Ateneo de Manila University has teamed up with Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) to launch the Ateneo Smart Online Store for the Ateneo community as they navigate the new normal in education.
Together with PLDT’s B2B arm PLDT Enterprise, Smart has set up an e-commerce site exclusively for Ateneo de Manila students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The partnership makes it more convenient for Ateneans across four campuses in Loyola, Salcedo, Makati, and Pasig to browse through and purchase Smart’s connectivity solutions.
Ateneo de Manila University President Fr. Roberto C Yap SJ is grateful that the university has its own Smart Online Store with products and services tailored to the needs of the Atenean community.
“We very much appreciate this additional partnership with PLDT and Smart. The Ateneo Smart Online Store is a first among Ateneo schools, and the idea of having Smart Prepaid Services available to the community in an exclusive platform is aligned with the university’s continuous digital transformation.”
Alfredo S. Panlilio, President and CEO of PLDT and Smart, recognized the value of network services and technology in the country’s economic recovery and overall nation-building saying, “PLDT and Smart being the largest, fully integrated telco in the Philippines puts us in a unique position, with entailing responsibilities, to offer a wide range of products and services to our countrymen today, and post-COVID. We will never stop evolving as our vision for the future is one where all Filipinos are digitally empowered.”
The Ateneo Smart Online Store offers exclusive discounts for Ateneans when they purchase Smart Prepaid load cards and electronic loads. Ateneans can also buy connectivity devices like the Smart Bro Prepaid and PLDT Home WiFi from the customized portal. The platform also offers multiple secure payment options via credit cards and PayMaya, including cash on delivery or COD for added convenience. Smart is also waiving shipping costs for all transactions made via the e-commerce site. As a bonus, Smart is also giving away Smart 5G ready prepaid SIMs to students wishing to experience the fastest 5G network in the Philippines according to Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis. And soon, Ateneans can avail of Smart’s postpaid offerings, including special deals on handsets.
“Smart continues to help educators and students adapt to challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis. The Ateneo Smart Online Store is an innovative platform that offers the Ateneo community access to Smart products and services tailored for the new normal of learning. These tools ensure that Ateneans are enabled to live smarter as they help build a better world,” said Jane Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart.
The Ateneo Smart Online Store is also a portal for the Atenean community to earn invitations to special events. The e-commerce site opens up access to limited edition Smart K-inspired premium items. It also links students to useful webinars and training programs for the youth.
“Smart continues to empower students and educators with our innovative connectivity solutions. We are committed to helping the education sector hurdle the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic with learning tools that allow them to thrive in these trying times because we believe that no learner should be left behind; moreover, they will not be left behind because Smart’s products and services are powered by the Philippines fastest network,” added Melvin Consunji Nubla, Department Head and VP at Smart for Go-To-Market and Subscriber Management.
Not only will the Ateneo Smart Online Store provide a convenient gateway for the Ateneans to access Smart products and services, but the platform will also prove helpful for Ateneo scholars and employees enrolled under the Smart Giga Study Program that provides them with a monthly data load.
“The new Ateneo Smart Online Store now makes it much easier for us to implement this essential program for e-learning in the new normal,” noted Rodolfo Ang, Vice-President for Administration and Information Systems of Ateneo de Manila.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the government imposed restrictions on face-to-face classes and migrated learning to a blended platform utilizing broadcast media and the internet. In response, Smart has been launching innovative products and services to empower students and teachers amid the disruptions brought about by the global health crisis.
The Smart Giga Study suite of data offerings is ideal for students and teachers in the new normal. With Giga Study, customers get 1GB data every day for study apps like Google Classroom, Meet, Google Search, YouTube, MS Teams, and Office 365, among others. Smart recently gave its Giga packages a boost with Double GIGA that doubles the data for other Giga passion apps.
These innovations to support education amid the global health crisis underscore the commitment of PLDT and Smart to help the Philippines attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), particularly SDG #4: Quality Education as a foundation in improving people’s lives and obtaining sustainable development.
