Hundreds of students from two schools in Amlan, Negros Oriental are expected to benefit from free Internet following the launching of a pilot project by the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Department of Information & Communication Technology, and the Department of Education.
Partnering as well with the local government unit of Amlan, the NOCCI-led Public-Private Partnership Off-grid Internet Project was launched Wednesday through the signing of a memorandum of agreement with other provincial and local officials also in attendance.
The beneficiaries are the public high schools in the barangays of Silab and Jantianon in Amlan, where there is very little or no signal at all, said NOCCI President Edward Du.
According to Du, the country’s two telecommunications companies had declined to put up cell sites in these areas, prompting the Chamber to step in and partner with the government to pilot the Free Wi-Fi Project under Republic Act 10929, otherwise known as the Free Public Wi-Fi Law of 2017.
Du said there are 400 off-grid public schools in Negros Oriental alone, and if this pilot Internet connectivity will succeed, they hope to expand the same free Wi-Fi service to these schools.
Amlan Mayor Gino dela Cruz has lauded the project, thanking the prime movers for bringing it to his municipality, saying this would certainly improve the learning capabilities of the students.
According to the Mayor, their municipality is fortunate to have this project because DICT’s Internet connection via fiber optics is being transmitted through the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, which has a sub-station in Pondol, Amlan.
Du, meanwhile, explained that the project is part of the Chamber’s Corporate Social Responsibility as it continues to support the government in efforts to find additional key players to break the “duopoly” of Smart and Globe so that Internet connectivity in the country would be at par with its ASEAN neighbors.
He disclosed that the multi-awarded NOCCI will be participating in an upcoming international competition for the world’s best chamber of commerce and this particular project will be among their “best practices” to present.
This project is an offshoot of the US Agency for International Development-STRIDE Project with NOCCI that was launched on Oct. 20, 2016 with the main advocacy to find better alternatives to the demand for improved Internet services and connections in the country, Du added.
“This is our challenge to the two telco giants,” the NOCCI President said. (With a report from Judy Flores Partlow/PNA)
