Tanhueco, John Lester A. Prof.

Jenelyn Aranas
GEE 002B – ME32S1 September 5, 2021

Digital Divide in the Philippines

The Philippines is seen as a third world country that defines itself as having high poverty rates.
With 16.6% of the population, or an estimated 17.6 million people, live under the poverty line. This indicates
that a lot of Filipinos still don’t have access and use of knowledge of information and communication
technologies. As the pandemic is still underway, the country relies a lot on the Internet to continue the work
and also for students to continue their education. Through distance learning, it reveals the issue of the
digital divide in the country. Some don’t have access to the internet or don’t have the suitable gadget to
participate in an online class.
In 2014, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) Office conceptualized a solution to bridge this divide in the Philippines
and eliminate it. The Juan Konek Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places Project’s objective is to
provide at least 7,118 Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the country. This project begins to be implemented by
2016 and now provides 10,661 functional Wi-Fi access points by August 2021. The project is aimed at
reaching 200,000 sites by 2022. The outcome of the project is only 5.33% of the target outcome
established by them. In 2016, the Philippine government created the Department of Information and
Communications Technology (DICT). Its mandate is to develop the country's information and
communication technologies in support of national development. The DICT responded to the country’s
looming discrepancy in accessing the computers or internet. The proposed response is the establishment
of the National Broadband Network. The project focuses on the development of the internet in the places
where web access is limited. They are targeting the year 2022 as the year where no places in the country
cannot access the web and the government is very eager to enhance this aspect of our system to make
sure that everyone is part of the development in the country.
The Philippine government is doing the best they can to be able to solve the problem in digital
divide as much as what they do to solve the other problem the country is facing. They are developing the
internet connections in the country, but I never see any movement from the government on how the student
can adapt to the distance learning if they are lacking the tools to use in online class, like the gadgets, if the
family is financially unstable and can’t afford to buy the right gadget to use. This is what I want to see for
the succeeding government, how they will be able to help those in marginalized sector. Those students
who are forced to stop because of lack of gadget. Some private sector are also helping in solving this issue
especially at the time of pandemic.

“I affirm that I have not given or received any unauthorized help on this assignment and that this work is my own.”
https://borgenproject.org/poverty-in-the-philippines-2/
https://www.dost.gov.ph/knowledge-resources/news/45-2016-news/926-dost-project-to-narrow-digital-
divide-in-ph.html
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2017/04/30/bridging-the-digital-divide/
https://freepublicwifi.gov.ph/livehotspots/
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1313037/in-the-know-internet-in-ph