Recognizing this need, PLDT and Smart partnered with the Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (ATRIEV), the Quezon City Persons with Disability Affairs Office, and APNIC Foundation to conduct a cyber safety workshop tailored to the needs of visually impaired participants.
The initiative forms part of the companies' #KonektedforInclusion and #KonektedforSaferInternet programs, which aim to promote digital inclusion while strengthening cybersecurity awareness among vulnerable sectors, PLDT and Smart said in a company statement.
Broader effort
Voice talent Ma. Angelica Tores encouraged participants to stay alert against fraudulent messages, reminding them to verify employers and avoid offers that require upfront payments before claiming prizes or securing jobs.
The workshop builds on similar training sessions conducted this year at the Philippine National School for the Blind and the National Vocational Rehabilitation Center, expanding internet safety education for persons with disabilities.
The awareness campaign complements PLDT and Smart's wider cybersecurity efforts. During the first six months of the year, the group's Cyber Security Operations Group blocked more than 209 billion attempts to access malicious domains and blacklisted over 193,000 phishing, spam and hoax-related URLs.
Smart also prevented nearly 1.6 billion scam text messages from reaching customers and blocked more than 373,000 mobile numbers linked to fraudulent activities.
Together, these initiatives underscore the PLDT Group's strategy of pairing cybersecurity infrastructure with public education to ensure that digital inclusion also means digital safety for every Filipino. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
