an education initiative of PLDT and Smart which utilizes wireless and mobile technologies to enhance learning. It also highlights PLDT and Smart’s use of technology to empower and build bridges of collaboration across sectors and communities towards a sustainable future. LearnSmart is an integral part of the telco’s broader commitment to help the country achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: Inclusive Quality Education.   

Philippines’ fastest mobile network  

Meanwhile, the Street League tournament held on Smart GIGA Arena (gigaarena.smart) is in line with Smart’s long-standing support for Philippine esports to cultivate the passion, skill, and talent of Filipino gamers.  

Smart GIGA Arena is the country’s first all-in-one esports platform for Filipino mobile gamers. The platform is open to all Smart and TNT customers and lets users match up with fellow players to compete in daily, weekly, and monthly tournaments for prestige and cash prizes.  Aside from organizing the country’s biggest esports events and backing Filipino esports athletes, Smart also supports gamers with relevant data offers and services, such as the enhanced GIGA Games, a data-packed offer that enables Filipinos to play their favorite games, such as Mobile Legends. Subscribers can register to Power All and Giga Games 99 by logging into the GigaLife App, or by dialing *123#.  

Gamers can enjoy leveled-up gaming experiences powered by Smart, which is recognized as the Philippines’ Best Mobile Network by Ookla, the global leader in mobile and broadband intelligence. Smart received this accolade after dominating two crucial Ookla Speedtest Awards categories, the “Fastest Mobile Network” and “Best Mobile Coverage”, from Q1-Q2 2022.   

To continue enjoying the best gaming experiences powered by Smart, subscribers are encouraged to register their Smart and TNT SIM at http://www.smart.com/ph/simreg.