Sec. Gregorio Honasan II (left), along with Gov. Aurelio Umali (middle) and GP Partylist Rep. Jose Gay Padiernos, switches ceremonial button launching the free Wi-Fi sites in Nueva Ecija. Photo by Armand Galang
CABANATUAN CITY – Information and Communication Technology Sec. Gregorio Honasan II said Monday the right to information or access to data is now a basic right that the government has to provide to every citizen.
This, he said, is an addition to food, clothing, shelter, education, and public health.
“Ang isang karapatan ngayon ng bawat mamamayan ay ang impormasyon — access to data,” Honasan noted. “Karapatan na yan ha. Hindi yan hinihingi. Tungkulin ng gobyerno na ibigay ang impormasyon para makapagdesisyon tayo nang maayos based on complete, accurate and timely information.”
Honasan, accompanied by Galing sa Puso Partylist Rep. Jose Gay Padiernos and Gov. Aurelio Umali, led the launching of 163 free “Wi-Fi for All” sites in Nueva Ecija.
The secretary said President Duterte ordered that the national government should be connected with the local government, to the world, and to businesses.
“Para tuloy-tuloy ang hanapbuhay. May hanapbuhay, may kabuhayan, may kikitain. I-connect yung gobyerno sa lahat ng mamamayan,” Honasan said.
Enhancing information and communication technology, he said, is the way to unite the country which at times is “divided due to poverty, kakulangan ng pagkain and housing.”
Honasan reported that 10,064 Wi-Fi sites have been established by the DICT in various parts of the country since 2017.
These sites, he said, serve as a digital highway for faster internet signal for business, as well as education, especially during this pandemic when classes are made online.
The 163 hotspots or sites in Nueva Ecija will located in 44 areas, including hospitals, universities, markets, town halls, and public libraries.
