Marcos cites gov’t initiatives, reforms to bolster internet services

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday said the government is pushing for faster reforms to make the country’s internet services more affordable and reliable.

In his speech during the Philippine Telecommunications Summit in Pasay City, Marcos cited challenges faced by the information and communications sector, especially in the coastal communities, mountainous regions, and smaller islands.

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“Delays in permits, right-of-way restrictions, fiber cuts, and power interruptions further widen these gaps. These affect real lives. They limit access to education, they constrain economic opportunity, and slow national progress. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit mahalaga ang ating pagtutulungan,” Marcos said.

“Kailangan magkaisa ang pamahalaan, ang pribadong sektor, at mga lokal na pamayanan—sapagkat walang iisang sektor lamang ang kayang harapin ang mga hamong ito. Kumilos tayo na may isang hangarin: ang maghatid ng pag-asa, ng ginhawa, at pagkakataon sa bawat Pilipino,” he continued.

(The government, the private sector, and local communities must unite—because no single sector can face these challenges alone. Let us act with one purpose: to deliver hope, relief, and opportunity to every Filipino.)

Marcos noted that part of the government’s reforms is the enactment of the Konektadong Pinoy Act, which he said removed long-standing barriers that slowed progress and limited competition.

“The law mandates infrastructure sharing and co-location among providers—ending wasteful duplication, lowering deployment costs, and ensuring that every single peso spent delivers real value to our public,” he said.

Other initiatives include the completion of Phases 1, 2, and 3 of the National Fiber Backbone Project.

Under the Free Public Internet Access Program, meanwhile, Marcos said the government now has more than 9,500 active free Wi-Fi access points in 5,057 public places that bring more opportunities to Filipinos.

To promote connectivity, Marcos said the government launched the Bayanihan SIM Card Project, which provided public school students, teachers, and indigent communities with subsidized SIM cards equipped with monthly data allocations.

The Telecommunications Summit 2026 was organized by the Department of Information and Communications Technology to garner commitments from various stakeholders to boost the country’s broadband connectivity. /gsg