Microsoft Phils to help state schools become globally competitive in IT education

MANILA, Philippines - In its continuing commitment to enhance the quality of education and technology literacy of academic organizations all over the country, Microsoft Philippines recently announced a partnership with the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) to enable more students to integrate technology in their learning process.

“With technology becoming more and more integrated in our way of life — be it at work, in school or at home, technology literacy has become essential. At Microsoft Philippines, we’ve always believed in our mission to make technology accessible to every Filipino, to help them achieve their potential and provide them with tools that will unleash their creativity,” said Arcy Bartolome, public sector director, Microsoft Philippines.

“Through this partnership, we are providing all member schools of PASUC, access to several Microsoft technologies that help students become globally competitive leaders and innovators,” said Bartolome.

“Today, there is no other way but to follow the trend. With technology constantly changing, we in the academe exert all effort to ensure that our teachers and students are able to compete globally and are consistently equipped with skills that will keep them ahead,” said Dr. Lauro Tacbas, PASUC president.

According to Bartolome, Microsoft has various IT-enhanced learning programs, which address the current needs of Filipino students, teachers and administrators.

“To ensure the competitiveness of every Filipino, we must start with our schools. If our end-goal is to produce students who stand out and are capable of competing against and collaborating with the best in the workforce, we must make sure that students and their mentors have access to 21st century learning tools that improve their skill,” he said

“We are grateful that we have this opportunity to realize our vision through our partner, PASUC who shares our passion and commitment to education,” added Bartolome.

PASUC currently has 110 member state universities and colleges all over the country. Most of the member schools offer information technology courses.

Programs which will be introduced to PASUC schools include Microsoft DreamSpark, which provides students with access to industry-leading software, gaming and design tools at no charge. Another initiative is the MSDN Academic Alliance for tertiary faculty in the technology and design fields, which allows free access to essential software. Microsoft Live@Edu also provides higher education institutions with free hosted communications services.