Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda has lauded the recent launching of an e-Governance and Wi-Fi sites in Sibalom, Antique, her home province.
Legarda emphasized it is important to ensure strong connectivity amid a digital transformation happening in the country, saying digital inclusion is critical in empowering people and communities.
Spearheaded by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the senator said the project aims to ensure the convenience and availability of internet services in different University of Antique (UA) campuses and other parts of the province, including indigenous community areas.
“As the principal author of Republic Act No. 10844, the law that created the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), I have always been aware of the importance of ICT in our nation's progress,” Legarda said during the project launching held last March 3, 2023.
“It is vital that we fast-track the provision of affordable, accessible, and reliable internet services to our communities. This is exactly what we are doing today," the lawmaker pointed out.
The senator also noted the significance of investing more in technology which was made evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital inclusion, she said, should now be one of the government's priorities.
"We can no longer stall digital transformation – it is inevitable. The launch of these free Wi-Fi sites is only the beginning. We are doing this not only for our kasimanwas in Antique, but also to our kababayan in the different parts of the country, with our strengthened partnership with the DICT," she said.
“Our goal is to ensure that every community will be connected digitally, and every citizen will have the knowledge and skill to effectively use and access ICTs, so that in this highly-evolving digital world, we can all keep up, and no one gets left behind,” Legarda affirmed.
DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy, in response, thanked the senator for her tremendous support in the field of ICT.
“The good Senator has been steadfast in advancing digitalization for the country. She is a visionary and saw the enormous potential of ICT as a vessel for progress and economic development in the Philippines,” Uy said.