MALOLOS CITY (PIA) — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has provided internet connectivity to a Dumagat community in Norzagaray, Bulacan.
Residents of Sitio Manalo in Barangay San Lorenzo can now connect to the internet without traveling long distances via the government’s Free Wi-Fi for All program.
DICT Provincial Director Mario Antonio Aya-ay said the digital inclusion of indigenous peoples give them hope and transformation as they are now empowered to participate in the digital world.
“This initiative not only brings the world closer to these communities but also opens up a realm of opportunities for them in education, healthcare, and economic growth,” Aya-ay emphasized.
For her part, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Bulacan Chief Regina Panlilio said the facilities provided by DICT will help students and teachers of Dike-Adwas Elementary School in their distance learning classes and research works.
“In this era of digitalization where everything is in social media, the project bridging the digital divide for IP living in the upland. They are not left behind,” Panlilio pressed.
Meanwhile, Sitio Manalo Chieftain Lorna Virtudez thanked the government for the newfound opportunities this connectivity has brought them.
Dike-Adwas school teacher Mary Grace Mariano, on the other hand, said the free Wi-Fi makes it now easy for them to communicate to the Schools Division and District Offices of the Department of Education.
It will also allow the early submission of reports and deadlines and provide interactive learning for the students. (CLJD/VFC, PIA Region 3-Bulacan)
