Emirates has expanded its Travel Rehearsal program to Clark International Airport, offering neurodiverse children and their families a step-by-step walkthrough of the airport experience. This marks the airline's second rehearsal in the Philippines, following an initial session in Cebu.

 

 

SIMULATING THE AIRPORT JOURNEY

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The three-hour program hosted 22 students, their parents, and eight teachers from the Hand Prints School of Progressive Education and the Beyond Play Learning Center.

To help reduce the anxiety and sensory overload often triggered by unfamiliar airport environments, participants practiced every major step of departure:

 

• Checking in and clearing immigration

• Passing through security screening

• Navigating the departure concourse

• Simulating the gate boarding process

 

Emirates staff and airport teams guided the families through each station, explaining the procedures and answering questions to help parents gauge what to expect during future travel.

 

 

CROSS-AGENCY COLLABORATION

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The initiative was supported by a coordinated effort between Clark International Airport staff, customer service teams, border control, the Office for Transportation Security, and Emirates' ground handling partner.

"Making travel more inclusive starts long before a customer boards a flight. It means recognizing that every traveler experiences the airport differently and working with our partners to make travel more accessible."
— Khalid Al Zarooni, Emirates' Country Manager for the Philippines

 

 

A BROADER INITIATIVE

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Emirates achieved its Autism-Certified Airline status after training over 35,000 cabin crew and ground staff in sensory sensitivity and autism awareness. Since launching the rehearsals, the airline's Airport Services teams have conducted more than 40 sessions globally, spanning hubs like Dubai, Barcelona, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Toronto.

Communications group COMCO Mundo League of Enterprises, through its Citizen COMCO advocacy branch, has concluded Wish to Ignite. Run in partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, this special fourth season of the Write to Ignite initiative focused on documenting the lives of children battling critical illnesses whose wishes were granted by the non-profit.

Students in some of Southern Leyte's most remote schools now have access to digital learning tools through the latest rollout of the School-in-a-Bag (SIAB) program.

A total of 97 multigrade schools across the province received SIAB kits under a partnership among the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), PLDT Inc., Smart Communications, the Department of Education Region 8, and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP). The deployment is UNICEF's largest under the program so far.

The initiative builds on a partnership that began in 2019, with UNICEF and the PLDT Group bringing more than 300 School-in-a-Bag units to last-mile schools nationwide.

"Our mandate is to ensure that every child has equal access to quality education, especially those in the most marginalized communities," said Jieun Yoon, Education Specialist at UNICEF Philippines. "We hope these devices help improve classroom learning while easing some of the workload of teachers."

One of the recipient schools is Benit Elementary School in Malitbog, about 38 kilometers from Maasin City. Like many schools in the province, it runs multigrade classes, where one teacher often handles students from several grade levels at the same time.

Teacher-in-charge Merry Ann B. Tagon said the equipment will make a noticeable difference in daily classroom instruction.

"This is a big blessing for our learners, especially in multigrade classes where one teacher supports many students at once," she said. "The fact that the materials can be used even without an internet connection means teaching and learning can continue without interruption."

Each School-in-a-Bag functions as a portable digital classroom. The kits include a laptop, ten tablets, a Smart Bro LTE Pocket WiFi with load allocation, a teacher's guide, and digital learning resources such as contextualized Learning Activity Sheets and #LearnSmart applications that help develop literacy and numeracy skills in learners' mother tongue.

Roby A. Alampay, first vice president and head of the Public Engagement and Corporate Communications Group at PLDT and Smart, said the goal is to make digital learning resources available to students regardless of where they live.

"We're grateful to work with UNICEF in reaching more remote schools and bringing these portable digital classrooms directly to learners," he said.

The rollout forms part of the PLDT Group's #KonektedForLearning program, which supports efforts to improve access to education through technology. For schools in geographically isolated communities, programs like School-in-a-Bag help bridge gaps in learning by providing digital resources that can be used even in areas with limited or no internet connectivity.

