The Philippine Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and private firm inked a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for a partnership to improve the bandwidth capabilities of government housing projects in the country. The department’s efforts to institutionalise the effective and strategic delivery of services in the housing industry will be strengthened by the collaboration. The undertaking bolsters the government’s belief that significant national development can be achieved through an effective partnership between the government and the private sector.
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, the company intends to partner with DHSUD and its attached corporations to strengthen the government housing sector. The MoA covers the provision of Internet access to residents of resettlement sites selected.
According to the DHSUD, the deal adds to the government efforts in providing Filipino families with modern housing communities nationwide equipped with necessary infrastructure facilities including information technology.
The DHSUD acknowledged that this collaboration would further boost the government’s flagship campaign – Building Adequate, Liveable, Affordable and Inclusive (BALAI) Filipino housing programme. The BALAI project aims to improve government efforts in addressing Filipino housing needs as they strive to build resilient houses in safe and sustainable communities, together with the other key shelter agencies.
The Memorandum of Agreement will pave the way for the BALAI-Net project that aims to provide a 100 Mbps (megabits per second) internet connection with a “guaranteed 99.99% uptime and a redundant network” per household subscriber. Further, the MoA is designed so that subscribers only start paying for the internet when they actually use the service.
The participating company will shoulder all the installation expenses for the project. The firms and their partners are responsible to install the necessary network infrastructure, make the necessary repair, replacements and maintenance of the internet service. They would also ensure quality and consistent wi-fi service under the agreement.
The DHSUD and its attached corporations would be responsible for identifying and selecting the resettlement sites eligible for the project. The DHSUD’s public sector partners who nominate and select locations are The Philippine Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) and The Philippine National Housing Authority (NHA). Under the agreement, these government agencies have been tasked to yearly recommend 50 to 100 resettlement sites with 1,000 or more households each.
This initiative is in line with the country’s vision to become a digitalised country and its digital ambitions. It is also in keeping with the Free Wi-Fi for All goal. This DICT initiative aims to accelerate the Philippine government’s efforts in enhancing internet accessibility for Filipinos so that, in turn, economic, social, and educational opportunities will be bolstered, and the growing Digital Divide can be bridged. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has earmarked 7.7 billion Pesos (US$ 158 million) in its proposed 2021 budget for the implementation of the Free Wi-Fi for All in Public Places and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) Program.
The country also recognises the challenges and risks that come with wider connectivity and better internet services. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the CEBU region and other members of the Inter-Agency Council Against Child Pornography (ICACP) marked the “Safer Internet Day Philippines” (SIDPH) on Feb. 13 with a virtual kickoff activity on Feb. 9, 2021.
SIDPH is one of the strategies of the government, through ICACP, to create public awareness on the need to ensure the protection of children from the risks and abuses caused by the misuse of cyberspace or lack of awareness on internet safety. This year’s theme “Bagong Normal: Ligtas na Internet for All!” is in line with the year’s international theme “Together for Better Internet.”