OLFU opens exclusive Smart online store to power e-learning

The Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) Inc. community is getting its own Smart Online Store to help students, faculty, and other personnel in the new normal for education. Called the OLFU Smart Online Store, the e-commerce platform provides Fatimanians a convenient gateway to browse through Smart Prepaid products and services tailored to their own digital learning needs.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted how students learn. And Smart has responded to the disruption by rolling out innovative solutions and services that enable students to adapt to and thrive in the new normal for education,” said Jane J. Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart. “Smart continues to encourage the youth to live the giga life and bring a sense of purpose into their day-to-day activities so they can live smarter and help build a better world.”

The partnership with OLFU reinforces the PLDT group’s core value of “malasakit”, which drives PLDT’s wireless unit Smart to assist where and when necessary, this time in the connectivity needs of the education sector.

Smart, together with PLDT’s B2B arm PLDT Enterprise, has launched a customized digital marketplace featuring Smart connectivity solutions for the exclusive use of the OLFU community. Fatimanians across six campuses in Valenzuela City, Quezon City, Antipolo City, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Sta. Rosa, Laguna can avail of Smart Prepaid load cards and electronic loads at discounted prices when they buy from their very own OLFU Smart Online Store. Fatimanians can also avail connectivity devices like the Smart Bro Prepaid and PLDT Home WiFi from the customized portal. Smart is also waiving shipping costs for all transactions made via the OLFU Smart Online Store.

The platform also offers secure and convenient payment options via credit cards, and cash on delivery or COD. And to let the community enjoy the fastest 5G network in the Philippines according to Ookla®, the global leader in internet testing and analysis, Smart is also giving away Smart 5G ready prepaid SIMs to students. In the future, Fatimanians will no longer need to visit Smart retail shops to subscribe to Smart’s postpaid offerings including special deals on handsets.

True to its commitment of improving man to the best version of himself through excellent education and compassionate value formation, the university launched innovative programs to allow education to continue outside of its campuses.

“Our Lady of Fatima University reiterates its commitment to our students wherein we will continue connecting with them. We will go that extra mile for our students and teachers to ensure that we can leverage all means possible to address their needs,” said OLFU’s Student Financial Services Head Vincent Kenneth Mercado.

When the coronavirus global health crisis forced the government to shut down face-to-face classes, the administration at Our Lady of Fatima University initiated “GO, FLEX!” or the “Fatima Learning EXperience.” Centered on flexibility and adaptability, the initiative is a mix of distance learning that incorporates online classes, offline learning through asynchronous sessions, and modular learning.

“Our goal is to always be flexible and agile, quick to act and adapt to the circumstances,” stated Mercado.

OLFU takes pride in its recognized paramedical degree programs such as Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Dentistry among others. The university’s College of Medicine has produced more than 100 topnotchers while more than 70 nursing alumni have excelled in the Nurse Licensure Examinations. OLFU also touts its non-paramedical undergraduate and graduate programs that continue to churn out industry-ready graduates. The school also molds young minds through their basic education and senior high school programs.

These innovations to support education amid the global health crisis underscore the commitment of PLDT and Smart to help the Philippines attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), particularly SDG #4: Quality Education as a foundation in improving people’s lives and obtaining sustainable development.