Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar (Rep. Villar’s office)

Las Piñas City lone district Rep. Camille Villar is pushing for the creation of a nationwide program that would provide barangays all over the country with free access to digital learning resources.

House Bill (HB) No. 9581 or the proposed E-books for the Barangay Program Act of 2023 aims to “establish and launch a progressive initiative designed to bridge the digital divide, promote digital literacy, and improve access to quality educational resources for all Filipinos".

Villar wants the Department of Education (DepEd) to spearhead the undertaking.

“The Philippine archipelago poses significant challenges in terms of providing equitable access to educational resources, especially in rural and marginalized communities,” the lawmaker said in a statement on Sunday, Jan. 7.

“The limited physical library infrastructures, inadequate reading materials, and a lack of access to up-to-date digital learning tools exacerbate the situation,” she stressed.

Under the proposed program, a digital library platform will help provide a secure and organized database of digital learning resources, including e-books, video lectures, simulations, and other relevant materials in various fields of study and in languages suitable for the local community.

In areas with limited Internet access, the distribution of electronic devices such as tablets or e-readers shall be provided.

Villar bared that the DepEd will be mandated to organize workshops and training programs to enhance the digital literacy among residents, particularly using electronic resources.

“We need to guarantee equal access to education and learning materials to everyone, especially those who live in far-flung areas. This proposal seeks to make this possible,” she said.

HB No. 9581 also provides the requisite for a periodic assessment and data collection to measure the program’s success and the possible introduction of measures for its further improvement.