Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said he will vigorously pursue the installation of reliable internet connection in all the country’s public schools should he win in the May 2022 senatorial race.

Gatchalian, who is seeking another six-year term in the Senate, said he will pursue the enactment of Senate Bill No. 2250, or the proposed Satellite-Based Technologies for Internet Connectivity Act of 2021 which seeks to expand access to satellite-based technologies as an alternative solution to ensure universal access to the internet.

The Gatchalian measure primarily ensures that organizations from different sectors would be allowed to own and operate satellite-based technology in order to aid and augment their activities.

These include government organizations, public and non-profit private institutions, and volunteer organizations engaged in education, health, finance, agriculture, environmental management, climate change management, disaster preparedness and crisis response.

Gatchalian said he is also eyeing a bill that would fast track digital transformation in the basic education sector by enhancing the information and communications technology (ICT) capacity of the Department of Education (DepEd).

The senator also said he will work to digitally streamline and integrate the DepEd-ICT's workflow and processes, and enhance its capacity to deliver quality education.

“Patuloy nating isusulong ang pagkakaroon ng internet sa bawat pampublikong paaralan (We will continue to pursue faster internet access in each public school)," Gatchalian said.

"Titiyakin din nating handa ang ating mga guro at mga mag-aaral sa mas malawakang paggamit ng teknolohiya pagdating sa pag-aaral at pagtuturo (We will also make sure our teachers and students are prepared to use technology for studying and teaching),” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian pointed out that developed and developing countries have relied on satellite-based internet technology to provide Wi-Fi services especially in areas where it is more expensive to roll out wired or mobile networks.

To provide internet connectivity through satellite-based technology, the senator explained that an internet service provider (ISP) sends a fiber internet signal to a satellite in space; the satellite dish, which is connected to the modem of the user, then connects the user to the Internet.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, noted that a study made by The Asia Foundation in 2019 show that 74 percent of public schools remain unconnected to the internet.

Meanwhile, a 2019 National ICT Household Survey, reveals that 82.3 percent of households in the Philippines do not have access to the internet.

Gatchalian said he believes that blended learning would still be part of the new normal even after the Covid-19 pandemic that is why it is crucial to pursue passage of the bill into law.

"Kaya naman dapat palawigin natin ang paggamit ng internet upang makapaghatid ng dekalidad na edukasyon (that's why we need to expand internet access so we can fully provide quality education)," he stressed.