PRESSSED to provide connectivity to jumpstart the national economy, the Department of Communications and Information Technology (DICT) is allocating P13.491 billion of its proposed budget of P46.645 billion for the aggressive implementation of the National Broadband Program (NBP).
The NBP is the state program to enhance the ICT broadband infrastructure and enhance internet connectivity nationwide. It has a measly budget of P296 million for this year.
DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan said the DICT has no choice but to hasten NBP’s implementation because of the increased requirement for online connectivity to rebuild the country devasted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The DICT’s proposed budget of P46.6 billion seeks to implement its strategic programs towards digital transformation under the “new normal.” It is about 1.2% of the proposed 2021 national budget of P4.335 trillion, up 5.7% the national budget of P4.1 trillion for 2020, Honasan said.
The lion’s share or P22.1 billion of its proposed 2021 budget will cover digital connectivity and access programs. This includes the National Broadband Program (NBP), the Free WiFi for All in Public Places and State Universities and Colleges Program, and the Government Emergency Communications System.
“Digital connectivity and access is the foundation of digital transformation. It is only with a secure and reliable Internet connectivity for every Filipino can we implement programs and initiatives towards digitalization in various sectors of our society,” Honasan said.
The DICT has also earmarked P11.7 billion for its Digital Government initiatives, P10.2 billion for the Digital Workforce and Digital Education, P1.05 billion for cybersecurity, P55 million for the Digital Cities and Provinces, and P1.3 billion for “internal DICT programs.”
Honasan said the NBP is essentially the infrastructure side of the increased connectivity. It is structured into six components: National Fiber Optic Cable Backbone, Cable Landing Stations, Accelerated Tower Build, Accelerated Fiber Build, Satellite Overlay and Broadband Delivery Management Service.
Honasan said the proposed DICT budget is in line with goals of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Inter-Agency Task Force-Technical Working Group on Anticipatory and Forward Planning (IATF-TWG-AFP) to rebuild the economy and adapt to the “new normal” of economic activity.
