President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to establish online connectivity in remote and isolated communities across the country.

The directive followed the DICT’s presentation of its connectivity proposals during a sectoral meeting on the National Digital Connectivity Plan (NDCP) 2024-2028 at Malacañang on Monday.

“Let us establish the connectivity first. That’s more important than anything else,” Marcos said.

The President suggested rolling out the connectivity program in areas where the government can provide free WiFi. He added that the government could help provide connections to government facilities to ensure a market for telecommunications companies.

“We will now provide that market by giving access to government facilities, barangay offices, LGUs, etc. And that will establish the market,” Marcos said.

“Once people get used to having that, we can already include the allowance for WiFi in the budget. Because it’s already there. We can put it in the budget of the government agency. It’s just a small amount,” he added.

The NDCP will serve as the country’s strategic blueprint for bringing universal and meaningful digital connectivity throughout the Philippines.

“This is a crucial step toward achieving our goal of universal access. Our continuous efforts to digitalize government services are part of this broader and inclusive vision for the Philippines,” Marcos said. Richbon Quevedo