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URL: https://www.facebook.com/btcbarmm/posts/pfbid02jQPgqt35F9V9cM52rKqvUQAC1gQHWdqZe3r2zDS4QVk6YXD8KWLPDCWn1UuW4eYDl

TITLE: The Bangsamoro Telecommunications Commission (BTC)

AUTHOR: Bangsamoro Telecommunications Commission - BARMM (Facebook Page)

DATE PUBLISHED: February 8, 2024

KEY CONTENTS: The Bangsamoro Telecommunications Commission convened a session with the objective of discussing urgent matters that impact the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), specifically concerning difficulties associated with the development of network infrastructure.

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Bangsamoro Telecommunications Commission - BARMM

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Bangsamoro Telecommunications Commission - BARMM

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𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐎𝐖!!!

The 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐁𝐓𝐂) 𝐄𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐜 convened its 6th regular session. The session, which took place earlier today, aims to deliberate on pressing issues...

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URL: https://mindanews.com/top-stories/2018/04/ph-telco-sector-needs-revamp-improve-internet-services-report/

TITLE: PH Selco needs to revamp to improve internet service.

AUTHOR: Mindanews

DATE PUBLISHED: April 10, 2018

KEY CONTENT: In Digos, Davao City, Workers are installing WiFi fiber cables because a lot of people are complaining about the slow internet they are experiencing.

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PH telco sector needs revamp to improve Internet services – report

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DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 10 April) – Revamping the telecommunications sector is needed to address poor Internet services in Mindanao caused by lack of

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URL: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/01/21/2239131/sim-registration-45-remote-areas-be-prioritized

TITLE: Sim registration in 45 remote areas to be prioritized

AUTHOR: Elijah Felice Rosales - The Philippine Star

DATE PUBLISHED: January 31, 2023

KEY CONTENT: Residents of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) area that experience difficulty in accessing the internet due to the lack of telco infrastructure, face challenges in registering their SIM.

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Elijah Felice Rosales - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has identified 45 remote areas across the country that need assistance for SIM registration, as it tells telco providers to expedite their procedure to comply with the April 26 deadline.

NTC officer-in-charge Ella Blanca Lopez yesterday said the government, together with the telco players, will carry out facilitated registration in 45 remote areas within 15 regions nationwide.

Further, Lopez said the Bangsamoro Telecommunications Commission will lead similar efforts in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) where multiple barangays suffer from weak to no connectivity.

"A total of 45 remote areas within 15 regions of the country were identified. Remote areas in the BARMM will still be coordinated with the Bangsamoro Telecommunications Commission," Lopez said.

Residents in areas like BARMM experience difficulty accessing the internet due to lack of telco infrastructure, making it challenging to register their SIM as mandated by law.

BARMM, for one, has the highest number of communities without cell signal among all regions, according to the 2019 National ICT Household Survey.

According to Lopez, the government wants to start the facilitated registration in remote areas on Jan. 25, especially as it hopes to finish everything within the prescribed deadline of April 26.

For this proposal, the NTC has directed the telco providers to check the feasibility of such a plan and to report to the agency whether that target date is workable.

Although telco players are tasked to do the SIM registration nationwide, Lopez said government agencies like the NTC will provide assistance in reaching out to these far-flung locations.

With this, Lopez called on the telco industry to speed up the pace of SIM registration to meet the requirement of enlisting all subscribers by April 26. The government may extend the deadline by 120 days under the law, but the NTC insists that such an option is off the table for now.

As of Jan. 18, telco providers have registered a total of 22.3 million SIMs, or 13 percent of the 169 million nationwide. Smart Communications Inc. has enlisted at least 11.16 million SIMs, followed by Globe Telecom Inc.'s 9.34 million and Dito Telecommunity Corp.'s 1.84 million.

"It is vital that we maintain - or better yet increase - the current pace of daily SIM registration to meet the deadline of April 26 for all SIMs to be duly registered," Lopez said.

Under Republic Act 11934, or the SIM Card Registration Act, existing subscribers must register their mobile numbers with their respective telco providers within 180 days, a policy that seeks to eliminate digital fraud as all SIMs can soon be tracked.

