DICT will further strengthen internet connectivity in the Cordillera
CONNECTIVITY. (Top photo from l-r) DICT-CAR Regional Director Engr. Pinky T. Jimenez, NTC Enforcement & Operations Chief Engr. Melanie Fernando, Legal Officer Atty. Beth Cosi, PLDT Enterprise Louie Metra, Converge ICT Solutions Aaron Mallari, and Abraham Lingan – Head, External Affair of Globe also with the interview to DICT-CAR Technical Operations Chief Allan Lao, he assured the secured usage of the Super App. The application has multiple authentication factors ensuring its safe use. During the Kapihan sa DICT-CAR on June 26, 2023. And also dedicated to celebrating the month of June as National Information Technology Month (ITC) in the Cordillera. With the theme “Connecting Communities and Reaching Lives Forging a Digital Future for the Philippines” (Photo by: Mario Oclaman / FNS)
LUNGSOD NG BAGUIO – Naunang nagpahayag si DICT-CAR Regional Director Pinky Jimenez kaugnay sa update ng internet connection sa Cordillera na kung saan ay dalawang buwan pa lang nanunungkulan bilang RD sa DICT na hawak ang dalawang region ang CAR at Region 2.
Sinabi ni Jimenez, “The highlight of DICT of the people, for the people lahat tayo ay gusto magkaron ng malakas na internet connection and with this national program which is the national broadband project program kasama ang CAR sa Phase 1 meron ng 100 Giga sa La Union area and with the help by our Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Atty. Ivan John E. Uy na itong NDB ay mararamdaman this year, ito ay nagbibigay ng malakas na internet, napakapokus ito sa bandwidth lamang pero nakikipag ugnayan na kami sa mga lokal na opisyales sa kapitolyo at munisipyo para tulungan tayo sa infrastructure preparation.
“And the DICT-CAR is also making a pave way on its connectivity may connection na kami ginagawa from DICT papunta sa Sto Tomas at sa Mt. Puglaw na connecting now more then kapag nagkaron ng bandwidth dito this year maitatapon natin ito through Sto Tomas site papunta sa Ifugao and that connection there may be two halves of our wireless system to maximize the bandwidth although we are working with the NGCP to feel this NDB but also in our site para ma expedite natin,”
“There are two types of transmission we have the wire and the wireless system so, sa fiber line natin kasama natin ang NGCP sa block fiber and yun wireless natin meron din tayo dito mga Viasat Internet and at the same time meron tayo regional initiated initial design which will now cover a part of Benguet area and Ifugao area, we look forward for that one,”
“DICT mandates not only for infrastructures but also for infrastructure so, ibig sabihin we strengthen both preparing the people and preparing the system so, in the infrastructure site this is the present of the Super App this already launch on June 2 sa national and in Northern Luzon there will be launching here at Baguio City for the Northern Luzon site ng ating Super App,”
“Itong Super App ay nada download lang sa google at sa Apple store na App store natin narito na lahat one stop shop naron na ang mga national IDs, sa App na tayo mag aaply, super fast sabi nga natin even the technology is there kung hindi pa marunong ang mga tao gamitin ay masasayang lamang ito so, DICT is now part of it will be preparing people capacitating agency to help us na maidala ito hanggang sa laylayan upang ma maximize natin yun gamit nito,”
Dagdag naman ni Chief Dr.Allan Lao, “In terms of connectivity we have made good progress in terms of that meron tayo mga engagement with the local government, the provincial government especially for the provinces of Ifugao and Abra because meron tayo upcoming free wi-fi deployment in those areas about 100 sites the other day we actually inspected Mt Tabayok that is in Ifugao, one of the highest points here in Luzon where we will put strategic tower to connect province of Ifugao also in Sto Tomas,’
“We are exploring those possibilities para maging sustainable yun ating internet connectivity, we are expecting the bandwidth and we are closing in that a milestone in the life of DICT –CAR and it that happens and as mentioned by the central office it is coming very soon some of it will be open or inaugurated this July and hoping by the end of the year we will have the required necessary bandwidth for us to be able to serve it the provinces and municipality across Cordillera,”
Sinabi naman ni NTC Enforcement & Operations Chief Engr. Melanie Fernando,” We are attached agency sa DICT kaya kung anuman ang kanilang plans and programs ng DICT targets we are all as a family working towards it connectivity, we need to connect people not only through infrastructure but also through other means like software and information and does for it kami ang regulator ng mga private companies.
“The challenges are with the public ay yun demand nila for the services lately nagpapalit na sila to going works for 4G,5G medyo kumonti yun area of coverage, ito ang nireresolve namin, and I’m sure kelangan nila I resolve dahil clients nila yun, ang nakikita namin when we go around, connectivity ay parang nag shorten yun distances being covered by them but base on their field nireresolve nila ito, aside for that yun demand for data, but we found out na pati Apayao maganda na ang coverage, it is well connected na may mga TelCos na nagse serve sa area and of course with the DICT the government counterpart naron rin ang presence nila,”
Legal Officer Atty. Beth Cosi discussed about the sim registration
“NTC again reminding the public to register their sim on or before the deadline which is on July 25, 2023 of course in line with the connectivity issue before we can connect we have to register our sim this is because under the Sim Registration Act, all and users are required to register their sim as a pre-requisite for the activation thereof,”
“If we fail to register our sim on or before July 25, 2023, our sim will be automatically deactivated although the law provides that you have a period of 5 days to request the activation from July 25 pero limited lang sa 5 days,”
If you need assistance you may visit our office just bring with you a valid government-issued ID with a photo and we will assist you, if you are a corporation, bring with you requirements like the certificate of registration, DTI Certificate, and the authority of the person registering their sim,”
“After the 5 days period provided by the law for you to request for reactivation automatic deactivation na yan, ang mangyayari yun sim na hawak mo can no longer use that in connecting to people in calling or in texting also all sims that will be sold to the public will be deactivated state so, kailangan you will buy and then deactivated state and in order for it to be reactivated I-register mo muna yan,”
Ini-encourage natin ang public if you to preserve and maintain your phone number now, I register niyo na,”
“Dahil connected yun mga sim natin sa mga bank accounts, GCash, sa atin mga password sa Facebook dahil kung nag send sila ng OTP you cannot open your phone anymore ,”
“The statistic total registered in national as of June 22, 2023, we have a total of 100,263,627 sims registered for DITO 6,935,559, for GLOBE 45,959,017 sims and for SMART 47,369,051 sims, and the percentage total is 59.67 percent.
