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Leading fiber broadband and technology provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has renewed its collaboration with the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) under the latter’s Pagsasarili initiative, building on years of shared efforts to bring digital resources closer to Indigenous communities in Pampanga.
Converge, represented by Co-Founder and CEO Dennis Anthony Uy, and CDC, led by President and CEO Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera, signed a memorandum of agreement on Thursday to provide free internet connectivity to five selected Pagsasarili Family Care Centers (PFCCs) serving Aeta children in Mabalacat City, Pampanga, and Bamban, Tarlac.
“The important thing here is how we can work together toward building a more digital society. In today’s economy, access to information, connectivity, and technology are among the most important things. Converge will continue to advocate for greater access to connectivity, technology, and quality education. Progress must include everyone,” Uy said during the signing ceremony.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Converge Immediate Past Chairman and Independent Director Jose P. de Jesus and Converge Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications and Public Relations Jay-Anne Encarnado. Also present were CDC Chairman Atty. Edgardo Pamintuan and CDC Assistant Vice President for External Affairs Rommel C. Narciso.
Alongside free internet access, Converge also pledged to upgrade the satellite broadband system it initially provided to the Aeta learning centers, as well as to donate Cloud personal computers for the beneficiary schools.
“Kailangan nating yakapin ang teknolohiya, at sa pagyakap natin nito, dapat makita natin ang kabutihan at ito ay dapat makapagpaunlad sa ating katauhan. It should improve our well-being, increase connectivity, and bring progress; so let us make the most of it without forgetting our values… Technology should make the community one and strong. For this, we are deeply grateful to our benefactors,” said CDC President and CEO Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera in her message during the event.
Launched in 2019, CDC’s Pagsasarili Family Care program provides early childhood and adult learning opportunities for Indigenous Peoples living in and around the Clark Freeport Zone.
Over the years, Converge has supported the initiative through successive donations of learning devices and network services.
The collaboration began in 2021, when Uy and Converge donated 60 learning tablets and nine large-format displays (LFDs) to selected Aeta students and learning centers, helping equip them with additional tools for education.
By 2022, Converge expanded that support by delivering 100 more learning tablets and free internet services to two Pagsasarili centers in Brgy. Marcos Village and Sitio Calapi in Mabalacat City, alongside another 22 learning tablets for students at the CDC-Bloomberry-OB Family Care Center in Brgy. San Vicente, Bamban, Tarlac.
The reach extended even further in 2023 when ComClark Network and Technology Corp. – the parent company of Converge – installed a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) satellite broadband system at the Aeta nursery school in Brgy. San Vicente, bringing connectivity to an off-grid community.
Through the latest agreement, Converge and CDC are building on these previous efforts, recognizing that access to reliable internet helps empower Indigenous communities in an increasingly digital world.
