ABSTRACT
The pandemic has led to the closure of educational facilities and institutions worldwide; however, the teaching and learning process can still be carried out through website video group conversations. I observed that the self-discipline to set aside significant chunks of time to complete the lessons is required for online education. Currently, the vending machine industry has benefited enormously from the extensive modernization efforts that have been made. Observing how these devices develop new features and modify themselves to accommodate local requirements is amazing. The primary goal is to provide instant services to customers through the utilization of an internet connection for the cost of a single coin. For this study, I utilized a qualitative research approach, and I chose one informant who lives in an isolated part of Malapatan. My research is a single-case study with an informant of a Grade 11 student living in a community falling further and more behind yet attending a school at the leading edge of technological advancement. Piso Wifi is his primary means of virtual communication for his academic pursuits. He must walk for several kilometers, and the disruptions caused by his environment during his online lesson are both issues for him. Besides, the challenges of managing his time and work to earn money for his online class.
Keywords: Hulog Piso, PisoWifi, Online Class, Virtual
INTRODUCTION
Due to the pandemic, over 1.2 billion students are not in school (Li, 2020). The plague has caused institutions and learning centers to close across the globe, but the teaching and learning process can still be carried out via website video group calls. Because of the adoption of health protocol standards, most nations have restricted their in-person instruction or traditional teaching-learning methods. In more than 200 countries, the COVID-19 epidemic has caused the greatest disruption of educational systems in recorded human history.
In the Philippines, I discovered that among the several modalities provided by the Department of Education, or DepEd, roughly 93%, or 43,498 public schools nationwide, already have equipment that would be utilized in the online learning modality (Montemayor, 2020). Most students require more self-discipline and determination (Naveen, 2020). In addition, since kids are no longer in the classroom, gadgets, and electronics like tablets, laptops, and mobile phones are seen as their dependent friends (Li, 2020). Additionally, they have grown dependent on Google, a popular and vital website for research inquiries, and books and periodicals are currently of the utmost importance for the research (Sliwa, 2018). The information highway training places a strong emphasis on improving self-motivation. As I watch, most students will discover themselves submerged beneath a seemingly insurmountable sea of homework. Online classes demand the willpower to set aside large chunks of time to finish the lessons (Gorbunovs, 2016). It entails prioritizing distant learning and not allowing unforeseen circumstances to cause delays. Two challenges are making difficult decisions occasionally and coping with the pricey internet to access the classes (Rodriguez, 2018).
The vending machines business (Jaffe, 2015) has been thoroughly modernized. Seeing how these devices innovate and adapt to meet local needs is fascinating. Its main objective is to provide customers with instant services using the machine's capabilities. Due to each country's unique needs, the products stored in vending machines vary greatly from one country to the next. Thus, vending machines have undergone significant changes to provide people with necessities while selling goods for specific professions stress-free.
Since the Philippines is one of Asia's top six internet-using nations, I discovered that Piso WiFi is currently the most well-liked company. For Internet surfing, emailing, information access, instant messaging, and news reading, Filipinos view it as one of their essentials (Mationg, 2013). To protect against rainfall, Piso WiFi and vending machines are composed of light wood materials and laminated acrylic. To make it visible to the public, it can be installed indoors or, if possible, outdoors. It is a box that weighs four kilos and is 31 centimeters long, 24 centimeters wide, and 41 centimeters high (Gomez, 2021). The left side of the box features a hole for the wired connections, such as the ethernet cable and power cord. Typically, the rear phase has tiny holes for speaker sound and an opening hinge with a lock for coin collection on coin-picking days. A coin slot is put on the front of the box where a coin can be inserted for internet services. The right phrase is installed with a hole for an exhaust fan to control the temperature inside the box. The area around the Piso WiFi box where a strong internet connection can be had has a range signal of between 150 and 250 meters.
