Senator Tobias Tiangco welcomed the P3.68 billion budget announcement but urged the DICT to strengthen the nationwide rollout of the free public WiFi program.
“This budget announcement represents our strong determination to expand internet access to all Filipinos through our free public WiFi program. However, we hope that we will continue with the expansion of these access points to ensure sustained and widespread improvement in internet connectivity across the country,” said Tiangco, who is also chair of the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology.
Tiangco stressed that the DICT must follow the directives of President Bongbong Marcos’ SONA declaration as the administration has articulated its goals for the country’s digital transformation.
“The DICT’s role is crucial in achieving the goals set by President Bongbong and the committee will provide the necessary support as long as the program implementation is effective,” Tiangco added.
He also called on the DICT to review the current implementation of ICT programs in the country and prioritize gaps that are more urgent.
“The free WiFi program is about equalizing access for internet users, so the DICT must ensure the continued expansion of this program,” he said.
He also said he wanted to see what impact current government efforts to improve internet access in the country would have.
“We know that there is a lot to improve if we are to match other Asian countries in internet penetration and quality. The DICT must prioritize making the current program truly beneficial for all Filipinos, especially those who cannot afford internet plans,” he said.
Currently, the free WiFi program serves more than 10 million unique user devices across 13,462 access points.
In 2023, the Philippines ranked 6th out of 42 Asian countries with the highest number of internet poor people, based on the World Data Lab’s Internet Poverty Index.
Another Digital 2023 report by DataReportal stated that more than 30 million Filipinos do not have access to the internet.
