Award-winning digital inclusion program continues to expand impact following WURI 2025 recognition
Silliman University’s award-winning Free Computer Education for Senior Citizens and Retirees continues to expand its reach and relevance, following its international recognition at the 2025 World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI).
Now in its fourth year of continuous implementation, the program has been running since 2019, offering free and structured digital skills training tailored to older adults. Learning is organized into three-month batch levels, with four-hour Saturday sessions designed to respect adult learning pace and availability. Each batch typically accommodates around 20 participants and is facilitated by Silliman University faculty and staff as part of a service-learning initiative.
The current Level 4, themed “Greater Efficiency,” introduces senior learners to artificial intelligence tools and basic e-commerce applications. Participants explore AI-assisted writing, online safety and verification practices, and simple digital transactions—skills aimed at enhancing independence while emphasizing ethical, responsible, and secure technology use.
Demonstrating program continuity and sustainability, a new Level 1 cohort culminated on December 20, 2025, and is now preparing to advance to Level 2. All sessions are conducted at the ICIO Laboratory of the Dr. Mariano C. Lao Global Studies Center (GSC), a learning space intentionally designed to foster intergenerational and community-based engagement. To date, the program has served participants as old as 84 years, underscoring its inclusive, age-sensitive design.
During the most recent culmination activity, participant Hester Albina, a retired Department of Education teacher and Barangay Kagawad, shared a testimony describing his participation as both empowering and transformative. He cited improved social connectivity, cognitive stimulation, and functional independence, noting that the program helped him overcome his fear of computers while gaining confidence in digital safety, online awareness, and preserving personal memories.
Dr. Dave E. Marcial, director of the GSC, emphasized that the WURI recognition affirms a broader principle behind the initiative. “Ethical innovation becomes meaningful when technology restores dignity, confidence, and human connection—especially among sectors often left behind in digital transformation,” he said.
Dr. Dave E. Marcial, director of the Dr. Mariano C. Lao Global Studies Center, represents Silliman University at the WURI Global Conference on September 2025 at Tongmyong University in Busan, South Korea.
Beyond WURI, the project has also received national recognition, having been cited by the Commission on Higher Education during the 2025 ICONS Awarding for its global impact and commitment to ethical innovation.
“I share this recognition with my colleagues in the University, especially the team at the Global Studies Center, whose collaboration and commitment have sustained this project over the years,” Marcial said. “I am deeply grateful to our trainers and assistants who chose service over rest on Saturdays.”
The program was formally presented by Marcial during the WURI Global Conference held in September 2025 at Tongmyong University in Busan, South Korea.
Silliman University ranked 70th worldwide in the Ethics and Integrity category and placed 205th overall in the 2025 WURI global rankings, with the conference serving as the formal recognition platform for awardees.
The program is sustained through the philanthropic support of Dr. Mariano C. Lao, an Outstanding Sillimanian Awardee and high school alumnus, whose commitment continues to enable inclusive, values-driven innovation in education.
