Digital bayanihan connects 15 remote schools nationwide

As part of the government's digital bayanihan program, a last mile school in Agusan del Norte has been energized with solar panels through the support of the National Electrification Administration (NEA), Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara said on Thursday.

Angara, who personally visited Datu Saldong Domino Elementary School, crossed two rivers and climbed hills just to reach the school located at Sitio Tagpange, Barangay Simbalan, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte.

The school also received a Starlink unit, tablets, Smart TVs, electric fans, and other school materials with the help of NEA and FDC Misamis Power Corporation.

Angara said these improvements are proof of what can happen when government, private partners, and local communities come together for education.

“This is digital bayanihan in action. When we connect our schools, we connect our students to better futures," he said.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has also committed to providing internet connectivity to all public schools nationwide by the end of 2025.

With the help of DICT’s Free Public Internet Access Program, Bayanihan SIM, and ongoing digital infrastructure rollout, paired with DepEd’s drive for digitalization, the government’s whole-of-nation approach is turning aspiration into action.

From the hills of Apayao to the highlands of Agusan, digital bayanihan is a movement to bridge the digital divide, light up classrooms, and bring opportunity to every Filipino child.

At Salamanca National High School, a last mile school in Ginatilan, Cebu, Teacher Rowena Signuit shared how connectivity has transformed classroom learning, making lessons more efficient, enabling critical research, and bringing renewed hope to their school community.

Teacher Rowena personally conveyed this impact to President Marcos, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, and ICT Secretary Henry Aguda during a virtual dialogue with school heads, teachers, and learners from newly connected campuses nationwide.

“Maraming salamat po sa ibinigay na free WiFi for all! We’re very happy and thankful po sa mga free WiFi dahil nagkaroon kami ng pag-asa,” shared Teacher Rowena.

This kind of transformation is now being felt in more geographically isolated communities in the country thanks to digital bayanihan, a joint initiative of the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Department of Education, guided by President Marcos’ call for inclusive digital transformation in education.

The beneficiary last mile schools now connected online include Radagan Elementary School, Ilocos Norte; Chanarian Elementary School, Batanes; Tibagan Elementary School, Bulacan; Caigdal National High School, Quezon; Ulanguan Elementary School, Marinduque; Lipata Integrated School, Camarines Sur; Bay-ang National High School, Iloilo; Salamanca National High School, Cebu; Tigbawan Integrated School, Leyte; Pag-asa Elementary School, Tawi-Tawi; Dalingap Elementary School, Misamis Occidental; Malungon Elementary School, North Cotabato; Cabawa Elementary School, Surigao del Norte; Datu Saldong Domino Elementary School, Agusan del Norte; and Tangalan National High School, Apayao.