Globe turns old phones into new classrooms

MANILA, Philippines - Old non-working phones are usually discarded or abandoned but for Globe Telecom, even if these phones have outgrown their usefulness, they can still do something wonderful – build classrooms for the children of Aklan.

Aklan needs hundreds of classrooms to accommodate students who were displaced after their schools were damaged by Yolanda a year ago. As a development partner for Aklan, Globe committed to put up at least 40 school buildings in the province.

Project 1 Phone is a big and important campaign created by Globe.

“We can give our old phones by donating them to Project 1Phone and be instrumental in providing our schoolchildren a decent place to study. At the same time, we can help save the environment by freeing it of toxins which are emitted by the wrong use of e-waste disposal,” said Globe corporate communications SVP Yoly Crisanto.        

Globe is set to build schools in two phases with the help of Habitat for Humanity and Ayala Foundation. The first phase involves the construction of five “Noah’s Ark”-type classrooms that double as evacuation structures during calamities. These are equipped with three toilet and bath facilities and a kitchen and will be built in each of the seven identified municipalities in Aklan. The second phase will comprise more than 30 regular but “built back better” classrooms.

Donation bins for non-working phones and tablets, mobile phone batteries, and chargers are available at all participating Globe stores in the country.

All devices and accessories that Globe will gather shall be turned over to TES-AMM, a leading electronics waste recycler that will ensure that they are managed responsibly.

E-waste is not limited to mobile gadgets but includes all obsolete and unwanted electronic and electrical devices that are usually dumped in the trash and crushed in garbage incinerators, thereby causing harmful metals to pollute air, land and water.