PICC, Pasay City
December 6, 2022

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. pushed for the further strengthening of digital infrastructure in the Philippines as the government doubles its efforts to enhance mobile cellular services and free Wi-Fi across the country, especially in hard to reach and remote areas.

In his attendance at the Telco Summit 2022, the President reaffirmed the Administration’s plans and programs geared toward an improved digital connectivity and building a truly ‘Digital Philippines’ to make Filipinos ready and equipped in this era of information and technology.

Among these programs are the Broadband ng Masa Program, the Wi-Fi for All Program, the Zamboanga-Basilan Wireless Broadband Network and the establishment of the National Government Data Center.

“These are just some of the projects that we are undertaking to make our people more adaptable and connected especially in this age of what we have come to call the new normal,” President Marcos Jr. remarked as he thanked the stakeholders for their contributions in improving the telecommunication industry in the country.

He underscored the importance of strengthening digital infrastructure as this will help in the ease of doing business, particularly in streamlining the efforts of the government in ‘processing and issuance of permits and licenses to accelerate the development of telecommunication and internet infrastructure in the Philippines’.

Likewise, the Chief Executive asked for the public’s cooperation, support and active participation in the government’s endeavors and encouraged the private sector partners in ensuring that these efforts will be ‘implemented, strengthened and translated into a more efficient delivery of services’.

“I am confident that we can build a digital backbone that is not only strong, efficient, robust, but it also exhibits the hallmarks of accessibility, reliability, and inclusiveness,” he said.

Spearheaded by the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Telco Summit 2022 carried the theme, “One Data. Open Innovation. One Nation”. The Summit gathered around 200 participants to establish a communication, a learning mechanism and a platform to push for initiatives that will strengthen and improve the telecommunication industry in the Philippines.

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