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SIM registration in 45 remote areas to be prioritized

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The National Telecommunications Commission has identified 45 remote areas across the country that need assistance for SIM registration, as it tells telco providers to expedite their procedure to comply with the April 26 deadline.

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URL: https://www.capacitymedia.com/article/29ot98fxdlmj8e5fcmio0/news/globe-launches-250m-sea-us-subsea-cable-system

TITLE: Globe Telecom has commercially launched the Southeast Asia-United States (SEA-US) submarine cable system, which provides direct links between Davao and the US.

AUTHOR: Capacity Media

DATE PUBLISHED: August 15, 2017

KEY CONTENT: The launching of Globe’s SEA-US submarine cable systems directly connects Davao to the US first-world connections, thus providing faster internet and building a better nation that opens opportunities to access better connectivity in the Davao Region.

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The 14,500km system uses the latest 100Gbps transmission technology to deliver an additional 20Tbps capacity. This additional capacity will cater to the exponential growth of bandwidth between the two continents.

The technology is from NEC, which built the cable for a consortium of seven members: Globe Telecom, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International, RAM Telecom International, Hawaiian Telcom, Teleguam Holdings GTI Corp. and Telkom USA.

"First world connection is more than just fast internet but is also about building a better nation that transcends borders and opens infinite possibilities for everyone. We are excited about this development because of the immense benefits that the undersea cable system will bring to the Philippines," said Ernest L. Cu, president and CEO of Globe.

"For one, it will provide support for the expanding business requirement for data in the Mindanao region where the cable landing station is located and in the country as a whole. This will also ease our dependence on international cable systems and ensure the resiliency of the country's internet connectivity."

The SEA-US cable system is connected to Globe's cable landing station in Barangay Talomo, Davao City, which also houses the power feed equipment necessary to run the system. Outside of Luzon, the undersea cable is the first direct connection of Globe to the United States via Guam, Hawaii, and California, offering faster transmission of data to the US. The system won a US licence and started the main phase of construction in January 2017 and landed in Davao City in March.

The facility also completely bypasses the Taiwan earthquake zone to ensure continuity of service and greater resiliency. This is expected to prevent a repeat of a 2006 incident where major international cables were broken because of the Taiwan earthquake, resulting in the isolation of the Philippines for a few days in terms of internet connectivity.

"On behalf of the Philippine Government, we congratulate Globe Telecom for further improving the state of internet connectivity in the Philippines. The launching of this SEA-US cable system underscores the importance of integrating ICT in the improvement of government service delivery. We look to this Globe and SEA-US project being of help to government in realising its ICT roadmap," said Rodolfo Salalima, Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

Peter Maquera, senior vice president for Globe Enterprise Group, added: "The facility will be most beneficial to businesses which require higher bandwidth and network resiliency at cost-efficient rates."

Aside from forming part of the SEA-US consortium, Globe is also a member of an international consortium operating the 8,900km Southeast Asia-Japan Cable (SJC) system linking seven territories that include Brunei, mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and the Philippines, including the option to link with Thailand. The cable infrastructure is currently being upgraded to bring an increase of 6.5Tbps capacity with state of the art 100G technology.

Globe Telecom has been in the news this week as it is planning to raise its capital expenditures (capex) from $750 million to $800 million in 2017 to invest more in data expansion projects.

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Globe launches $250m SEA-US subsea cable system

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Globe Telecom has commercially launched the Southeast Asia-United States (SEA-US) submarine cable system, which provides direct links between Davao and the US.

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r6dh2mztB4

Title: One Mindanao: Sim Registration

Author: GMA Regional TV

Date Published: January 25, 2023

Key Contents: The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) hold a sim registration in Pangantucan, Bukidnon, to help the residents with no internet connection register their sims.

