<p><strong>IMPROVING CONNECTIVITY.</strong> Department of Information and Communication Secretary Henry Aguda speaks at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum in Malate, Manila on June 4, 2025. On Monday (June 16), Aguda highlighted the accomplishments of the DICT under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., particularly the almost 19,000 free WiFi sites installed throughout the country and 3,000 km. of fiber laid as part of the National Broadband Program during the Infrastructure Forum of the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) in Makati City. <em>(PNA file photo by Yancy Lim)</em></p>
IMPROVING CONNECTIVITY. Department of Information and Communication Secretary Henry Aguda speaks at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum in Malate, Manila on June 4, 2025. On Monday (June 16), Aguda highlighted the accomplishments of the DICT under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., particularly the almost 19,000 free WiFi sites installed throughout the country and 3,000 km. of fiber laid as part of the National Broadband Program during the Infrastructure Forum of the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) in Makati City. (PNA file photo by Yancy Lim)

MANILA – The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has so far rolled out almost 19,000 free WiFi sites and laid over 3,000 kilometers (km.) of fiber under the National Broadband Program, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s order to fix the country’s connectivity problems.

During the Infrastructure Forum of the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) in Makati City on Monday, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said these projects under the Marcos administration are “proof of the government’s will that has translated into citizen benefit.”

“When the President gave the order, we didn’t debate. We delivered. We went straight to work —because every Filipino, whether in Batanes or Tawi-Tawi, deserves to be connected,” he said.

To date, Aguda said there are now 18,849 free WiFi sites placed in 6,183 geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) and 3,026 km. of National Fiber Backbone infrastructure that can deliver high-speed internet for the government to 20 provinces and over 1,000 agencies.

By 2028, the DICT is looking to connect all 10,875 underserved barangays throughout the country by holding telecommunications companies more accountable, and ensuring that households have access to cheaper and more secure digital access.

He also highlighted the passage of two landmark laws —the Konektadong Pinoy Act and the E-Governance Act, which establish a more affordable, inclusive, and responsive digital ecosystem.

“These are not ceremonial accomplishments, they are deliberate, people-first responses to the President’s call for action —and the people are already feeling the impact,” he added.

In celebration of the National ICT Month this June, the DICT also intensified field deployments by installing 153 new access points in the Batanes Islands and 53 access points in Tawi-Tawi to connect the country’s most remote locations.

“We are not building just fiber or satellites. We’re building a more just, informed, and inclusive republic,” he said. — Raymond Carl Dela Cruz (PNA)

*****