SMART was presented with a seven Gold Anvils and seven Silver Anvils in a ceremony organized annually by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines.
Receiving a Gold Anvil was Smart’s Free Internet campaign, an initiative to bring the benefits of mobile Internet to more Filipinos. From September 2014 to February 2015, Smart gave the 70 million subscribers of Smart, Sun, and TNT free access to 30 MB of data on a daily basis. Smart also released educational materials that taught Filipinos how mobile Internet could make their lives better.
Another Gold Anvil winner was the Sun Choose Better campaign, which encouraged the youth to celebrate practicality – to not go along with the hype and choose options that give them more than what they pay for.
Another top awardee was Smart’s Employee Rockstar Program. This is an organization-wide rewards and recognition program for employees who promote innovation, an awesome customer experience, and collaboration in the workplace.
Four of Smart’s education programs likewise bagged Gold Anvils. One of these is the Smart TechnoCart, a compact mobile laboratory donated to public schools to develop literacy among kindergarten students. Each TechnoCart contains tablets for students, a laptop, projector, and mobile WiFi. The tablets are preloaded with the Batibot mobile application, the first educational app for kids in Filipino which is aligned with the official kindergarten curriculum.
The Batibot app also won a Gold Anvil. Smart partnered with the Community of Learners Foundation and startup OrangeFix to develop the Batibot app, in response to the lack of localized content for literacy. The app takes off from the popular children’s TV show.
Through the app, which can be downloaded for free on Android devices, children can learn how to write letters properly, sing along to Batibot songs, and play classic Batibot games like “Alin ang Naiba” or “Pagsama-samahin.”
Also receiving recognition was the 13-year-old Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP). Under this program, Smart partners with colleges and universities to improve engineering and information technology education in the country. It also seeks to help schools produce industry-ready graduates or future technology entrepreneurs.
Through SWEEP, Smart provides faculty and students with learning opportunities and on-the-job training.
The SWEEP Innovation and Excellence Awards also won a Gold Anvil this year. The program has evolved from simply recognizing innovative student projects, to helping students establish startup companies. (PR)