DAVAO de Oro will soon have free WiFi spots after the provincial government inked an agreement with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the United Nations Development Programme.
Davao de Oro Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy on Tuesday evening, June 23, 2020, announced on his official Facebook page that the local government and its partner institution signed a partnership through the "Free WiFi For All Project" project, which targets a total of 186 free wifi public hotspots in the province.
Uy said that 171 hotspots will be positioned in the province's public schools.
"Dakong tabang kini especially karon nga magshift na ang pagtuon sa atong kabatan-onan into alternative methods (this will be a big help for our students as we shift to alternative methods)," the governor said.
The announcement of the free WiFi came on the heels of a viral photo of teachers of New Leyte Elementary School and New Leyte National High School in Maco circulated online as they braved the rainy weather and traveled to a higher location to get a better internet connection and attend the web seminar of the Department of Education (DepEd).
This caught the attention of the Governor who commended the teachers for their determination in joining the webinar and learning new knowledge to adapt to the new normal.
However, Uy also called the attention of the National Telecommunications Commission-Davao Region (NTC-Davao) to request telecommunication companies to improve their signal strength in the province to include the far-flung areas.
NTC-Davao Director Nelson Cañete told Sunstar Davao in a recent interview that they have been constantly coordinating with different companies in the region to address the growing demand for a stable and faster internet signal. But with the different circumstances, he said the improvement of internet connectivity before the opening of classes this year will not be possible.
Meanwhile, Uy also said that the local government will be placing 15 hotspots in municipal halls and plazas.
The governor also said the local government will also allocate P7 million coming from the re-aligned budget to the Special Education Fund to help Deped in their “blended learning approach.”
He said the budget will be intended for the purchasing of prepaid WiFi modems, external drives, transistor radios, and other needs.