DICT: Internet cafes can be repurposed as digital classrooms, workplaces

MANILA, Philippines — As a part of the “new normal” in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Information and Communications Technology is eyeing the use of internet cafes as “digital classrooms or workplaces” for students and workers.

During the House’s Defeat COVID-19 Committee (DCC) New Normal Cluster’s online hearing, DICT Undersecretary Eliseo Rio Jr. said this would help address concerns of those who do not have internet connection in their homes as the resumption of classes and work approaches.

“Kung bubukas ang klase sa August, we have to put free WiFi hotspots sa schools so that ‘yung papasok lang muna ay ‘yung teachers and a few students para mayroong social distancing,” Rio said.

(If we will open classes in August, we have to put free WiFi hotspots in schools so that only the teachers and a few students would go to school and can practice social distancing.)

“But ang reklamo, paano naman yung mga bahay na walang connectivity (But the concern is, how about those who do not have internet connectivity in their homes)? We are also fast-tracking ang tinatawag na (what we call) digital classroom. In fact, we are repurposing ‘yung mga thousands of internet cafes. They can be reconfigured to become digital classrooms and digital workplaces,” he added.

Rio said DICT can install fast and low-cost internet in these establishments, and students and workers alike can use them as digital classrooms and workplaces.

“Instead of matatagalan siguro na lahat ng bahay natin ay makonektahan, kunektahan muna natin itong mga community—digital classrooms at mga digital workplaces—para pwede na pong lakarin ng mga nearby sa community na ‘yan at makapag-aral din sila o makapagtrabaho from these repurposed Internet cafes,” Rio said.

(Instead of taking a lot of time installing internet in homes, let us just connect the community—the digital classrooms and digital workplace—so students and workers living nearby can just walk to the repurposed Internet cafes.)

But will it be costly? Rio believes it will actually be cheaper for students and workers to use these digital classrooms and workplaces since they will only spend half of what they usually spend.

“If a student or a worker will have to spend for his transportation to go to school or go to work—kalahati lang siguro nung kanyang daily transportation cost, nung kanyang kakainin sa opisina—kalahati lang noon or even less ay pwede na lang pambayad sa nag-administer nitong digital classroom,” he added.

(If a student or a worker will maybe only spend of what he or she spends for transportation and food to pay the person administering the digital classroom or workplace.)

Rio said this move shall be implemented as soon as possible so that many internet cafes have been repurposed by the time classes resume in August.

The Department of Education (DepEd) earlier announced that classes for the next school year have been set on August 24, 2020.

This, however, does not necessarily mean that students have to physically report to school as classes may be done virtually in some areas.