Comprising of five large group of island provinces, MiMaRoPa is a sea-locked region stretching across the westernmost fringes of the Philippines with a population of 3,228,558 islanders. With significant areas unreached by commercial telecommunication companies, the region is plagued with challenges in connectivity, communication, and accessing basic services. With many unserved and underserved communities, terrorism trouble the far-flung areas taking advantage of Indigenous and isolated communities.
To leverage ICT in empowering local communities towards sustainable inclusive development, DICT MiMaRoPa has intensified its Free Wi-Fi for All Project with the key results:
1. Connected isolated communities and bridged the digital divide with the establishment of 864 free connectivity sites in the region and benefiting 1,102,861 Free Wi-Fi Users for 2022 alone. The most remote islands, such as Kalayaan, Mangsee, and Ambil are prioritized and 21 connectivity sites are specifically installed in GIDA communities.
2. Empowered vulnerable and far-flung communities to participate in and benefit from Information Society through the delivery of 62 ICT Literacy and Capacity building trainings with 3,130 trained beneficiaries for 2022 alone.
3. Significantly contributed to converting insurgency hotspots to peaceful connectivity hotspots benefitting 20,357 GIDA residents and Indigenous Mangyan People of Mindoro Islands.

https://dict.gov.ph/

• Philippines

• Indigenous and nomadic peoples
• The unemployed
• The poor
• Remote and rural communities
• Persons with Disablities

Through installation of Very Small Aperture Terminals, the ICT interventions of establishing internet connection in remote islands and Mangyan indigenous settlements of MiMaRoPa can serve as a model for other similarly situated far-flung areas and indigenous communities with locals awaiting to be transformed through Information and Communications Technologies.

Correspondingly, with the enactment of Republic Act No. 10929 in the Philippines that created the Free Wi-Fi for All Program of the DICT, also known as the Act Establishing the Free Internet Access Program in Public, more public places throughout the country are slated for establishment of free internet access as the rollout of the project intensifies and continues for the benefit of more Filipino people.

Towards the sustainability of ICT connectivity project in tough to access areas, the DICT is set to establish 963 more Free Wi-Fi Sites in the MiMaRoPa Island region alone for 2023 of which a significant chunk will be allocated to 31 GIDA Barangays of the region. Through the ongoing partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, 50 more GIDA locations in MiMaRoPa will be installed with Free Wi-Fi .

To support the deployment of connectivity, DICT MiMaRoPa is also set to hold more activities for the strengthening of capacity building component of the Free Wi-Fi for All Program with the aim of providing ICT skills and knowledge to the community, particularly the program beneficiaries. This initiative capacitates and raises awareness among the public, including the proper internet usage towards the acceleration of their economic, social and educational stance. The targeted participants are taught on how to connect to the Free WiFi in addition to the information regarding the different e-government services.

Comprising of large group of island provinces of Mindoro (divided into Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro), Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan, MIMAROPA is a sea-locked region of islands and islets stretching across the tropical seas south of Luzon in the Philippines. With a significant chunk of its communities isolated from mainstream society, the region is known for facing turmoil in accessible connectivity, communication, and information brought by the challenge of its archipelagic isolation. This irregular configuration of the region has likewise caused hindrances for residents in its Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) to access basic services including health, education, and government services, further contributing to more unserved and underserved communities in the island provinces. With physical and digital disconnect, issues of insurgency have persisted in the most remote areas of the region, particularly taking advantage of secluded settlements of Indigenous Peoples in the province of Mindoro. In line with the WSIS values and action lines of bringing access to ICT access within reach of unserved and underserved areas to empower local communities, the Department of Information and Communications Technology – MiMaRoPa (DICT MIMAROPA) has connected these identified vulnerable communities in addition to accelerating the deployment of its Free Wi-Fi for All Program in 864 Free Wi-Fi Sites of which 367 are operational in hospitals and rural health centers, state universities and colleges, public schools, ports and transport terminals, libraries, Local Government Units, plazas and public places of the region. With more upcoming Free Wi-Fi Site rollouts, the program has brought the community access to e-government services, contributed to the government’s campaign in ending the local communist insurgency, and opened avenues to educational, social, and economical opportunities to even the most remote areas of the island region.