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URL: https://youtube.com/watch?v=xuniIsp2DTQ

TITLE: Philippines' Globe Telecom CEO on how Al can be used in call centers

AUTHOR: CNBC - International TV

DATE PUBLISHED: Sep. 5, 2023

KEY CONTENTS:

This video contains news about the Philippines’ Globe CEO explaining how AI can be used in call centers. This is an innovation on telecommunication services as it can boost the efficiency of call center support. It was also mentioned how the AI could speak Tagalog which could potentially mean that not only is the process more efficient. The AI could also offer support to those in rural Mindanao with their problems as the AI could even potentially learn regional dialects in the future, Presenting a brighter future for accessibility of Telecommunication in Mindanao.

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Philippines' Globe Telecom CEO on how AI can be used in call centers

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URL: https://www.facebook.com/nedaregionaloffice5/posts/pfbid02xkNPSFAAWiRWDUWHojTEbN26gymit3Kr1EbuCYfG9zHHAgoFUtbcai3MbeLmkGQWl

TITLE: First Tech4Ed Center in a boat

AUTHOR: NEDA Regional Office 5 (Facebook Page)

DATE PUBLISHED: June 10, 2020

KEY CONTENTS: The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) opened a Bangkarunungan: Technology for Education, Employment, Entrepreneurs and Economic Development (Tech4ED) Center in August 2019 to help Sitio Lipata in Caramoan, Camarines Sur bridge the digital gap. It provides communities access to various services, like ICT and other digital opportunities. The program advocates equal access to technology for underprivileged and vulnerable populations.

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First Tech4Ed Center in a boat;
Three-phased program of interventions to address impact of COVID-19

Read the full BDU 2nd Q 2020 issue at: http://nro5.neda.gov.ph/publications/

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URL: https://issuu.com/mindanaotoday/docs/wed-thu_april_12-13_2023

TITLE: Smart, Ateneo de Davao bring technology closer to madrasah learners in BARMM

AUTHOR: Mindanao Today

DATE PUBLISHED: April 11, 2023

KEY CONTENT: With the goal of providing quality and sustainable education support to the BARMM region, PLDT in partnership with Ateneo de Davao generously sponsors School-in-a-bag (SIAB), a digital tool package, to their partners in the BARMM region. Four SIAB packages were recently turned over to the MVP partner “Madaris” or Islamic schools.

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URL: https://www.opensignal.com/2020/05/25/mobile-networks-in-the-philippines-are-more-resilient-in-urban-areas-than-in-rural-during-the-crisis

TITLE: Mobile networks in the Philippines are more resilient in urban areas than in rural areas during the crisis

AUTHOR: Hardik Khatri

DATE PUBLISHED: May 25, 2020

KEY CONTENT: The data statistics show how resilient mobile networks are in urban and rural areas of five macro regions. Of these five macro regions, Rural Mindanao showed the most decline in 4G video experience meaning that they are experiencing less quality in their data usage and mobile experience.

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URL:  https://blog.apnic.net/2023/04/25/the-philippines-internet-landscape/?fbclid=IwAR1WJYStizMw6R1voy16TgExjrFMxOWbl8J3ZQ6cDvJAoLtiVxt1KZgUu6w

TITLE: The Philippines Internet Landscape

AUTHOR: Achie Atienza

DATE PUBLISHED: April 25, 2023

KEY CONTENTS: Achie Atienza, the chair of the Philippine Network Operators Group (PhNOG) talks about the current internet providers in the Philippines, also mentioning Mindanao’s currently growing number of subsea cables and stations. The blog shows the SEA-US cable that directly connects Davao to the US. The blog also shows the data centers (DC) in Mindanao; globe, PLDT, and the latest DCs coming from abroad which have sought to establish presence in Mindanao are Digital Edge, Flow Digital, and STT.

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Achie Atienza speaking at APRICOT 2023 / APNIC 55.

The Philippines is an archipelago comprising three major island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao with 7,641 islands at high tide and a population of 113 million spread across roughly 2,000 of those islands. The Philippines has 10 international subsea cable systems, nine International Cable Landing Stations (CLS), 678 Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs), 10 local Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), and 14 data centres currently.

Figure 1 shows the current infrastructure with data centres and cable landing facilities. The majority of infrastructure lands in Luzon and serves the whole country. Being a tropical nation in the Pacific Ring of Fire we're prone to natural disasters. Having redundancy where most of the population lies (Luzon) was prioritized but is now seen as important to further explore national redundancy, so efforts were refocused on Mindanao - where we currently have a growing number of subsea cables and stations.

