PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA) — Government offices in Palawan are expected to be connected with the national broadband of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) next year.
Known as GovNet (Government Network), it is a project under DICT’s National Broadband Program (NBP), which aims to provide high-speed internet to government agencies and offices, schools, and hospitals.
DICT MIMAROPA Regional Director Emmy Lou Versoza-Delfin said that once connected through the GovNet facility, the DICT will be in charge of the connectivity of various government offices.
It includes national agencies, local government units, state universities and colleges, hospitals, and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs).
“Kasama rin ito sa priority ng DICT, particularly for this year, because we need thousands of common towers to make sure na may connectivity tayo. Ibig sabihin, imbes na government agencies ang nagbabayad ng kanilang connectivity, it’s the DICT through the National Broadband Program,” Delfin said.
The NBP serves as a blueprint in the acceleration of the deployment of fiber optic cables and wireless technologies to improve the internet speed in the country.
In MIMAROPA, the town of Boac in Marinduque is the lone area in the region wherein government agencies are connected with the GovNet facility. The province has a 42-meter-tall tower that provides multiple connectivities.
DICT hopes that the government offices in Palawan and Oriental Mindoro will be connected with the GovNet facility in 2026.
In line with the goal to improve the country’s connectivity, DICT has already provided 1,002 active free Wi-Fi sites in the MIMAROPA region, 60 of which are located in communist terrorist groups (CTG)-affected areas.
There are 159 free Wi-Fi locations with 292 hotspots in Palawan.
DICT has already connected all 73 municipalities in the region to its free Wi-Fi program. However, the department still needs to saturate all public places in each town.
“We are mandated na lahat ng public places malagyan ng free Wi-Fi sites. We are trying our best kasi ngayon ay ilang percent pa lang ang naka-cover namin sa buong MIMAROPA,” she said.
DICT believes connectivity in different areas, particularly CTG-affected communities, will improve the delivery of services such as health consultations, livelihood opportunities, and exposure to research and online training for students.
The department assists locals in basic digital training, from navigating equipment like laptops to digital photography, to sell their products to a wider market online.
“We have to make sure na kahit sa rural areas, meron silang access sa iba’t ibang information. Gusto namin malagyan ng connectivity sa CTG [affected] areas because meron kaming sinasabi na kapag may Wi-Fi, may hanapbuhay,” she added.
The free connectivity in areas pushes to empower communities, bridge the digital divide, and ensure opportunities in rural areas in the region.
Meanwhile, the department will disseminate information on the opportunities for Web3 technology in the provinces of the region. (RG/PIA MIMAROPA-Palawan)
