Caraga region: Sixty public schools in remote areas of the Caraga Region have been included in the Department of Information and Communications Technology's (DICT) Digital Bayanihan SIM Project under its Free Wi-Fi for All Program. Program focal person Judy Rose Saguidon, in an interview, shared that approximately 15,768 students from these schools have directly benefited from the initiative.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Digital Bayanihan SIM Project aims to transform connectivity into a tool for equity in underserved communities. Within public schools, the project enables both students and teachers to access essential research materials and digital textbooks, engage in hybrid learning from home, and connect remote island communities to the global digital economy. Each Bayanihan SIM offers over 25 GB of monthly data, aligning with the Department of Education's curriculum.
Saguidon detailed that the distribution of SIM cards commenced on January 20 and continued until mid-February, covering regions such as Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Agusan del Sur. 'The first rollout was in Placer and Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte, where 4,700 students from 17 schools received SIM cards,' she noted. Following this, distribution moved to San Miguel and Madrid in Surigao del Sur, benefiting 1,100 students from eight schools.
In Agusan del Sur, approximately 8,000 students across 23 schools in Talacogon, Trento, and Veruela received SIM cards. The final phase of the release covered 12 schools on Siargao Island, particularly in the municipalities of General Luna and Pilar, serving 1,968 students. 'These SIM cards are automatically loaded with data on the first day of every month,' Saguidon explained.
After the school distribution, DICT-13 is preparing to extend the SIM card distribution to beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Saguidon mentioned that the agency anticipates beginning distributions to 4Ps beneficiaries in March, pending coordination with the DSWD.