One area for future growth is the Visayas. There are projects in the works that I can't currently disclose but many initiatives were begun during the pandemic. Ten of the currently planned 19 subsea cable projects had begun by 2020 and the remaining nine projects began during the pandemic or just after.

ISPs

The majority of the IPv4 space is still managed by Globe and PLDT but growth and demand drive good competition (or vice versa). These two big providers actually manage a lot of smaller players that use subsets of their infrastructure. However, some new larger providers are coming in (Table 1).

On the rise are ISPs serving FTTH such as Radius, SourceTel (formerly Wifi City) and PT&T. Radius is interesting. Traditionally a power utility company (e-Meralco), they probably sought to capitalize on the fibre backbone they have all across the Philippines and leveraged that for broadband. Dito is another growing mobile service provider.

To give you a brief background on ISPs in the Philippines, historically it was perceived by consumers that only big telcos were capable of providing Internet services but over time several providers have moved into managing their own infrastructure, coincidently becoming service providers, such as:

Telco ISPs - Multi-service providers / Mobile Operator.

ISPs - Solely ISPs.

Cable TV - Cable TV providers offering Internet Services. These providers grandfathered from cable TVs, which historically just provided a cable service but now provide Internet services in this niche. These are important because a lot of the movement in Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) came from this sector.

Enterprise - Managed infrastructure for business plays a big role across the Philippines.

Academia - Managed infrastructure for schools/research often have different campuses across the economy. They usually home traffic to a large campus and it's aggregated from there.

Government - Managed infrastructure for government.

Philippine Association of Private Telecommunications Companies (PAPTELCO) - Managed Infrastructure (Private) play an important role at the edges across the archipelago. The idea with PAPTELCO is collaboration. They include and encourage different players to work together to get their connections to the edge.

Others on this list, specifically Cable TV and PAPTELCO, were driven to service provision mainly by the need to improve service and the opportunity to capitalize on their existing capability.

These varying methods highlight the many different approaches to connectivity across the Philippine islands - fibre, wired, wireless, and copper coax.

ASNs

As Figure 2 shows, we've seen continuous growth in ASNs with a large jump in 2016 and a substantial growth in ASN applications during the pandemic in 2021 driven by the need to peer. So, the continuous growth of new networks is driven by peering.

From a community perspective, PhNOG was instrumental in educating the local community on the benefits of peering and now we see steady growth in ISP infrastructure - so they can peer. This is probably the reason why we see growth in the Internet Exchange Point (IXP) space.

IPv6

The Philippines lags a bit with IPv6, but we are seeing growth in adoption and some decline in IPv4 (Figures 3 and 4).

When PhNOG did IPv6 case studies, we saw lower requests for additional IPv4 addresses so we were expecting to see more deployed IPv6 but that didn't happen. Instead, providers became better at managing their existing IPv4 resources. Digging deeper, we found there are several legacy devices being managed in their own systems, especially in billing systems that used IPv4 and there was no motivation to deploy IPv6. Right now, it's still a work in progress, so we'll monitor and provide help to the community.

IXPs and data centres

Many IXPs focus their efforts on Manila (Figure 5) where the population (including traffic) is dense and where initially most of the cable stations were, but we've seen growth in Cebu and Davao. PhNOG worked hard to improve visibility in the community to increase an understanding of how important redundancy is.

Listed on the right side of Figure 5 are the data centres (DCs). Historically, only large local players (Like Globe and PLDT) had their own DCs but as this list shows, other players are entering the market. The latest DCs coming from abroad are Digital Edge, Flow Digital and STT, which have sought to establish a presence in Visayas and Mindanao.

As much as possible, we want traffic to be local or localized, but we understand that traffic also needs to go out. Historically, local traffic has been US-centric but the current trend is Asia-centric driven by geography. Breaking that trend down further, Figure 6 shows Hong Kong plays an important role as the next gateway, based on its proximity to the Philippines, followed by Singapore and Japan.

