From access to empowerment: Her Legacy Project and GCash drive digital inclusion in last-mile schools

Cayabu Elementary and High School and Rawang Elementary School in Rizal province received laptops from non-profit foundation Her Legacy Project and the country’s leading finance super app GCash, reinforcing their shared dedication to advancing financial inclusion and making basic education tools accessible to all learners.

The donation was part of the Her Legacy: Tech for All initiative, which is a component of the national ConnectED program in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd). Her Legacy Project is a civil society organization dedicated to empowering women and girls through education, advocacy, and community engagement.

The program aims to address the growing educational inequality in the Philippines, particularly in last-mile communities where access to digital tools remains limited. The issue is especially pressing among young learners who began schooling during the height of the pandemic, many of whom still lack access to basic devices like mobile phones or laptops.

To date, ConnectED and its partners have distributed over 500 laptops across over 100 schools in 29 provinces, raising more than ₱21 million through private donations and public partnerships. The initiative has helped equip learners and teachers with the tools needed to participate more actively in today’s digital learning environment.

For this GCash donation drive, laptop devices have been refurbished and repurposed to serve learners who need them most, helping close the tech gap in education by enabling more girls to gain access to the tools they need to succeed. GCash chief technology and operations officer, Pebbles Sy, led the laptop turnover to the learners.

“Technology is most powerful when it creates access—especially for those who have long been left behind,” said Sy. “This partnership with Her Legacy Project resonates deeply with us here at GCash because it’s about giving young people the agency to shape their futures. When learners in last-mile schools are equipped and empowered, the impact goes far beyond the classroom,” she added.

“Her Legacy has always been about harnessing collective action to uplift young girls and bring resources to where they are needed most,” said Karen Davila, founder of Her Legacy Project. “We’re grateful to GCash for joining us on this mission. Through this collaboration, we are showing our youth that they matter, that they belong in the digital future we’re building.”

Education advocate Tootsy Angara, meanwhile, stressed that access to technology is no longer a privilege but a necessity for every learner. “By putting laptops in the hands of learners in last-mile schools, we’re not just bridging the digital divide, we’re opening doors to opportunity, equity, and a brighter future,” she said.

The initiative reflects a shared mission between Her Legacy Project and GCash to expand digital access, empower communities, and champion inclusive innovation. By repurposing available technology for educational use, and tangible impact with scalable potential—one learner, one device at a time—is created for those most in need.