Ernest Cu - President and CEO of leading digital solutions platform Globe Group
Negosentro | Ernest Cu, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Globe Group, a prominent digital solutions platform, has urged older persons in the Philippines to embrace new technology. He stated that tech-driven solutions are intended to make day-to-day life easier.
Ahead of Globe’s inaugural “Teach Me How to Digi” learning session set January 25, concerns about new technology were dispelled by Cu, who stated that digitalizing senior citizens is essential because more services and activities will be conducted digitally in the years to come.
“It’s really very important that our senior citizens learn digital skills because in the future a lot of services will truly become only digital. We have to help seniors overcome their fear, and I guarantee you that once you try it, it’s going to be as easy or much easier than the old manual way,” said Cu, an early tech adopter.
“Like e-money for instance. We don’t hold cash anymore, we don’t hold coins anymore, which is a pet peeve of mine. When they give you change back it’s really a pain where you keep it. These things are there to make life easier, not make life difficult,” he added.
Cu, who is 63 years old and the Chief Executive Officer of a rapidly growing technology business, is a digital-first senior because he is of the opinion that automation is essential to enhancing the quality of life.
“I believe in efficiency. I believe in convenience. I believe in using automation to improve one’s life. l I hate the manual way of doing things. If I can automate it, I will. I’m an early adopter. I’ve found that they have been very beneficial to my way of life and it’s made my daily life much easier. And so from that point on, I’ve lost my fear of anything new. I like trying and being the first to try something new and you know, if it works, I adopt it in my daily life. If it doesn’t, I dump it. There’s no harm in trying. Who knows? It (going digital) may be the next best thing you’ve ever done in your life,” said Cu.
However, the situation is reversed for the vast majority of older citizens in the Philippines.
Philippine citizens aged 65 and older were among the age groups with the lowest levels of digital literacy, according to a report published in 2021 by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies. The analysis examined the levels of digital literacy under six information and communication technology (ICT) indicators that are part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Only roughly 18 percent of senior citizens possessed at least one skill related to information and communication technology.
The findings of a study on the use of smartphones by Filipino seniors that was published in the International Federation for Home Economics revealed that although the elderly population in the Philippines is aware of the significance of using smartphones for communication, they “are not very interested” in the distinctive features of smartphones, such as the ability to use applications, which they find difficult to use.
This highlights how important it is to assist senior citizens in the Philippines with their transition to digital technology.
“Sa ating mga seniors, ang technology ay hindi nakakatakot. Hindi mahirap. Ang mahirap lang is to overcome the fear and gain the trust that using new technology will be much easier, will make your lives much more convenient, and make things faster. It’s just a matter of trying it. And if you do try, I can almost guarantee you, you’ll enjoy it. So don’t be overcome by the thought of technology. Don’t be intimidated. Try it and I’m sure you will like it,” Cu said.
In an effort to close the digital divide, Globe is providing assistance to senior citizens in the Philippines in overcoming the technological barrier. The Globe #SeniorDigizen campaign was launched on January 25 through a learning session. At the event, which will take place at the SM North Sky Dome, more than two hundred elderly adults will be gathered together to learn the fundamentals of using smartphones, including how to create an email account and how to use applications like GCash, KonsultaMD, and the GlobeOne app.
The campaign is in keeping with Globe’s effort for digital inclusion, as the company thinks that technology is essential in transforming the lives of Filipinos and tackling the challenges that they face on a daily basis.
To learn more about Globe’s digital inclusion initiatives, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/about-us/sustainability.
