SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (PIA) — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) recently launched two Smart Villages in Sablayan town, bringing connectivity and digital services to the communities.
The Smart Village is one of the initiatives of the DICT to bring connectivity and digital services to unconnected and far-flung communities through providing ICT devices, specifically four tablets in each village, and access to the internet.
Sitios Malatongtong and Balani, home to the Alangan and Iraya Mangyan Indigenous Peoples (IPs), were selected as beneficiaries of the program after an identification of potential Smart Villages led by the local government unit (LGU).
During the Kapihan sa PIA Occidental Mindoro, Engr. Kevin Cajayon explained that the two Smart Villages will be the priority targets for ICT training to help the beneficiaries use the electronic devices efficiently.
The community school will serve as a hub where anyone in the sitio can use the tablets, especially students and teachers. Additionally, both villages were equipped with free Wi-Fi access ports that can accommodate a maximum of 50 devices.
One of the benefits of the Smart Village is the possibility of extending online medical consultations in partnership with the Department of Health.
“Kasi yung lugar po [nila] kapag bagyuhan [ay] hindi na sila nakakalabas kasi tumataas ang tubig so ang nakikita po natin na posibleng maisama [sa services] ay yung telemedicine” Cajayon explained.
(Their areas become inaccessible due to extreme flooding during typhoons so we are looking at the possibility of telemedicine through the Smart Village’s services.)
Cajayon highlighted that Occidental Mindoro is among the three provinces in the country that were awarded two Smart Villages.
“Mapalad ang Occidental Mindoro kasi sa buong Pilipinas, tatlo lang yung nabigyan ng dalawang Smart Village per province so ang Occidental Mindoro po, dalawa po ang smart village natin,” Cajayon said.
(Occidental Mindoro is blessed because in the whole Philippines there are only three provinces that were awarded two Smart Villages and Occidental Mindoro is one of them.)
The DICT Provincial Office is working on additional partnerships with other government agencies and offices for the Smart Villages and is also eyeing to put up a Tech4Ed center in the sitios in addition to continuous capability buildings for the improvement of the villages. (DSG/PIA MIMAROPA-Occidental Mindoro)
