How about free internet connection for school from Smart ambassador Hyun Bin?
That’s exactly what eighth grader Rexiam W. Elevenson got, all the way from his Mountain Province home. The son of farmers belonging to the Applai indigenous tribe, Rexiam together with other youth beneficiaries in the Philippines’ remotest areas are going back to school, this time online, thanks to #ProjectConnected—a collaboration between Hyun Bin fan club, Edelweiss International, and PLDT wireless unit, Smart Communications, Inc (Smart).
Initiated by dedicated followers of the Korean superstar on the occasion of his 38th birthday, #ProjectedConnected aims to give back by supporting underprivileged Filipino students during these challenging times.
Edelweiss International, with bases in the Philippines and Singapore, teamed up with Smart to provide student beneficiaries with what they need for their online schooling.
“We are very happy to have teamed up with Edelweiss International for #ProjectConnected as it is Smart’s mission to empower Filipinos everywhere with digital innovations. This shows that we made the right decision in choosing Hyun Bin as our brand endorser because he inspires people to help others,” said Jane Jimenez-Basas, Smart SVP and Head of Consumer Business.
To equip beneficiaries with Smart Wi-Fi kits for the coming school year, Smart provided Smart Bro LTE Pocket Wi-Fi units, Smart Bro Surfmax Php250 load cards and Smart Prepaid Php300 load cards. For optimal school productivity, the Smart Wi-Fi kits are best used in tandem with GIGA Pro, a data pack designed for growing mobile data needs in the new normal. Available to all Smart Bro Prepaid and Smart Prepaid subscribers, GIGA Pro offers a combination of 3 GB per day of any GIGA offer – whether it’s Video, Study, Work, Games, or Stories, as well as open access data allocation for online activities. GIGA Pro is exclusively available on the Smart App, which is downloadable on Google Play Store and the App Store.
The Wi-Fi kits were equally divided between three beneficiary schools that included Petronilo L. Torres Memorial Elementary School in Barangay Sabang in Naic, Cavite; San Pedro II Elementary School in San Pedro II in Magalang, Pampanga; and Buklod Palad National High School in Doña Josefa in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija.
In a statement, Edelweiss thanked Smart for helping out in the project. “What is amazing is that Smart has supported our project and shared their blessings, too. The Smart Wi-Fi kits plus load cards were donated by the very same brand that brought Hyun Bin closer to Filipino fans.”
With donations from the fans club’s members and non-members, EdelweissPH also raised Php 60,000 that was used to purchase school supplies. Aside from Smart Wi-Fi kits, each of the beneficiary schools received three printers, bottles of ink, boxes of bond papers, plastic envelopes and binding materials for use during the coming schoolyear.
Much-loved for his and Son Ye Jin’s hit Korean series “Crash Landing on You” and the face of Smart’s “Simple, Smart Ako” campaign, Hyun Bin, through his thoughtful and caring ways, inspired his fans to embark on the project.
In June, Hyun Bin penned a handwritten letter while on location for his latest project to express his gratitude for his fans’ support. “Thanks to your helping hand full of love and encouragement, which you always send unfailingly, many of the staff members and I were able to participate in the filming with renewed strength. Thank you sincerely. Without forgetting your dedication, I will do my best to repay you with better productions soon.”
“Your (Hyun Bin’s) letter last June warmed our hearts and has become an inspiration for EdelweissPH and EdelweissSG to put together #ProjectConnected to celebrate your birthday this year. It wasn’t an easy task but we did it and we’re very excited to show you some snippets of the fruits of our labor these past few months,” wrote Edelweiss International in a letter sent to the actor.
Smart made a splash in June as it unveiled a new campaign featuring Hyun Bin, who has endeared himself to many Filipinos with his hit Korean dramas and movies. It was the first time a local telecommunications company has tapped a Korean superstar to be the face of its brand, a bold statement that showed Smart’s commitment to bring amazing experiences to Filipinos through superior connectivity and digital technology.
To date, Smart LTE service is available in 93% of the country’s cities and municipalities and serves 95% of the population.
