(Bontoc, Mountain Province) — Malacañang on Tuesday, May 29, said the government vows to double internet capacity in the Philippines.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. assured that the government through the Department of Information and Communications Technology is already doing its best to achieve this feat in a press briefing held here in Mt. Province State Polytechnic College.
“It will double the infrastructure of internet in the Philippines. Likewise, we are also taking advantage or using the NGCP — ‘yung National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, ‘yung facilities nila para doon isakay din ang imprastruktura ng internet,” Secretary Roque said.
“This is in pursuant to law because this was already a law passed in Congress and I’m one of the co-authors of that law which provides for free internet connectivity,” he added.
The completion of its implementation, Roque said, will take approximately three years.
For now, the government’s main priority is to provide free internet access to all public schools and universities.
“Ang priority po natin bagamat aabot po ng tatlong taon ang full-implementation na ito, ang priority natin ngayon ay lahat ng public schools and universities dapat ma-connect muna nang libre,” he clarified.
Roque, meanwhile, said that as part of the government’s priority legislative agenda, the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 was signed yesterday.
“[T]he Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 aims to FURTHER ease doing of business in the country by reducing the procedures and processing time for business-related transactions,” the Spokesperson said.
The passage of this act resulted in the country’s becoming more efficient, business-friendly, and hassle-free for local and foreign businessmen and investors, according to the Palace official.
‘New dialysis center now operational’
In the same press briefing, the Palace official relayed to Bontoc locals that the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital dialysis center is now in full operation.
“Patients in the province and the nearby towns of Ilocos Sur and Kalinga no longer need to go to Baguio City or La Trinidad for their dialysis treatment,” Roque said.
“This is part of the effort of the Duterte administration to provide the much-needed medical and health services to every Filipino. Rest assured that the government will continuously work to improve its services, especially to the underserved and underprivileged members of our society,” he added.
Roque also made mention of the Universal Health Care bill which seeks to provide free medical care to all Filipinos.
“The bill is now pending in the Senate under the able leadership of Senator JV Ejercito and we expect that it will become law within the year of 2018,” he said. (PCO-Content)
