Huawei Philippines launched the 7th Seeds for the Future program on Monday, with over 100 students in the Philippines joining the program this year.
Secretary of Foreign Affairs Department, Chairman of Commission on Higher Education in the Philippines, Chancellor of University of the Philippines, Professors and students from 20 universities joined the opening ceremony.
Teodoro Locsin, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Department, gave a speech during the event, saying that, “As the world becomes more digital, Huawei has seen it fit not only to be business for profit but also to make the building of a better future its business. In 2008, it took this commitment to another level by launching its flagship CSR Program – Huawei Seeds for the Future. Now, this Digital Spark has spread exponentially to make a difference in the lives of almost 9,000 beneficiaries worldwide.”
“Seeds for the Future aptly named as such has been spreading and cultivating ICT expertise across the global expanse. Its beneficiaries are able to acquire ICT Knowledge first hand while collectively building their network of ICT talents. I am glad that this program has reached the Philippines in 2015, more than 100 Filipinos have benefited from the program and are now making tangible contributions to our ICT industry. I extend my warmest congratulations to Huawei for the remarkable success of Seeds for the Future and to its new crop of talents. I have high hopes that this program will continue to soar higher to make a difference in the lives of many and to build a better future for us all,” Secretary Locsin added.
“Huawei Philippines Seeds for the Future program became one of the most awaited event by our aspiring ICT experts. The 2021 program will not just stimulate the minds of our students but more importantly will give them the chance to share their learnings with their peers, which in the long run can evolve in more immersive, inclusive and robust ICT ecosystem,” said De Vera, Chairman of Commission on Higher Education as he gave his remarks during the opening ceremony,
"We are with you in your goal to achieve digital inclusion and promote prosperous tech industry by setting the standards for the rest to follow,” he added.
“Huawei Philippines Seeds for the Future Program is important and timely for it introduces to our students new technologies like 5G, AI and Cloud computing to help them enhance their knowledge, capabilities and skills,” said Fidel Nemenzo, Chancellor of University of the Philippines. “For you, young students, my hope is that you use the knowledge and skills from programs such as this to help solve some of our country’s problems. I challenge you to be the generation that will re-imagine and build a new world, one that is resilient, sustainable and inclusive.”
Information and communications technologies have become the crucial growth engines for many different industries. The pandemic also stressed the importance of ICT in all aspect of human lives, and digital transformation is necessary to ensure that they survive the challenges brought upon by Covid-19.
New ICT technologies like 5G, AI, and IoT will be widely applied in the next decade as they will become the cornerstone of the intelligent world in 2030. Countries with a good ICT foundation will be more resilient and can easily respond to disruption, while talent will drive industries to go digital.
As an ICT leader, Huawei is committed to promoting ICT industry development in the Philippines.
Jay Chen, vice president of Huawei Asia Pacific Region, said that Huawei has announced to extend the digital talent cultivation initiatives even further.
In the next five years, Huawei has committed another $50 million USD to develop 500 thousand ICT talents in Asia Pacific, through several programs including Seeds for the Future.
Huawei has been almost 20 years in the Philippines, through Seeds for the Future, and also as an enduring commitment to a sustainable world, we aim to bring digital skills to more people.
Seeds for the Future is Huawei's flagship global CSR program. It aims to develop skilled, local ICT talent and bridge communication between countries and cultures.
In the past six years, more than 100 deserving students from the Philippines took the journey with Huawei Seeds for the Future program. As the pandemic continues, the selected talents will undergo an eight-day online training in this year.
