mmalabanan
MANILA, Philippines- Filipinos can expect thousands of free public wi-fi hotspots in the country starting next year as the budget for DOST’s Public Wi-Fi Program has been increased.
Approved by the Senate, the increased budget program will give way to the installation of 50,872 wi-fi hotspots in 1,118 public libraries ,38,694 public elementary schools, 7,917 public high schools,113 state colleges and public spaces in 1,490 towns.
From P338 million, DOST’s budget will be increased to P3 billion.
According to Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, the budget increase was made possible since the Department of Budget and Management’s lease-purchase of laptops was deferred by one year. These laptops will be issued by government employees in the future.
Recto said: “I think it is the win-win situation. We set up the access points first. Because right now, teachers, for instance, already own smartphones. Their problem is that they cannot connect to the Internet. Once this is set up, then we bring in the laptops.”
Aside from schools, the public wi-fi hotspots will also be set-up in 895 provincial and regional hospitals and government hospitals in the metro. Public Employment Service Offices and transport hubs such as airports, seaports and train stations will also benefit from DOST’s program.
With the government’s plan to improve communication in the country, people from all walks of life including students, teachers, traders, health care workers, overseas Filipino workers, and even farmers, will definitely benefit from it.
