Thousands of students in San Juan City will receive digital equipment as blended learning continues amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

The local government and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will distribute computer tablets, laptops, and pocket Wi-Fi to some 13,500 K-12 public school students residing in the city in the coming days.

Even before the pandemic, Mayor Francis Zamora said the DICT has already been providing gadgets and other technological equipment for the public school students in the city, as part of the agency’s Digital Education Program.

“Once the students receive the digital equipment, we are expecting a high number of enrollees for next school year,” Zamora said during the ceremonial turnover of gadgets and media briefing on Wednesday.

Tablets will go to 12,500 students while 1,000 students from Grades 3 to 6 of Pinaglabanan Elementary School will receive laptops and pocket Wi-Fi.

“I would like to thank Secretary Gringo Honasan and the entire DICT team for their commitment to helping me fulfill my goal of making San Juan a Smart City. They have been tirelessly working and helping us even during this pandemic,” Zamora said.

Zamora said the city will extend more supports, aside from the gadgets

“This is not the end of our support to our beloved students in this time of the pandemic. Expect more announcements in the coming days, this time regarding the internet for their online education,” he said.

The city’s education department will release soon the distribution schedules.

Officials of 13 public schools were instructed to distribute a maximum of 100 gadgets per hour, to ensure physical distancing.

Public school teachers have previously received their laptops. (PNA)