TACLOBAN CITY — Public elementary and high schools, along with state universities and colleges (SUCs), are set to become major hubs of free, password-free internet access as Congress earmarked an additional P5 billion to expand the government’s Free Public Internet Access Program (FPIAP).
House Assistant Minority Leader and Eastern Samar lone district Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales said the new funding was included under the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act, on top of the P7.5 billion already allocated for the program in 2025.
“With this additional P5 billion, we are prioritizing public schools and SUCs to strengthen access to online learning, distance education, and essential digital services,” Gonzales said in a statement.
He noted that the expanded network of public Wi-Fi hotspots is expected to benefit communities in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), allowing residents to access government platforms for skills training, employment opportunities, and other online services critical to livelihood development.
“Strengthening digital infrastructure in off-grid and hard-to-reach communities is vital to closing long-standing development gaps and ensuring that no Filipino is left out of the digital economy,” Gonzales added.
The FPIAP is mandated under Republic Act No. 10929, or the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act, which calls for the nationwide installation of free internet access points in public areas such as parks, libraries, barangay halls, schools, SUCs, hospitals, airports, seaports, and transport terminals.
Funding for the program comes from Spectrum User Fees collected by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) from private telecommunications companies.
The Philippines currently ranks 11th globally in terms of internet users, with an estimated 97.5 million Filipinos online, based on data from global research platform DataReportal.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
