IN A bid to enhance the internet accessibility for Kagay-anons, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) launched its Free Wi-Fi for All program in two sites in Cagayan de Oro City Thursday morning, December 5.
The DICT’s Free Wi-Fi for All-Free Public Internet Access Program aims to accelerate the Philippine Government’s efforts in enhancing internet accessibility for Filipinos so that economic, social, and educational opportunities will be bolstered, and the growing digital divide can be bridged.
On Thursday, the DICT, led by assistant secretary Felino Castro V, launched its Free Wi-Fi for All at the JR Borja General Hospital (JRBGH) and the city hall.
“This is unlike ‘yung mga free Wi-Fi na ino-offer na kailangan mag register ka. Ito, we value the privacy of the people. Just connect, go directly to the internet, its unlimited as far as the time is concerned,” Castro said.
Castro said the DICT is targeting to put up a total of 104,867 operational Free Wi-Fi for All sites in the country, 321 of it will be located in Cagayan de Oro City which comprises of barangay halls, public schools, parks, hospitals and different facilities.
“The intention is to make those areas connected kasi it’s where people are congregating most of the time,” Castro said.
“So starting now until the end of 2022, ‘yun ang aming hard target. We’re putting it a hard target for us. And that can only be possible if we work together with the local government,” he added.
City Mayor Oscar Moreno, for his part, said the DICT’s program will help the government to become more efficient and improve the timeliness of the government’s services.
“The essence is connecting and Cagayan de Oro, given all its resources, location, people, etc., is very, very strategic for Mindanao. Given that we are right in the middle of the upper half Mindanao,” Moreno said.
“Its an education center, the government center, the trading hub, the logistics hub, a transport center and certainly the one that has the edge in terms of connectivity to the rest of Mindanao and including the Visayas,” he added.
At present, there are more than 3,100 operational sites in public places nationwide. Castro said they are planning to have a total of 32,172 operational sites in 2020.