Subic Bay Freeport – To boost connectivity between 47 government agencies for faster communication, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) have launched the Subic Bay Government Network (GovNet) Project in the Freeport.

Launched at the Best Western Hotel in Subic Bay Freeport on 24 June, the GovNet interconnects national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), public schools, and state hospitals through a secure, high-speed fiber-optic network to streamline public services and data sharing.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño said, “GovNet is more than infrastructure; it is the backbone of a unified digital ecosystem for government. As a high-speed interagency facility, it will connect 47 government agencies, ensuring faster communication, better coordination, quicker document processing, and easier access to online services.”

Aliño said that GovNet will help modernize government operations and bring public services closer to the people. He added that the National Broadband Program (NBP) was created to bridge the digital divide, provide interventions policies, and infrastructure.

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Philippine government’s strategic blueprint to build a nationwide digital infrastructure, accelerating the deployment of fiber optic cables and wireless technologies to provide universal, fast, reliable, and affordable internet services.

DICT Central Luzon Assistant Regional Director Atty. James Francis Villanueva said, “Subic has long been recognized as a center for trade, logistics, investment, tourism and innovation. But in today’s digital economy, roads, ports, and airports are no longer enough.”

He added, “Digital infrastructure has become just as important as physical infrastructure.”

The DICT official said that thru GovNet, the department is helping to ensure that Subic Bay remains globally competitive and fully prepared for the opportunities of the digital economy.

The GovNet project provides a dedicated fiber-optic internet with bandwidth capacities reaching up to 10Gbps, which connects isolated agency databases to improve inter-agency communication and ease government transactions.

The said project eliminates the need for multiple, expensive individual ISP subscriptions by centralizing government network infrastructure.