DICT: 78% of Public Schools Now Connected to Internet

Technology | Innovation Posted on 2025-08-20 15:57:58

MANILA – The government is making significant progress toward President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s goal of ensuring internet connectivity in all public schools by 2025, with the current coverage now at 78 percent.

Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda announced the milestone during the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry membership meeting in Makati City on Wednesday.

He noted that President Marcos had previously been informed that only around 60 percent of public schools had access to the internet. “Right now, from that 60 percent, I would like to report to you, working with DepEd (Department of Education), we’re now at 78 percent,” Aguda said.

Despite the progress, about 12,000 schools nationwide—many located in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs)—remain without internet connectivity.

Aguda emphasized the importance of transparency in government projects, saying: “If you show our countrymen what’s being done with our taxes, building infrastructures they can verify and see, everybody contributes to the information.”

The DICT is advancing connectivity through the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) project. Phase 1, which stretches over 1,200 kilometers from Laoag, Ilocos Norte to Quezon City, has already been completed.

Phases 2 and 3, currently underway, will extend the network by another 1,800 kilometers from Cagayan Valley to Mindanao. Once completed, the initiative is expected to benefit around 17 million Filipinos.

The DICT is also coordinating closely with major telecommunications firms to ensure the program’s success.

— NPO News Team | PNA-PR

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