Recently, we've seen a shift in some traffic due to the current geopolitical situation in Hong Kong. The trend is to build additional facilities in Singapore and Japan for redundancy purposes, and an overlay network for clean pipe services. This development has also strategically positioned the Philippines as the next regional hub!

We've seen local providers adapting to new trends that ultimately are changing the Internet landscape, such as port sizes of 100G (or nx100), new ASNs from Cable TV providers entering, an increase in openness to peering and an expansion in IXPconnectivity, link diversity, and multiple sessions.

Lessons learnt

The pandemic taught us that you can be inspired by crisis. We saw providers move to host their own content, which helped us localize traffic, and we've seen an increase in international collaboration and local investment. We've seen joint ventures in Globe partnering with STT, new DCs coming from partnerships like Digital Edge and Flow Digital, and IXPs GetaFIX and DE-CIX in a connectivity collaboration.

As well as the growth in cable systems, we've seen Starlink begin operations in the Philippines, and community advocacy like US AID/Beacon, AORA (Open RAN) providing services that were not available with existing providers and an increasing sense of community.

Community is important because you can have a lot of initiatives, but you need something that pushes an agenda to have a cumulative effect from different initiatives. Currently, that space is filled by PhNOG. NOGs are neutral spaces where competitors can collaborate and share knowledge, so perhaps the biggest lesson is to get involved in your local NOG. Of course, behind the holistic push from NOGs, are the people who back up words with actions and the leaders who become role models to inspire the community.

Overall, the Philippines has a lot of potential for growth in its infrastructure and ISP landscape. With current initiatives, we are moving towards reliable Internet connectivity with greater redundancy, which is essential for its growth and development.

Finally, I'd like to sum up the Philippines' Internet landscape with three local words: 'Diskarte', which means we'll find a way (to make it happen), 'walang katapusan', which means there's no finish line (there will always be a project to improve) and 'konsyensya', which I use to mean an Internet of conscience - it's not just about beating your customers or competitors, what we do improves the Internet for everyone. Equally or even more important is what we don't do, as that impacts everyone.

This material was presented at the APRICOT 2023 Peering Forum 2. Watch the video:
Vincent 'Achie' Atienza has been with Globe Telecom handling peering, interconnection, and strategy for almost 14 years now. Achie is active in the Philippine Internet community, the Chair of PhNOG (local host of APRICOT 2023, and virtually for APRICOT 202), and acts as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Internet Society Philippine Chapter (ISOC-PH).
The views expressed by the authors of this blog are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of APNIC. Please note a Code of Conduct applies to this blog.

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The Philippines Internet landscape | APNIC Blog

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Guest Post: A holistic view of the Internet in the Philippines.

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URL:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v5QdxXFWuk

TITLE: EVENTS VLOG: AIR ASIA DARE TO DREAM / GLOBE TELECOM SEA-US CABLE LAUNCH

AUTHOR: Azrael Coladilla

DATE PUBLISHED: August 21, 2017

KEY CONTENT: Azrael Coladilla, an acknowledged professional blogger with a Bachelor's in Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science, features his attendance at an event where Globe Telecom launches SEA-US Submarine Cable which connects Davao directly to the US, to provide a much faster and reliable internet connection in Davao City and the rural areas in its scope.

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EVENTS VLOG: AIR ASIA DARE TO DREAM / GLOBE TELECOM SEA-US CABLE LAUNCH

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URL: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1021290

TITLE: Davao-based telco to connect Mindanao poor areas to the world

AUTHOR:  Philippine News Agency

DATE PUBLISHED: January 12, 2018

KEY CONTENT: TierOne International, a Davao-based cellular and broadband network sets up 50,000 towers in five years to connect the poor and remote places in Mindanao, with the first tower to be installed in the Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi. It aims to benefit the government and the schools in remote areas.

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URL: https://www.facebook.com/pcogovph/videos/2044070902289227/

TITLE: PTV Mindanao Media Hub

AUTHOR: Presidential Communications Office

DATE PUBLISHED: Februrary 9, 2018

KEY CONTENT: PTV's efforts to inform and empower the citizens through mass media by the construction of the Mindanao Media Hub to serve as the government’s main broadcast hub in Region 10-13, including the ARMM.