 

➤ SEE: PLDT INNOLAB

As part of its 10th anniversary celebration, globally awarded communications group COMCO Mundo League of Enterprises expanded the reach of its advocacy arm, Citizen COMCO, through the launch of Camp COMCO Kids at Asociacion de Damas de Filipinas, Inc., welcoming its first group of young participants.

Citizen COMCO leads COMCO Mundo’s advocacy initiatives focused on youth and education, wildlife and environmental protection, heritage and culture, social enterprise, and cross-border collaboration. The introduction of Camp COMCO Kids further strengthens its commitment to youth development by creating a learning space designed specifically for children.

Developed in partnership with the Camp COMCO Mentorship Program under the COMCO School of Communications, the initiative adapts the organization’s mentorship and values-based learning approach for younger audiences. While the original Camp COMCO focuses on aspiring communicators and young professionals, Camp COMCO Kids introduces children to creativity, storytelling, teamwork, and social awareness through interactive and age-appropriate activities.

The program follows a three-part structure. Camp COMCO Kids Special focuses on community-based learning engagements, Camp COMCO Kids Prime offers a more immersive workshop experience where participants can become “COMCOys for a day,” and Camp COMCO Kids Edutainment Content produces educational and entertaining materials tailored for children.

The first Camp COMCO Kids Special was held at Asociacion de Damas de Filipinas, Inc. in Paco, Manila, a community extension facility that provides care and support for abandoned, neglected, and vulnerable children. The organization currently serves children aged two to fourteen through feeding programs, outreach activities, apostolate work, and community celebrations.

Throughout the day, participants took part in activities designed to encourage creativity, communication, collaboration, and community values. Inspired by the original Camp COMCO structure, children were grouped into four houses: House Bearcat, House Flying Fox, House Whale Shark, and House Hawksbill.

Each house was represented by its own character reflecting different interests and personalities. Bobby the Bearcat represented sports and outdoor activities, Farrah the Flying Fox highlighted music, theater, and dance, Howie the Hawksbill focused on technology, games, and crafts, while Wilma the Whale Shark encouraged creative writing and visual arts.

Supported by members of the Camp COMCO Alumni Society and the COMCO Squadron, the organizers created an engaging environment where children could learn through games, storytelling, and group activities centered on Filipino values and social responsibility.

One of the main activities involved role-playing exercises, where children practiced basic acting skills while presenting scenarios inspired by Filipino values. Guided by house stewards, assistant stewards, and guest stewards from the Camp COMCO Alumni Society, participants brought the lessons to life with enthusiasm and creativity.

The program also featured interactive games, including the calamansi relay and the traditional Filipino game tumbang preso, adding excitement and energy throughout the event. Participants and winners received prizes as part of the celebration.

“I would like to thank everyone for being part of Camp COMCO Kids,” said COMCO Mundo Interregional President and Group Chief Executive Ferdinand Bondoy. “This is our first Camp COMCO Kids, and you are our very first batch. We’re excited to see how you grow and hope to see you become storytellers like us in COMCO Mundo one day.”

Citizen COMCO has long supported various advocacy initiatives focused on education, community support, and social impact. Through projects such as COMCOlidays with Kids, the organization has provided outreach programs and holiday activities for underserved communities, while also extending assistance to families affected by natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the years, Citizen COMCO has partnered with organizations including Called to Rescue, Make-A-Wish, Philippine Eagle Foundation, Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages, World Vision, and WWF.

The organization also promotes Filipino identity, language, and culture through Baybayin HARIYANAS, its multimedia platform dedicated to Philippine heritage and history. This year, Citizen COMCO continues its advocacy efforts through the launch of For Tribe to Thrive, a social impact initiative aimed at supporting indigenous communities across the Philippines.

As COMCO Mundo marks its 10th year, the organization continues to expand its community and advocacy programs with a focus on creating opportunities for future generations.

Camp COMCO Kids marks the beginning of that next chapter.