The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines recently activated 1,000 free Wi-Fi access points across 220 public higher education institutions (HEIs) nationwide.
The access points were installed and rolled out with the support of PLDT Inc.
The initiative is part of UNDP's commitment to broaden public access to free internet services and provide access to information and basic public services focusing on education and health.
It is also in line with the DICT and UNDP’s joint commitment to support communities as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Among the key objectives of the Free Wi-Fi project is to contribute to the progress of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," DICT Secretary Manny Caintic stated.
"From October 2021 to May 2022, we’ve already activated 1,000 free Wi-Fi sites and we plan to put up 300 more Wi-Fi access points in HEIs under this initiative,” according to Dr. Selva Ramachandran, UNDP Resident Representative.
“Internet access made available by the DICT-UNDP partnership allows students and teachers to have a flexible platform for teaching and learning, especially now that blended online and in-person learning is the new norm,” she noted.
“We’re honored to have been given the opportunity provide public Wi-Fi access to 220 higher education institutions across the country from Abra to Zamboanga," says PLDT First Vice President Joseph Ian Gendrano.
Despite the setbacks from the pandemic, the partnership carried on with installations in key areas at the beginning of the year.
The DICT-UNDP Connectivity, Capability, and Resiliency through Free Wi-Fi for All (CoRe FW4A) project supports the government's commitment to accelerate the roll-out of the Free Wi-Fi for All National Program.