Google Philippines has formally launched its “Schools Gone Google” program in a celebratory event at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus dubbed “Going UP with Google.”
The project aims to bring Google Apps for Education to as many education institutions in the country as possible. Close to two million students, faculty, and school staff are expected to benefit from the program.
Google and representatives from 16 colleges and universities, including the University of the Philippines, celebrated the schools’ adoption of Google Apps for Education, a suite of collaboration tools offered for free by Google to academic institutions for a more meaningful curricular integration.
“We are glad that major universities are taking the step to modernize their system by adopting Google Apps for Education. We hope that this will be one of the many factors that will help improve the learning system in the country, ” said Narciso Reyes, Country Manager of Google Philippines.
The University of the Philippines is one of the biggest universities in the country to migrate its education management system to Google Apps. It is bringing 70,000 of its students, faculty, staff and alumni to join the more than 20 million active users worldwide of Google Apps for Education. The number of users from UP, including its alumni, is expected to reach 250,000 once the whole UP system has completed the integration in all its campuses.
“Implementing Google Apps for Education for the whole UP system is a big move for us. As the premier state university, we want to optimize the use of technology to provide our students with a better learning experience,” said Alfredo E. Pascual, UP President. “We believe that Google Apps for Education can help us achieve this and more.”
Joining UP in the event are Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University who have gone Google in 2012 and early this year.
“Google is committed to education so we are more than willing to assist higher education institutions who want to use our tools for a more collaborative learning experience,” said Janet Yoon, Google Apps Supporting Programs (GASP) lead for the Philippines who has been working since 2012 on engaging Philippine schools for the systems migration.
Also formally launching on the same day their adoption of Google Apps for Education as part of their vision to bring better education to students are: Adamson University, Asian Institute of Maritime Studies, Ateneo de Zamboanga, Berkeley School, Eastern Visayas State University, Educational Systems Technological Institute, Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology, Immaculate Conception Academy, La Salle University – Ozamiz, Miriam College, Rizal Technological University, Siliman University, St. Paul University, St. Scholastica’s ;College, and University of San Jose Recoletos.
The Commission of Higher Education (CHED) and Department of Education (DepEd) are both early birds, giving close to 700,000 of their employees an improved, digitized and cost-effective learning management system since 2012. TESDA has also recently gone Google, which means the entire education department of the Philippines is now using the Google suite.
“Our productivity increased by 166%. We were able to take action on client requests more efficiently after implementing Google Apps for Education,” said Charlie Calimlim, Chief, Information and Publication Division, Office of Policy, Planning, Research, and Information at CHED. “Plus, the deployment process was very easy. With this quality of technology free of cost, it was a simple choice to go Google.”
Other universities that have earlier migrated to, or are in the process of adopting the Google Apps for Education, include AMA Computer University, Angeles University Foundation, Assumption College, Baguio Patriotic School, Bicol University, Cebu Institute of Technology University, Centro Escolar University, Colegio De San Juan De Letran, De La Salle Santiago Zobel, Lyceum of the Philippines, Mapua Institute Of Technology, Mindanao University of Science and Technology, Misamis University, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Philippine Christian University, Philippine Women’s University, San Sebastian College-Recoletos, St. Joseph’s College, St. Jude College, STI, Technological Institute of the Philippines, University of Baguio, Universidad de Zamboanga, University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, University of the East, University of Santo Tomas ICS department and St. Louis University. AMA has the biggest number of migration so far with 150,000 students, faculty and staff, including those in their international campus in Bahrain.
