PHILIPPINES – The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has committed to fulfilling President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s order to connect remote areas impacted by Typhoon' Egay.' As the Lead Agency for the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, DICT is working urgently to carry out this directive.
On July 29, 2023, during the distribution of government aid in Bangued, Abra, President Marcos Jr. pledged to provide satellite equipment to remote regions affected by the typhoon. This technology will allow these communities to establish communication links, report their conditions, and share their needs with relevant government agencies.
"Pati pala ‘yung sa communication, mayroon tayong pinadalarito, ‘yung satellite. Magdadagdag din tayo para maipadala [rin]natin doon sa mga malalayo kasi sila talaga ang nangangailangan ng communication para makapag-report sila saatin kung ano’ng nangyari sa kanila at ano ‘yungpangangailangan nila (Even in communication, we have sent something, the satellite. We will also add more so that we can send them to remote areas because they really need communication to report to us what happened to them and what their needs are)," President Marcos Jr. declared.
Responding promptly to the President's pledge, DICT Regional Offices 1 and 2 immediately provided satellite internet technology in the remote areas of Sitio Bucarot, Adams, Ilocos Norte, and Barangay Balatubat, Camiguin Island, Calayan, Cagayan. In Barangay Balatubat, DICT conducted a Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) to assess the aftermath of Typhoon' Egay.'
Sitio Bucarot, located in the mountains and inhabited by the Isnag tribe, is the most isolated part of Adams town. On the other hand, Barangay Balatubat is one of the three barangays on Camiguin Island, part of the larger Babuyan Group of Islands in the Northern Philippines. According to the 2020 Census, Adams and Balatubat have populations of 2,189 and 1,787, respectively.
DICT installed Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs) in Bangued, Abra, and Calayan, Cagayan to further enhance connectivity and ensure continued emergency communications.
"The DICT, by deploying innovative satellite technologies, supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.'s promise to help Filipinos affected by Typhoon' Egay' to get back online and resume their lives at the soonest possible time. By ensuring connectivity in far-flung areas, the DICT promises that no Filipino will be left behind, most especially during these challenging times. We will be there to help our countrymen in Northern Luzon get back on their feet and recover," emphasized Secretary Ivan John Uy. —iTacloban (Source: DICT)