On May 13-14, 2026, UNICEF Philippines, collaboration with PLDT, Smart Communications, Inc. and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), in close coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), turned over 110 School-in-a-Bag (SIAB) kits to multigrade schools in Southern Leyte and Dinagat Islands as part of a shared commitment to improving digital learning access for last-mile learners.

SIAB is a portable digital classroom designed by PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. to bring technology, connectivity, and digital learning materials to last-mile schools in remote, underserved, or disaster-affected communities across the Philippines. Each SIAB kit contains a laptop computer, 10 tablets with LTE sim, and a home Wi-Fi preloaded with PHP 500 worth of internet access.

The handover ceremony brought teachers and school heads together for a hands‑on orientation session on SIAB and on UNICEF's Learning Passport, a digital platform that supports both online and offline access to quality learning materials reinforcing teachers' capacity to integrate digital learning materials effectively in multigrade classrooms.

The event brought together representatives from UNICEF Philippines, PLDT and SMART, PBSP, and DepEd, alongside multigrade teachers and school heads from the Schools Division of Southern Leyte.

“SIAB’s vision is to bring portable digital classrooms directly to our learners. We aim to bridge the distance. We want to make sure that high quality digital tools are not miles away. We want it within their reach. Our role here is simple: “connectivity”. And we will not let you down. We want to make sure that our learners have access, not only to the best technology but to the newest and best innovations,” said Roby Alampay, First Vice President and Group Communications Head of PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc.

During the turnover ceremony, Khairon-Niza Magundacan, Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Social Responsibility Manager of PBSP stated that the gathering reminds everyone that education is a shared mission and never the responsibility of just one institution alone. She also thanked all project partners and organizers of the event.

“Through the SIAB initiative, you make technology accessible to schools and learners. On behalf of PBSP, allow me to express our heartfelt gratitude to our partners for your trust, collaboration, and shared commitment to improving education outcomes for our learners and communities,” said Magundacan.

Jieun Yoon, Education Specialist of UNICEF Philippines, reaffirmed UNICEF's long-standing commitment to strengthening learning systems in the Philippines, particularly in multigrade schools that often face the greatest barriers to access.

“Teachers and school heads are at the center of this initiative; tools and technology only matter when they are placed in the hands of committed educators. You are the ones who can transform these resources into teaching and ensure that every child in your classroom learns and feels supported,” said Yoon.

Now in its 10th year, SIAB has already deployed 782 School-in-a-Bag kits in various geographically isolated schools in the Philippines bringing connectivity and digital learning to more than 12,000 teachers and 124,000 learners.