AboitizPower is helping empower communities through upskilling programs and the donation of digital tools aimed at creating livelihood opportunities that allow beneficiaries to work and earn from home.

According to AboitizPower GMEC-GNPD Reputation and Stakeholder Management (RSM) Department Manager Joseph Paolo Mendoza, around 25 young Mariveleños completed a 15-day Virtual Assistant training program and received new laptops on 14 May.

Dubbed the “Hanepbuhay: Unlocking Digital Opportunities to Youth Project,” the initiative was conducted in partnership with the local government of Mariveles and the Local Youth Development Office, and was held at the Romalaines Seafood Restaurant and Leisure Park in Mariveles, Bataan.

Mendoza said the program is designed to prepare young participants for opportunities in digital and online employment, equipping them with skills and knowledge to expand their career options in the growing digital economy.

Executive Secretary Randall Butch Concepcion, Local Youth Development officer Juan Miguel Perez, and other AboitizPower officials attended the training and turnover ceremony.

The Mariveles local government expressed gratitude to AboitizPower for continuing to support youth-focused programs that promote skills development and long-term livelihood opportunities.

On the same day, in Navotas City, AboitizPower and the Aboitiz Foundation launched the “Empowering the Future: Smart Cities Program” at the Office of the Mayor conference room, providing digital technologies to support the city government’s healthcare and learning systems.

The initiative introduces a targeted digital transformation package aligned with the Aboitiz Foundation’s pillars of Future Leaders, Jobs and Climate Action. It aims to strengthen primary care services by improving digital infrastructure, upgrading training systems, and building a more sustainable learning ecosystem for healthcare workers.

Reputation and Stakeholder Management head Kirk Coronel said the donation is intended to strengthen primary care delivery through improved digital infrastructure and workforce readiness.

He noted that full implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act requires a digitally enabled system capable of real-time data capture, analysis, and evidence-based decision-making.

The program includes upgrading digital infrastructure for YAKAP use and electronic health record systems, upskilling primary care workers through residency training programs, and establishing a sustainable learning management system (LMS) for continuous training of health personnel.

Aboitiz Foundation and AboitizPower also donated high-specification laptops, a smart TV for interactive training, and a premium LMS designed to support change management, resident training, and asynchronous learning for health workers.

“By addressing both infrastructure and human capital, this project bridges the gap between UHC policy and frontline practice — ensuring that digital tools translate into better data, better decisions, and better health outcomes for communities,” Coronel said.