Mahigit 22,000 Bayanihan SIM cards ang ipamamahagi ng Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) sa Bicol sa mga estudyante at paaralan sa walong primary schools sa rehiyon sa pagsisimula ng school year 2026-2027.
Sa Kapihan forum nitong Lunes, sinabi ni DICT-5 officer-in-charge at regional director Christian Roy Melad na magsisimula ang distribution sa susunod na linggo.
“For the Bayanihan SIM card distribution scheduled next week, we will be distributing 2,780 SIM cards per primary school, for a total of 22,240 SIM cards,” ani Melad.
Makakatanggap ng SIM cards ang Segundina Rivera Elementary School sa San Pascual at Lahong Elementary School sa Baleno, kapwa sa Masbate.
Kasama rin sa distribution ang Tanag Elementary School sa Libmanan, Camarines Sur, at Bololo Elementary School sa Guinobatan, Albay.
Makikinabang din ang Bulala Elementary School at San Pedro Elementary School sa Panganiban, Camarines Norte, pati Bagacay Elementary School sa Gubat at Tinanogan Elementary School sa Donsol, kapwa sa Sorsogon.
Ayon kay Melad, bahagi ang dagdag na 22,000 SIM cards ng pinakabagong phase ng programa.
“For Phase 1, DICT-5 was able to accomplish 100 percent distribution, or 36,140 SIM cards, to 63 schools in underserved areas, particularly those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged locations,” sabi niya.
Dagdag ni Melad, layunin ng programa na palawakin ang access sa education, learning resources, emergency services, at digital opportunities.
Tinukoy ang SIM card beneficiaries sa koordinasyon sa iba’t ibang national government agencies.
“We depend on the list of areas given to us and validate whether the signal in those areas is adequate. It is not the DICT that directly determines the beneficiaries,” paliwanag ni Melad.
Samantala, sinabi ni Engineer Odine Raphael Areola, DICT focal person para sa Free WiFi project, na alinsunod sa direktiba ni President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa DICT Secretary, mahigit 3,000 Free WiFi locations na may halos 10,000 internet sites ang ilalagay sa Bicol pagsapit ng 2026.
Prayoridad dito ang public schools.
“With the additional WiFi sites, more than 70 percent of public schools in the region will be WiFi-connected, along with other public places, including government and educational institutions, rural health units and tourist destinations,” ani Areola.
Ayon sa DICT-5, layunin ng Bayanihan SIM at Free WiFi rollout na mas mapalapit ang digital access sa mga paaralan at komunidad, lalo na sa mga lugar na underserved, geographically isolated, at disadvantaged. /Bistado