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PTV Mindanao Media Hub | Part of PTV's efforts in strengthening its communication services for the Filipino people is the development of the Mindanao Media Hub. 

Housing... | By Presidential Communications Office | Facebook

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Part of PTV's efforts in strengthening its communication services for the Filipino people is the development of the Mindanao Media Hub. 

Housing...

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOaar34AHkM

TITLE: Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Isang barangay sa Surigao del Norte, walang signal?

AUTHOR: GMA Public Affairs

DATE PUBLISHED: November 12, 2018

KEY CONTENT:

The only access to cell signal of the residents of the remote Baranggay Karihatag in Surigao del Norte is through one sari-sari store.

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Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Isang barangay sa Surigao del Norte, walang signal?

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URL: https://ejournals.ph/function/reader1/read2/web/reader.php?id=uploads%2Farchive%2FIJERHL%2FVol.%2023%20No.%202%20(2017)%2FArticles%2FA8_Tagaytay.pdf&di=13380&fbclid=IwAR2rJ9WfFJwjeep0eEgXsxmHFCmN-yNoFjWpdvXUGkyxO1U34u9w_7yzcyU

TITLE: Living with the Digital Divide: Exploring Internet and

Computer Technology (ICT) Accessibility and Digital

Inequality through the Experiences of Educators & Students

AUTHOR: Monique Musni-Tagaytay, Mara Panganiban, and Yvon Jayson

DATE PUBLISHED: October 2, 2017

KEY CONTENT: The lack of digital technology in Tacunan District, Davao City, causes learning challenges for students and anxiety for teachers. Insufficient funding adds to the struggle. The study highlights the need to bridge the digital divide and provide equal opportunities for students to learn.

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URL: https://www.addu.edu.ph/blog/2020/10/28/ateneo-de-davao-university-launches-access-mindanao/

TITLE: Ateneo de Davao University launches ACCESS Mindanao

AUTHOR: Ateneo de Davao University

DATE PUBLISHED: October 28, 2020

KEY CONTENTS: The Ateneo de Davao University connects the isolated communities of Mindanao through the installation of satellite technology in remote provinces. The program aims to establish a network in schools, hospitals, and communities to improve access to education, healthcare (telemedicine), and a better life for the people of Mindanao.

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Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU), in partnership with other academic institutions, government agencies, and private institutions, launches AdDU Community Connectivity Empowered by Satellite Service for Mindanao (ACCESS Mindanao) to provide alternative solutions using satellite technology to address the problem of online connectivity, democratize access to the Internet, and improve the quality of life for people in Mindanao.

The program aims to establish a network of schools, hospitals, businesses, and communities that are linked to the Internet through satellites to provide connectivity to remote and isolated communities throughout the BARMM and Mindanao.

The University Community Engagement and Advocacy Center (UCEAC) together with the Madaris Volunteer Program and the University Research Council of AdDU manages the program that will be implemented in three phases:

Phase 1: ACCESS Mindanao Satellite Network Pilot Project
Phase 2: Expanding the Community Satellite Connectivity in Mindanao Communities
Phase 3: Towards a National Telecommunications Satellite

The first phase, which is currently ongoing, involves the installation of eight (8) satellite antenna receiving stations in selected sites. These stations were selected based on geographical factors, demand, accessibility, and security.

At the onset, a satellite receiving station will be installed and satellite access will be provided either with a limited or unlimited data cap. Installation and remote management of the system will be handled by AdDU for one year. For sites with limited data capacity, an additional cost per gigabit (GB) beyond the limit will be covered, either by the host institution, local government unit (LGU), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Non-Government Organizations (NGO), or other potential sponsors/partners.

In these centers, students can connect online for distance education, health workers can conduct telemedicine activities, and local residents can receive skills training or access government services.

As a component of the project, an information and education campaign (IEC) will also be conducted to raise awareness in the target communities and increase the number of users to maximize the usage of the center. This project is supported by Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), DICT, and the LGU where the sites are located.

