DAVAO City Councilor Bonz Andre A. Militar revealed that with the approval of Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, he is now expediting the process for the proposed establishment of the city's first-ever public internet center.
He said he has already submitted the design to the City Engineer's Office (CEO) to determine the cross-estimate so that he can craft the procurement plan and project design for the total budget needed for the building.
“Since daghan na kaayo nagreklamo karon na mahal na kaayo ang internet cafe sa Davao City so isa ni siya tabang sa atoang mga taga-Davao na libre na ilang paggamit og computer, pag-research, pag-assignment, even magvideo-meeting,” Militar said during the Aprubado sa Konseho on Tuesday morning, October 29, 2024, at the Sanguniang Panlungsod.
(Since many people have been raising concerns over the rising rates at internet cafes in Davao City, this is one of the solutions that the government is providing — free services to Dabawenyos; they can use computers, do research, make assignments, and even have video meetings).
Davao City Councilor Bonz Andre A. Militar revealed that with the approval of Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, he is now expediting the process for the proposed establishment of the city's first-ever public internet center.Rojean Grace G. Patumbon/SunStar PhotoMilitar said that the units available in the Davao City Library and Information Center (DCLIC) are limited, and most of the time, the library is full of students, workers, and those doing their research. With this, the local government unit (LGU) will cater to the influx of people.
Thus, Militar is still waiting for the cross-estimate from the CEO but vowed to hasten the project to ensure that it will be included in the Annual Budget for 2025. He stated that the rough estimate for the project is around P10 to P15 million.
The center is an extension of the DCLIC and would be constructed inside People’s Park beside the playground. The building will have two floors. The first floor will have six units dedicated to persons with disabilities (PWD) and those with comorbidities, while the second floor will have 60 units that will be accessible to all.
In addition to the units, Dabawenyos could use wi-fi outside the center in case when all of the units are occupied. Militar assured that they would use a strong internet connection for those using wi-fi outside.
Militar, however, said that the use of the units and Wi-Fi connection would be limited to two to three hours so that others may also have a chance to use these technologies.
Militar also advised the Dabawenyos to register with the DCLIC to avail of these services.
The councilor initially proposed the concept on September 7, 2023, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod. RGP