Affordable connectivity for every Filipino, everywhere

CitizenWatch Philippines lauds the Broadband ng Masa Program of the President Marcos Jr. administration because it articulates the vision that every Filipino – not just those in urban areas – should have access to affordable internet service. Connectivity is now essential to our day-to-day lives.

The BBMP cements our aspirations to being a digitally powered nation, its citizens empowered and able to maximize opportunities in this digital age.

The key word, however, is “aspiration.” It’s an idea of where we want to be at some future point. For now, however, there is much to do and achieving our connectivity targets lies not on one person or group but on the whole of society.

The government has laid the groundwork for our digital transformation and articulated its vision of providing internet for the masses. It is up to it to continue transforming a digital compatible regulatory environment that makes it easy for the private sector to participate and invest more, to meet the new demands of a digitalized ecosystem.

There has been much progress, but there’s so much catching up to be done. Internet users and consumers – which translates to practically all Filipinos, in one capacity or another – will benefit more from the closer collaboration of the public and private sectors. Beyond investments in connectivity infrastructure, the next steps would be to empower more Filipinos to navigate the complex digital world and give them the skills necessary to maximize opportunities while mitigating the risks the lurks in cyberspace.