The second phase involves increasing the number of sites throughout Mindanao, which will be conducted upon completion of the Phase 1 Pilot Project and successful demonstration of the technology. The goal is to create at least one (1) ACCESS Mindanao Site in each province that primarily focuses on education, health, government services, and commerce. This is conducted in parallel to the Free-Wifi Project of the DICT to increase the number of users and is done with an extensive IEC in the various communities where the centers are located.

With a substantial number of communities connected through a commercial satellite service provider, the last phase of the program aims to push the Philippines to launch its own national telecommunications satellite to expand the coverage to the whole country. This is well in line with the country's National Space Policy (RA 11363) of bringing the benefits of space technology to enhance the quality of life of all Filipinos. The national telecommunications satellite can be conducted as a public-private partnership between the industry and the Philippine government.

As part of the program, AdDU and its partners will provide policy recommendations on how internet access for all can be improved for the benefit of the people of Mindanao, and the rest of the Philippines. These policy recommendations and proposed legislation shall be based on consultations with various sectors and key stakeholders, identifying common needs and demands in terms of connectivity. The policy recommendations can show the way forward on improving internet access and possibly serve as a basis for a future roadmap for a Philippine satellite.

For more information, please read the ACCESS Mindanao Concept Note:

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Ateneo de Davao University launches ACCESS Mindanao

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Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU), in partnership with other academic institutions, government agencies, and private institutions, launches AdDU Community Connectivity Empowered by Satellite Service for Mindanao (ACCESS Mindanao) to provide alternative solutions using satellite technology to address the problem of online connectivity, democratize access to the Internet, and improve the quality of life for people in Mindanao.

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URL: https://pidswebs.pids.gov.ph/CDN/document/PIDS_Critical-Issues_BookLaunch.pdf

TITLE: Critical Issues in the Philippine Digital Economy

AUTHOR/s: Connie Bayudan-Dacuycuy and Ramonette B. Serafica

DATE PUBLISHED: June 22, 2023

KEY CONTENTS: The book centralizes on the Philippines’ digital economy and the issues within it. One of these aforementioned issues are factors that impede the growth of the digital economy such as poor digital infrastructure and digital-spatial divides caused by socioeconomic divides. But along with these issues are mentions of policies, programs, and plans to help mitigate these issues such as policies to give free internet access in public or plans to implement better telecommunication infrastructures and many more.

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOu8c_-7eGM

TITLE: KUWWT: Visayas, Mindanao internet to get boost

AUTHOR: The Manila Times

DATE PUBLISHED: July 5, 2022

KEY CONTENT: The Marcos administration plans to improve the internet connection in Visayas and Mindanao with Elon Musk's starling satellite communications network, Starlink.

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KUWTT: Visayas, Mindanao internet to get boost | July 5, 2022

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URL: https://youtu.be/v73UP5CEBiY?si=FmCXIIoqQVonh0YA

TITLE: Bridging Digital Divide - Is the Philippines the Next Big Digital Divide Market

AUTHOR: APSCC

DATE PUBLISHED: March 22, 2022

KEY CONTENT: The webinar mainly discusses the digital divide in the Philippines most especially in the rural areas and the ways they can improve and provide solutions for those problems, for example making services cheaper or improving telecommunication services, etc.

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Bridging Digital Divide - Is the Philippines the Next Big Digital Divide Market?

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URL: https://pluralartmag.com/2022/11/02/6-ways-art-moves-beyond-the-canvas-at-mindanao-art-2022/

TITLE: Virtual

AUTHOR: Jag Bueno

DATE PUBLISHED: Nov. 2, 2022

KEY CONTENT:

The artwork showcases two people from Lumad cultural backgrounds wearing virtual headsets. The artist intends to provoke the question of how will Mindanao’s traditions be able to adapt to live with the technological advancements of today. This is relevant to the topic as Telecommunication can be a quite complex topic at times creating a quite challenging problem for those rural communities in Mindanao as modernization and technology can be quite alien to them and they would rather stick to old traditions not only because it's what they know most but also because it is what they are most comfortable with.