Marcos: Stable, fast internet link a necessity

GREETINGS FROM LEYTE During a virtual interaction on Monday, President Marcos greets school and local government representatives from parts of Luzon and Mindanao as he tests the free public WiFi site at MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park in Palo, Leyte. —PCO

PALO, LEYTE, Philippines — The importance of reliable digital connectivity isn’t lost on provincial officials of the Visayas, ground zero of the devastation of Supertyphoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) in November 2013.

“It will now be easy and fast to call our local disaster officials or the Office of Civil Defense during disasters,” Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone said after the launch of Phases 2 and 3 of the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) project here.

Yolanda cut a wide swath of devastation across the Visayas, leaving 6,300 dead and 4 million homeless and cutting off power for months.

On Monday, President Marcos led the launch of the project—designed to boost the country’s internet infrastructure—meters away from the historic MacArthur Landing National Memorial Park.

“In this period of time, access to stable and fast internet connection should no longer be considered a privilege; it is now a necessity. This is needed in schools, in workplaces, in businesses, and to make sure that we remain connected to our loved ones,” the President said.

Bridging digital divide

Marcos said the expansion of the fiber optic network aims to bridge the digital divide, especially in so-called geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, where residents often travel long distances just to connect online.

Approximately 1,800 kilometers of new fiber optic cable have been laid out under the two latest phases, expanding the high-speed digital infrastructure to the Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) Bicol, Eastern Visayas, and Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos) regions.

Phase 1 was launched in April last year, covering over 1,200 km from Laoag City in Ilocos Norte to Quezon City.

Once the NFB’s six phases are rolled out by next year, the project is expected to benefit over 600 government offices and improve connectivity for an estimated 17 million Filipinos.

“And once the NFB is completed, the costs for telcos and internet providers may further decrease because we will already have our own infrastructure. More affordable internet means more Filipinos will be connected,” Mr. Marcos said.

Big boost amid dead spots

Local leaders thanked the President for his administration’s strong push for digitalization, noting that improved internet connectivity stands as a breakthrough for Leyteños as it is expected to spur economic growth, strengthen governance, and bridge communities nationwide.

Biliran Gov. Rogelio Espina said the inclusion of their province in the project would greatly improve communication, support disaster response, and attract business investments to the province.

“We are happy that Biliran is part of this program of our national government. This will be a big boost to us considering that half of the 132 barangays in our province either have slow internet signals or dead spots,” Espina said.

He added that the launch of the program aligned with his plan to establish a local business process outsourcing hub to support unemployed professionals in Biliran.

“Definitely, this is one of the best things that will happen to our localities—connectivity. There should always be a strong link between the villages and the township,” Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla said. —with a report from Luisa Cabato