As I continue my investigation, I find that Hulog Piso is a form of informal communication that people use to exchange money for internet access (Ornedo, 2020). This is one of the pandemic's domino consequences and effects on schooling, according to Mineo (2020). Because they lack a connection at home, most students try to learn online by connecting to Piso WiFi to participate in their lessons. Before changing to Piso WiFi, it was first presented as Piso Net (Kasznik, 2015). Piso Net is well-known as a personal computer rental service for online and local area network games. It is a big gathering place for internet users and kids who only have a modest budget for gaming and surfing, which further boosts demand for this industry. It is similar to an online store modified to be coin-operated and affordable by children for playing because it allows them to use the computer for as little as one peso (Staff Report, 2018).
It turns out that doing research for an assignment with little money online is helpful for students. Due to the adoption of the stay-at-home policy during this pandemic, Piso Net eventually adopted Piso WiFi in this new normal education. Due to everyone's use of cell phones, the demand for personal computers has declined (Rimol, 2023). Pisonet then evolved into Piso WiFi to increase productivity while continuing to meet the demands of contemporary technologies. Because relatively few people in the nation have access to a home internet service provider, Piso WiFi plays a significant role in the current trend of online learning (Scheck, 2017). The expense of internet service providers and the geographic location, where internet connection cables and towers cannot reach in remote and secluded locations, are the main causes. Since face-to-face interaction is not permitted in this new standard of education, virtual or online classes are the only option for educating students. However, only some have access to telecommunications or internet service providers. The Piso WiFi is the ideal option for allowing all learners in the nation to continue their education. In the Philippines, Piso WiFi is currently used by students in urban communities for their online lessons. However, students in remote locations must go to some rural areas to access Piso WiFi.
The Philippines lacks access to the internet, as I have come to learn. Amadora (2020) emphasized a difficulty that led to general delays in learning and providing internet connections in inaccessible locations. Even though there are online and internet service plans, they are created differently. There is, therefore, seldom a day in online learning when a learner in an online class does not complain about a disconnection or internet interruption. Similar mistakes are made by other students, even in urban areas. This becomes more difficult for students living in remote places (Roesh, 2020), where the signal is slower than for city dwellers. Mountain learners must search out locations only to receive one or two signal bars. Due to economic or fiscal constraints, remote learners also need help to afford to buy routers for internet signals.
Most of the time, I hear about the students' struggles in the neighborhood where I work as a teacher. As a result, my study on research interactions aims to identify any potential solutions for students who need help to meet the criteria of possessing these technological resources. According to my research, not all students can afford these devices, and even those who can face a second challenge with an internet connection and mobile data for online learning (Budiman, 2020).
He frequently dumps a coin on Piso WiFi thrice a week, as I saw with a Grade 11 student. He dresses in his school's polo shirt uniform, sporting jersey shorts or pajamas. When I questioned him, he told me that he walks down from their community, which is six kilometers distant, and that he must walk another 10 kilometers from Barangay Proper to the store, where the Piso WiFi is located. I can see the smile growing on his face as he gets ready for his online studies every time he inserts a coin. Even though the area is too small for him to sit comfortably, he generally does so on the hollow bricks beneath the Piso WiFi because they provide a suitable background for his online lesson. Since the Piso WiFi is situated along a major road, he frequently experiences disruptions during his online classes from passing vehicles.
The study of Donthu (2020) aimed to comprehend the lives of a learner who is struggling as a result of this pandemic (Basilaia & Kvavadze, 2020), as well as how he transitions from conventional learning to online and virtual classrooms by utilizing Piso WiFi or Piso Vending Machine. I was curious about his struggles with attending weekly virtual lessons because doing so impacts the family's financial plan, not including the device required for the online course and the increased tuition costs of the institution due to this pandemic. In this situation, I found it fascinating to learn about the learner's dependence on log Piso and to discover the meaning of each coin's chime before the online course starts.
Since studies have yet to be done on this subject and issue, I tried to fill this research gap. There are numerous studies on online learning that I came across, but none on hulog Piso or the Piso vending machine as the doorway to the teaching-learning process. A few books and articles have been available since the introduction of vending machines for Internet services a few years ago. Peso-Net, a new technology for a world that is changing quickly, is one study on this, and it provides information about the goodness and advantages of this new technology (Mationg, 2013). To better grasp the case of a student and delve further into his life during this new normal schooling, it may be helpful to consider the results of my study.
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