“We do not expect all sims will be registered of course yun mga iba ay ginagamit sa scam, hindi ire-register yan,”
The TelCos update on about the connectivity within Cordillera, the PLDT Enterprise with Louie Metra says, “Currently ang una namin bayan ay sa Bontoc, Mt. Province, and we reached also Tadian and Bauko and will be expanding in nearby areas in those municipalities and in Abra we have Bangued yun ang mga pinaka una namin so, from there will be expanding towards northeast ng Bangued area, one in Apayao the first municipalities in Luna, Apayao,”
“In Kalinga, we have Tabuk City that’s the main facility of PLDT in Kalinga, right now we are putting up the transport to the Core network of PLDT from Mt. Province passing through Mayoyao going up to the Solano area so, that’s the 4th leg of the fiber optic core network going up to Baguio City,”
Ito ang tinatapos namin ngayon, pag natapos yun magkakaron na ng mga facility dadaanan ng core network namin.
Right now for Baguio City, we have Marcos Highway, Kennon Road, Naguilian, and Ambuklao Road.
“In Ifugao, we have Lamut the first town coming from Nueva Vizcaya on going na yun core network namin installing yun undergrounds cables para less maintenance pagka underground that’s the situation in Ifugao,”
In Benguet, we have La Trinidad, Itogon, Tublay, the farthest going north Tublay and Buguias our newest facilities in Benguet are in Buguias and Mankayan ready for service na ang Mankayan,”
“Our mission is to serve the un serve areas, especially in Mt. Provinces kasi those are the areas together with the DICT in providing the internet access dun sa mga remote areas our challenges ay yun mga pag build ng mga facilities alam naman natin yun terrain in the Cordilleras na prone sa landslides so, during typhoon Sison
prone tayo sa landslides that’s why we are investing heavily on underground cables, yun mga fiber optic namin na distribution ay yun na lang ang aerial and yun core ay para sa underground maintenance concern,”
Ayon naman kay Converge ICT Solutions Aaron Mallari, “May site na rin kami sa Benguet and sa City of Baguio, then sa Abra ay nag start kami sa Bangued up to San Juan and in Ifugao we started in Lamut going to Hingyon and the ongoing rollout sa Banaue, at sa Kalinga naman ay nag start kami sa City of Tabuk and going to Rizal and for Apayao ay nasa Marcela, Flora and municipal of Luna,”
“Ang challenges dito ay yun area ay matarik usually ang fiber kasi ang pwede lang na area ay kapag pataas pero ang underground medyo mahirapan pa,”
Ayon naman kay Abraham Lingan – Head, External Affair of Globe, “For Globe Telecom kasi as much as possible we would want to stay connected especially dun sa areas na wala pang presence just like two competing TelCos, sa amin kung san kami pwede maglagay ng fiber, unfortunately because of the challenges not just with the community but then there are times even the LGUs as well,”
“Ang challenges na nakukuha namin ay yun meron tayong tinatawag dun sa NCIP hindi ko bobolahin na sasabihin na presence kami sa lahat ng areas because we have an issue with Indigenous communities hindi tayo basta-basta makapaglatag sa area na yun unless meron silang pahintulot and it’s a law, yun Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) na kailangan sila magbigay ng Indigenous Communities ng permit in order for us to rollout but then what’s good because of ever evolving a ways of doing things through internet nakikita nila that were able to influence already through the help of ICT and NTC so, what we do in areas like in Abra, Mt. Province if ever we have challenges we have tap our government regulators in order to explain this to NCIP na kung hindi tayo maglalagay dito and then we complain about the walang connectivity, walang signal is we will never move forward, at the same time may issue minsan ang LGU ay okay but then ang barangay kasi ay may hesitations na sinasabi nila na may problema daw na pag naglagay kami ng cell tower ay magkakaron daw ng radiation because that will cause cancer at may napabalita na may nagrollout ng fiber sa area, tapos kino complain ng community kasi pala ang dinaanan is not part of kung ano yun public domain na pwedeng daanan at at ang napagdaanan pala is a private property so, those are the things na hindi namin alam unless tulungan kami ng gobyerno to do the rollout,”
“Its good na makasama namin sa PLDT and Coverge are doing that but then kami is still for LGU pa rin ang challenge namin,”
“And even up to now there are even areas where in cooperate we must have an agreement together with the PLDT and Converge para kahit papano and even DITO for that matter para mag push kami as one utility company, TelCo company para makipag usap at makipag engage sa LGUs,” ### Mario Oclaman // Filipino News Sentinel
