Ex-UP chancellor asks telcos to set up internet plans for students, faculties
MANILA, Philippines — A former chancellor at the University of the Philippines in Diliman on Friday urged telecommunication companies (telcos) to provide internet plans for students and faculties so they can access online classes.
Dr. Michael Tan, a medical anthropologist and professor at UP, said that academic institutions should really go online in resuming classes since education cannot wait for the situation on COVID-19 to completely normalize.
“May panawagan ako sa telcos natin (I have a suggestion to our telcos)… They have to bring down the cost and sana mag-ano din sila ng (I hope they will also set up) packages to help our students and faculty,” he said in a media forum hosted by the Department of Health (DOH).
Tan said that UP had conducted a survey, and found out that some faculty members do not have regular access to the internet.
In the survey, he said they also found out that some students do not own a personal laptop or even a smartphone.
Tan said UP is also looking at conducting asynchronous learning, where teaching materials and discussions will be posted online so that students who don’t have internet access at the time of the class can view the materials later.
“Or we are thinking na i-save ‘yan at kung kailangan ipa-ano sa USB and some other device and ipadala sa mga estudyante (We are thinking of saving that materials in USB and other device, and then sent to students), or even hard copies of lessons will be mailed to them,” Tan said.
