NIGHT OWL
Anna Mae Lamentillo
Strengthening collaboration between the government and the private sector has always been relevant in nation building. President Bongbong Marcos has said that Public Private Partnerships (PPP) hold great potential for the expansion of infrastructure development and for innovation. He also encouraged local government units (LGUs) to be open to PPPs, especially since his administration will be undertaking more infrastructure projects and digitalization.
But aside from the technical meaning and aspect of PPP, a broader partnership between the government and private sector is essential to make sure that we create an environment that is conducive to everyone, where businesses can thrive and flourish while being partners of government in nation building. This is why President Marcos created a Private Sector Advisory Council to help the government, primarily by providing feedback on the real situation on the ground and giving advice on key economic issues and recommendations on modern policy development.
This collaboration is also vital in the administration’s push for digitalization, primarily through its BroadBand ng Masa Program that aims to build digital infrastructure that will not only connect communities including those in far-flung areas, but would also provide citizens with better quality of life through the delivery of speedy and efficient government services to the people.
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan Uy said that the government supports private sector initiatives that will aid in the country’s digital transformation journey.
Secretary Uy stressed this during the recent launch of PLDT Inc.’s Jupiter Subsea Cable System, which is expected to expand the country’s international bandwidth capacity.
The 14,600-kilometer Jupiter Cable System is the newest addition to PLDT’s 16 international subsea cable systems connecting the country to the rest of the world. It will connect the Philippines directly from PLDT’s cable landing station in Daet, Camarines Norte to Japan and the US West Coast.
The cable system would triple PLDT’s international capacity to 60 Terabits per second. It is capable of delivering 500ghz per second that utilizes an Open Cable Model which allows the telco to fast-track the delivery of hyperscale bandwidth to enterprises across the globe.
Secretary Uy said that the launch of the cable system is expected to cement the country’s position as the next hyperscaler hub in Asia and will also pave the way for adopting advanced digital technologies such as Cloud and 5G services.
He also emphasized that these partnerships with the private sector is vital in pursuing our shared goals of advancing the Philippine digital agenda.
With continued and strengthened collaboration between government and the private sector, we hope to improve the nation’s participation in the global digital economy, address the digital divide in our country, and Build Better More.