Smart PayITFwd Iloilo launch at Bavaria German Restaurant

Over the German specialties of Bavaria, the launching of Smart Communications PayITFwd in Iloilo was a night of inspirational stories and a delicious gastronomical specialties. The speisen und getranke (food and drinks) consisted of sausages, pasta, pizza, sandwiches, cookies and German beer!

PayITfwd is a social development initiative that aims to enable nation building by increasing access to technology (device + connectivity).The goal is to support, promote, expand, enhance, reward and enable social good efforts that foster LEARNING through technology.These social good acts done by ordinary individuals or groups -- dubbed 'Smart Acts' -- are made 'smarter' with technology.

Technology not only increases access to learning but enables these smart acts to spread its benefits to more communities thus keeping the 'good' going.PayITfwd is the new program of Smart Communications, Inc. that aims to enable the spread of social good acts or 'smart acts' using technology (or Information Technology).

“The goal is to support, promote, expand, enhance, reward and enable social good efforts that foster learning through technology. With payITfwd, social good advocates can scale up and even encourage the public to support their cause,” said Ramon Isberto, head of Smart Public Affairs Group.

It was well attended by the members of the media who heard a lot of inspiring stories from the invited guest speakers who in their own right can be considered winners.

Like Mrs. Herminia Pineda who is as a former scavenger at the Calajunan dumpsite in Mandurriao. Through the SMART assisted Sooc Social Ventures, she is now the Tarp Head for Livelihood which recycles used tarpaulins into bags and other usable things.

Maybelle Miraflores (above) talks about a women creating arts and crafts from recyclable materials like juice packs and paperbeads. Marilyn Platon (below) of Sooc Social Ventures of PLDT Smart Amazing GK Village Kapitbahayan Association Inc.All these three above projects are part of Project Zero which recently won the 2013 Asian Communication Award for THE SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION CATEGORY.

Under the project, the mothers in GK-Sooc create bags from recycled tarpaulins designed by PJ Arañador. The designer handbags are sold both locally and abroad, and helps provide steady income for the GK-Sooc mothers while at the same time, promoting green initiatives because it promotes zero waste. The initiative dubbed Sooc Social Ventures has garnered several awards since it was launched April 18, 2012 in Boracay, Malay town in Aklan, including the Award of Excellence in the 2012 Quill awards and 2013 Anvil Award of Excellence. The 66 families of the village used to be waste pickers before they were relocated and chosen as beneficiaries of a partnership between GK and Smart last 2005. (The Daily Guardian)

Maugri Laluma of UPV explains how her group Kabataang Katipuneros alleviated the lives of the people of brgy Lapaz in Guimaras through health campaign and empowerment. She and her felllow Public Health students from UP Visayas organized the Team Kabataang Katipuneros and implemented their Kalinisan at Kalusugan para sa Kaunlaran (KKK) project in June 2012 with a daunting task of reducing the number 1 rank of underweight 0-10 years old (for five consecutive years) of Barangay La Paz through a multi-pronged approach of health education, community participation, immersion, and organization, supplemental feeding and use of malunggay powder, and grassroots training on sanitation, meal budgeting, and proper nutrition. After nine months of implementation, as of March 2013, Barangay La Paz is now ranked number 20 with the original number of 210 undernourished children now reduced to four (originally severely undernourished and now mildly undernourished) with a mean weight gain of 7 kgs. (Read more)

Meanwhile Roger Esmaña recycles old tires into garden set of tables and chairs (below). Despite the lack of support, he says, it still inspires him to see people appreciating this novel furniture and orders keep pouring in.

Photo by Totan Clavel of Discover Panay Island

All these stories are what Smart is looking for as these extraordinary deeds by ordinary people can make a positive difference in this world. As the the wireless leader, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is giving these acts of kindness a further boost by way of payITfwd, a social development initiative that aims to enable the spread of social good acts or ‘smart acts’ using technology. “The goal is to support, promote, expand, enhance, reward and enable social good efforts that foster learning through technology. With payITfwd, social good advocates can scale up and even encourage the public to support their cause,” said Ramon Isberto, head of Smart Public Affairs Group.

Read more about the mechanics of the competition.

It was indeed a night of inspirational stories that keep the cycle of doing good continuous throughout pour lives. And with Smart's payITFwd campaign, these efforts will not only be greatly rewarded but also gain public awareness for a better and bigger things to come.

Cheers!

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FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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