DAVAO City Second District Councilor Danilo C. Dayanghirang is pushing for incentives to encourage Internet cafés to operate 24/7, aiming to provide more study spaces for students and working Dabawenyos.
In a privilege speech on Tuesday, September 9, Dayanghirang said cafés that follow strict guidelines could be rewarded with tax holidays, reduced fees, or other benefits from the city government.
“The call of our time is not just to protect our youth, but to empower them. By opening our libraries and Internet cafés 24/7, we open doors to the future of Davao City,” he said on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at the Sanguniang Panlungsod.
He said the move would not only help students and workers access safe study spaces at any time, but also create more income opportunities for business owners.
Dayanghirang noted that many young people from working-class families lack quiet, well-lit spaces at home or access to gadgets and reliable internet. Expanding study hubs, he said, would help bridge that gap.
Aside from cafés, he also proposed extending the Davao City Library and Information Center’s (CLIC) operating hours to 24/7, including weekends.
Students, he emphasized, should have safe and supervised access to both books and online resources.
Councilor Bonz Andrei Militar reminded that the city already approved an ordinance in May 2025 to establish a Public Internet Center at People’s Park. The two-story facility will provide free computer use, high-speed internet, and a public Wi-Fi zone for Dabawenyos.
The push to extend CLIC’s hours has been on the table for years. In 2024, library officials said the idea was still under discussion, while as early as 2023, then-officer-in-charge Salome M. Enoc had already pointed out the growing demand, noting that the library had reached full capacity several times.
CLIC currently operates from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with occasional extended hours. Librarian Elmer Amarillo stressed that running the library round-the-clock would require hiring additional staff.
The four-story facility houses meeting rooms, an amphitheater, children’s and adult reading areas, an IT center, a coffee shop, and even an organic rooftop garden. It also operates four mobile libraries to bring learning closer to communities. RGP