Smart Communications Fires Up New LTE Sites in Southern Leyte, Strengthening Farming Communities

PLDT Inc.'s (PLDT) wireless unit, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), has increased its network coverage in Southern Leyte by establishing additional LTE sites in the town of Saint Bernard, hence increasing opportunities for livelihood in the province through connectivity and technology.

​Among those that would benefit from these upgrades are Saint Bernard's farmers. The economy of Southern Leyte is mostly agricultural, with coconut and palay being the primary crops.
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"Technology is a game-changer for farmers in agriculture-based provinces like Southern Leyte. With reliable connectivity, farmers can access key information such as real-time weather updates, as well as learn more about modern-day farming techniques. By harnessing technology and digital tools, our farmers can make informed decisions, reduce losses, and increase their productivity, elevating the quality of life for farmers and their families, and boosting economic growth of the province,” said Debbie M. Hu, FVP and Wireless Network Head at Smart.

Danny Balasico, president of Tambis St. Bernard Farmers Irrigators Association, expressed his delight on Smart’s network expansion in their town. “Since communication and connectivity are becoming more essential in today’s increasingly digital world, our association can benefit from this network expansion as we work toward integrating technology in our farming operations and livelihood,” he said.

PLDT and Smart continue to deliver FarmTech packages around the country to support local farmers' digitization initiatives, allowing them to make the most of these network advancements. The Tambis St. Bernard Farmers Irrigators Association is the first farmer organization in Southern Leyte to acquire this training package.

The FarmTech package is a technology-based training kit meant to help agricultural communities in rural places develop digital literacy programs for their farmer members. The package includes a tablet, ten cellphones, a SmartBro pocket WiFi with Smart Prepaid load cards, an outdoor projector, a portable sound system, and educational materials.

“We sincerely thank PLDT, Smart, and the Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Training Institute Region 8 for choosing our association to be one of the beneficiaries of this package. With these tools and the enhanced connectivity in our area, we are more motivated to train our farmer-members on how to utilize mobile devices and applications to improve our farming practices,” said Balasico.

Smart's continued investments in network infrastructure and innovative products and services to help Filipino farmers and fishermen improve their livelihoods are consistent with the PLDT Group's commitment to assisting the country in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG No. 1 on No Poverty, SDG No. 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG No. 9 on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.