Smart Bro keeps global CISV delegates connected

“The Philippines feels like home,” said Nondas Vandoros of Greece, as he walked through a hectare of land in Zambales planted to a variety of rice and other plants.

“Where the Dutch have a constant struggle with the water, Aetas are perpetually threatened by Mt. Pinatubo,” shared Ingrid Swagemakers of the Netherlands, when asked about the similarities between her home and her host community.

“We failed ‘Rice 101’ when we kept spilling grains on the floor while two Aeta women patiently taught us city-folk how to grind, separate, and cook rice,” recalled Maya Abood of the United States and Guillermo Fernandez of Spain.   

These are just some of the reflections shared by participants of the 2008 International People’s Project (IPP) held recently in the Aeta settlement communities in Zambales, which brought together about 30 young people from 11 different countries.

IPP is an activity regularly organized by CISV International (www.cisv.org), an independent, non-political and volunteer organization with members across the globe, and which promotes peace education and cross-cultural friendship through its activities.

IPP enables CISV members to learn while being immersed in and actively contributing to a particular community. It gives participants the opportunity to become aware of challenges to society and, in a real-life setting, experience different ways of dealing with them.

In partnership with local organizations, IPP delegates participate in hands-on work involving a specific theme or project such as nature conservation or immigration. 

This year, IPP had the theme “Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Development” and was held in Zambales, in partnership with the Aeta community, the National Commission of Indigenous People (NCIP), and ABS-CBN Eco-Village.

It was supported by Smart Communications Inc. which provided wireless broadband Internet to the IPP participants during the course of the immersion.  

Smart Bro Prepaid, the country’s first prepaid wireless broadband offered by Smart subsidiary Smart Broadband Inc., kept IPP delegates and CISV staff connected to the outside world, even as they immersed themselves in the lifestyle and culture of Zambales’ Aeta community.

“We needed wireless Internet access for IPP’s implementation — the project involved field trips, educational tours to Ifugao province, deployment to areas where there aren’t even telephone lines. There had to be continuous communication between the CISV staff, partner organizations, and our Metro Manila-based affiliates. We relied on the Smart Bro Prepaid for wireless connectivity while on the field,” said Diego Lorenzo Jose, the CISV staff’s resident “techie.” 

“As organizing staff, we needed to take care of the group’s transportation, we had to work out details of contracts, and we made it a point to constantly update the other members of the CISV community. Even practical matters such as checking of weather forecasts were done online, and through our Smart Bro connection,” said Zak Yuson, one of the senior members of CISV International. 

“Of course, the participants also took advantage of the Smart Bro Prepaid for sending to and receiving urgent e-mails from their loved ones back home,” added Diego.

The Smart Bro Prepaid broadband kit now costs only P3,800 with free five hours worth of Internet access. For a limited period or until supply lasts, the kit is available at the reduced price of only P2,500. It is available at all Smart Wireless Centers nationwide and from any accredited Smart dealer. 

Internet access via Smart Bro Prepaid costs only P10 for every 30-minute use, and load for the wireless modem is available from over a million Smart e-load retailers all over the country. For more information on Smart Bro Prepaid, visit www.smart.com.ph/smartbro. For more information on CISV in the Philippines, email at [email protected].