Lack of DBM support for free WiFi law hit

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has been called out for a supposed lack in the allocation for the free public Wi-Fi program, which is not in accordance with the law.

Earlier this month, the DBM released P3.68 billion for the continuation of the nationwide implementation of the Free Public Internet Access Program (FPIAP) as mandated by Republic Act 10929.

The FPIAF was given an initial P2.5 billion in February of this year and is expected to be fully obligated this month.

DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy said the P2.5 billion is only sufficient to maintain 13,462 free Wi-Fi live access points nationwide for five months and that the P3.68 billion could sustain it “until the end of the year plus approximately two more months in 2025.”

“What will happen if no [funding] is given? Disconnected? So, there will be no free WiFi?” Bagong Henerasyon Partylist Rep. Bernadette Herrera asked during the DICT’s budget hearing on Thursday.

Dy said they will “fight to find” ways to have the FPIAF funded since it’s mandated by law.

Herrera expressed concern the lack of a budget will prompt the DICT anew to resort to owing the funds to the telecommunication companies.

“Why are we skimping on giving [funds] to DICT? They had P23 billion as of December 2023 for the free Wi-Fi in the country. Thank you, you gave them P3.6 billion,” Herrera told DBM Director Gemma Ilagan sarcastically.

Roughly 2,600 of the 12,463 free Wi-Fi sites nationwide had ceased operations due to the DICT’s inability to pay its telecommunications contracts.

Ilagan stressed that the DBM fully supports the program, however, the implementation is being compromised due to a lack of government resources.

“While we can say that we recognize that there is really a need for us to release automatically because it’s an earmark provision provided by the law, we work on a limited program,” she explained.

She said that while funding for the FPIAF is being sourced from the special account in the general fund it may be bumped off in the event of an increase in programming.

Herrera, however, argued that the funding for the FPIAF should not be used for other programs as it is solely earmarked for the free internet initiative.

“I want to put this on record. What is the legal basis for the funds earmarked for [FPIAF] being used for another [program? This is a national law that we passed,” Herrera said.

Under Section 17 of RA 10929, the FPIAF shall be funded from the spectrum users fees collected by the National Telecommunications Commission and other sources to be identified by the DBM.