PLDT, Smart, ATRIEV enhance digital skills of BARMM entrepreneurs with disabilities

PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) bolster their partnership with non-profit organization Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (ATRIEV), enhancing the digital skills of persons with disabilities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). In collaboration with local government agencies in Cotabato City and the Municipality of Upi, Maguindanao del Norte, the PLDT Group and ATRIEV recently concluded a series of Digital Business Basics Training (DBBT) sessions, equipping more than fifty entrepreneurs from the region.

“Technology can be a great equalizer, improving the lives of Filipinos in unique circumstances. Through IDEATe, we help persons with disabilities develop skills necessary to accomplish essential tasks independently and offer alternative, tech-enabled ways of doing business,” said Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Management Team at PLDT and Smart.

Part of PLDT and Smart’s much broader Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Advocacy through Technology (IDEATe) program, the training program seeks to enable the successful participation of marginalized sectors in the digital economy. 

Baiguira Urak Usman, a visually-impaired businesswoman selling household cleaning supplies, shared, “I am very thankful to PLDT, Smart and ATRIEV for this training. It has helped me because I learned a lot about practical costing and pricing strategies for my business.”

The DBBT sessions, supported by local Social Welfare Offices and Persons with Disability Affairs Offices, as well as ATRIEV partner organizations Voice PH and Norfil Foundation, aim to help individuals with disabilities start and expand their businesses through trainings on financial management, content creation for e-commerce platforms, social media marketing, and internet safety.

Sharita Sulaiman, a Muslim business owner with vision impairment, shared, “I own a small business and because of this initiative, I realized that there are a lot of opportunities for me to grow my business with the help of technology.” 

Highlighting the impact of the program, ATRIEV lead trainer Brian Aubrey Serrano said, “Through this training, participants not only learn new skills to help start or improve their businesses, but also gain access to online platforms that can expand their reach beyond BARMM, to the rest of the country.”

These efforts also contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), including UNSDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and UNSDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, by empowering and promoting the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, including persons with disabilities.