Isabela 6th district Rep. Faustino Dy thinks that housing developers must designate information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure areas within their project zones or subdivisions.
This is why he filed House Bill (HB) 4472, otherwise known as the Housing Development Digital Connectivity Bill.
“The pandemic has highlighted just how crucial digital connectivity is to our lives. We must be equipped to tackle the challenges under the new normal, and this includes ensuring greater access to the internet, which we hope this measure will address,” Dy said.
Under Presidential Decree (PD) 957, housing projects at least one hectare in size must leave 30 percent of its gross area for open space. This 30 percent will be used for parks, playgrounds, and recreational use.
Dy’s measure seeks to amend the law so that ICT infrastructure and facilities would also be included within the 30 percent open space, thus providing better internet accessibility to residents.
This measure would also apply to existing subdivisions and housing zones.
“I hope that Congress will still recognize the need for such a measure. Sa panahon ngayon na maituturing na'ng 'bare necessity’ ang internet, kailangang masiguro natin na mas maraming kabahayan ang may maayos na access dito (In this time wherein internet is a bare necessity, we need to ensure that more homes have access to this),” he concluded.