KINUMPIRMA ni Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sonny Angara na iniangat nila sa P557.8 milyon ang inilaang pondo para sa paglalagay ng free wifi sa state universities and colleges sa ilalim ng 2021 General Appropriations Act.

Sinabi ni Angara na ito ay bilang pagtalima sa Republic Act 10929 o ang Free Internet Access in Public Places Act na nagmamandato sa gobyerno na magbigay ng libreng internet access sa government offices at public places.

“With our schools barred from conducting face-to-face teaching, students have been forced to adapt to flexible and distance learning methods,” pahayag ni Angara.

“Expanding the access and reliability of our internet connections will go a long way in helping our children transition easier, especially for those who cannot afford to pay for their own subscriptions,” dagdag ng senador.

Bukod pa ito sa inilaan nilang P1.9 bilyon para sa National Broadband Program sa ilalim ng Department of Information and Communications Technology.

“We need to really ramp up our internet infrastructure. It’s one of the needs of our country. When you talk about build, build, build, you don’t just look at roads, you don’t just look at buildings, but you also look at the actual internet infrastructure because that will provide greater investments,” paliwanag ng senador.

“With bigger investments coming in to the country, this will mean more higher paying jobs and more economic activity,” dagdag pa niya.

Iginiit ni Angara na matagal nang kailangan ng bansa ng mabilis at maayos na internet connection at sa pagpasok ng pandemya ay mas dumoble ang pangangailangan para rito dahil sa distance learning at work from home systems.

“Face-to-face transactions in government and the private sector, as well as in education has led to a greater demand for internet connectivity.”