DICT’s SPARK scholars in Claver, Surigao Norte contribute to collective earnings of over P1M
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte (PIA) — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Caraga, in partnership with the municipal government of Claver in Surigao del Norte, honored the 24 scholars of the town under the Strengthening the Philippine Workforce through Adaptive and Responsive Digital Knowledge’s (SPARK) for their record-breaking collective earnings amounting to P1,087,708.69.
The graduate scholars trained as general virtual assistance (GVA) secured the collective income through individual virtual assistant contracts and freelance opportunities during and immediately after the course. This milestone officially made the Claver scholars No. 1 earning SPARK training batch in the entire Caraga region.
The training was facilitated by Cynne Paul B. Hayon, chief marketing officer of HEX Colony, whose real-world industry experience provided scholars with practical, market-ready competencies in virtual assistance.
The scholars completed the intensive hybrid training program through combined face-to-face sessions from August 18–28 and online instruction from August 31 to September 11. During their culmination ceremony, every graduate received both a Certificate of Completion and a recognition medal for their outstanding effort and commitment.
“Before entering the SPARK program, the world of online freelancing felt completely out of reach for many of us. The hands-on training, industry guidance, and support from DICT and our local government didn’t just give us technical skills, it showed us that we can compete globally right from our hometown here in Claver,” said Anthony, one of the scholars. “Earning over P1 million as a batch while still learning proved that Clavernons are fully capable of thriving in the digital economy.”
According to DICT Caraga, to ensure that their success extends well past graduation, the scholars established their own professional organization named Claver League of Online Unified Digitalists (CLOUD).
It added that CLOUD will serve as a peer-led community platform where members can network and collaborate on client projects; share knowledge, tools, and job leads; and mentor future cohorts and support fellow digital workers across the town.
“The formation of CLOUD adds a long-term foundation to the SPARK initiative, giving graduates an organized framework to scale their freelancing careers and contribute to local digital empowerment,” the agency said.
The success of the SPARK GVA training highlighted the strong partnership between DICT Caraga and the municipal government of Claver in bringing high-value digital education directly to local communities.
With 24 graduates, 24 medalists, P1,087,708.69 in total earnings, and the launch of CLOUD, this caliber cohort has set an inspiring new standard for digital workforce development in the Caraga region, proving that when targeted training meets local talent, Clavernons can compete and excel anywhere in the digital world. (SDR, PIA Surigao del Norte with a report from DICT Caraga)
