Free public Wi-Fi program gets extra P3.681 billion – DBM

MANILA, Philippines — The government’s free public Wi-Fi program was given an additional P3.681 billion, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The DBM explained that the fund was already released to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to continue the implementation of the Free Public Internet Access Program (FPIAP)) nationwide.

“Tuloy na tuloy po ang ating free Wi-Fi Program (Our free Wi-Fi Program continues). By approving this additional budget within our calibrated fiscal program, we reaffirm our commitment to prioritizing inclusive and accessible internet for all,” Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in a statement Thursday.

Th P3.681 billion is an allocation added to the P2.5 billion fund already released for the FPIAP for Fiscal Year 2024. The DBM said the extra funding came from the Special Account in the General Fund for the FPIAP under the current year.

READ: DBM: P2.5 billion fund for free public internet released

The government said the free wifi program is expected to build and maintain information and communication technology infrastructures such as towers, data centers, and internet connections to provide and sustain reliable internet connectivity in public areas. The additional fund aims to aid 13,462 access points in different locations in the country.

Pangandaman urged the DICT to immediately proceed with the program implementation.

“Naiintindihan po natin na kailangan talaga ito ng ating mga kababayan (We do understand that our fellow countrymen needs this). With the budget released, we are hopeful that the DICT can proceed swiftly with the fund disbursement and expedite the program’s implementation,” she noted.

READ: 2,600 free Wi-Fi sites down as gov’t unable to pay contractors

In his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) last month, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to support common towers to provide internet connectivity for Filipinos as he touted the progress of the National Fiber Backbone Program.

“Expect full government support to ensure the successful completion of this critical project including policy reforms and streamlined processes,” he said.

The President also mentioned in his Sona that 77 percent or 20.6 million Filipino households connected to the internet as of 2022 – which, he said, “is very much too low.”