West Visayas State University (WVSU), in partnership with PLDT Smart, has officially launched “Tuon Ta!”, the first digital platform designed to promote and preserve the Hiligaynon language and literature, on February 21, 2025, at the College of Medicine Auditorium.

 

Developed by students and faculty members from the College of Education Bachelor of Elementary Education program, College of Communication, and College of Information and Communications Technology, “Tuon Ta!” aims to make Hiligaynon learning accessible and engaging.

 

The university’s mascot, the Visayan Wildcat or Maral, serves as the app’s interactive guide, encouraging users to explore its features.

 

This initiative falls under PLDT Smart’s #LearnSmart program, which was made possible through a Memorandum of Agreement signed with WVSU in 2023.

 

The app is designed for kindergarten to Grade 3 pupils to help them learn Hiligaynon through fun activities while promoting cultural appreciation and language preservation with technology.

 

Coinciding with the celebration of International Mother Language Day, the student developers and the Integrated Laboratory School learners performed live presentations to showcase the app’s features.

 

The launch event also featured raffle draws and interactive games with prizes such as Wi-Fi devices, mobile load cards from PLDT Smart, and exclusive event t-shirts.

 

With “Tuon Ta!”, WVSU and PLDT Smart are taking a significant step towards preserving the rich linguistic heritage of Hiligaynon while providing an innovative and enjoyable learning experience for young learners. The app is now available for download on the Google Play Store.

 

𝘛𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘑𝘈 𝘛𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘰/𝘗𝘈𝘔𝘊𝘖