NOW Corporation CEO Mr. Mel Velasco Velarde among some senior high school students, pose for posterity with School Principal Dr. Amelita De Mesa, NCR-Manila City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Jenilyn Rose Corpuz, and iCollege of the Philippines Managing Director Mr. Pierangelo Alejo.

July 2018, Manila, Philippines

Listed firm NOW Corporation (PSE Ticker: NOW) launches its Corporate Social Responsibility program that provides worthy institutions with the necessary tools for Digital Transformation.  Among the company’s first recipient is M.G. Araullo High School located at the corner of U.N. Avenue and Taft Avenue. A simple ceremony dubbed as “M.G. Araullo High School Digital Transformation Project: Free Broadband & IT Services” took place, graced by the school principal Dr. Amelita De Mesa, City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Jenilyn Corpuz, iCollege of the Philippines’ Managing Director Mr. Pierangelo Alejo, and NOW CEO Mr. Mel Velasco Velarde. The event was attended by more than 400 senior high school students, teachers and officials of the school.

M.G. Araullo High School, founded in 1906, was selected recently as a recipient of NOW Corporation’s Community Development and Social Responsibility program.  The program aims to equip educational centers with broadband internet, access to educational content via NowPlanet.TV, first slots availability for students interested to take Visual Graphic Design NC-III at iCollege of the Philippines and its Responsible IT Education program, and other digital transformation tools such as website development where they can upload digital courseware for e-learning.

In the speech of Mr. Velarde as a statement of support, who also grew up in Pedro Gil, Manila, he inspired the students and teachers with his commitment not only to the digital transformation of the school but also to the desired individual transformations as well.  Mr. Velarde is concurrently the Chairman of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, a 30-year old Journalism and Communication educational center that offers graduate courses in Journalism and Communication.

NOW Corporation is a listed firm in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE Ticker: NOW) and is in the business of telecom, media and technology.  It is the number one business partner of IBM and have deployed IT systems across industries including banks, government agencies, retail, logistics and insurance. In 2016, NOW launched its broadband and wireless cable TV service covering Metro Manila, delivering guaranteed broadband speeds to customers. To date, NOW Corporation has reached more than 150 locations already activated, delivering ‘Fiber in the Air’ service to enterprise customers which includes hospitals, hotels, government agencies, BPOs and many more. 

The ceremony was highlighted by a ceremonial signing of a deed of donation between Mr. Velarde and M.G. Araullo High School’s Dr. De Mesa.