True to its mission of providing Internet connectivity to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas in the Philippines, the Department of Information and Communications Technology is set to deploy Free Wi-Fi sites and Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) facilities in remote islands in Mindanao this coming March.

This initiative is made possible through the efforts of DICT Mindanao Cluster 1 with the support of Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Mindanao Command, Philippine Coast Guard and BARMM’s Ministry of Transportation and Communication.

“This 2021, your DICT will strengthen the roll-out of Free Wi-Fi sites, particularly in remote and underdeveloped areas, to provide various opportunities for Filipinos and help them better adapt to the new normal,” DICT Secretary Gregorio B. Honasan II said.

“Wherever you are in the country, your DICT will strive to reach you,” he added. 

According to MinDA Chairman Emmanuel Piñol, residents of the islands need to go to higher elevations to get cellphone signals from a Malaysian telecommunication facility. With the help of DICT and MinDA, the people from these areas will no longer be isolated from the rest of the country.

The islands of Taganak and Mapun in Tawi-Tawi will be provided with two (2) VSAT facility each. Twenty four (24) other communities in the Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (BASULTA) area will also get VSAT facilities.

Likewise, the DICT will also provide four (4) desktop computer packages to the local government unit (LGU) of Taganak Island and four (4) more will be given to Mapun Island LGU. Meanwhile,   twenty-one (21) thin client (a computer that runs from resources stored on a central server instead of a localized hard drive) packages will be given to Mapun National High School and Turtle Islands National High School.

The Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), under Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Jr., will be providing security and facilitate the deployment of DICT teams who will install the VSAT facilities and Wi-Fi equipment to the beneficiary areas.

Below are the list of locations in BASULTA area that will be provided with Free Internet connectivity this first semester.

LOT#	LOCATION NAME	LOCALITY	PROVINCE
1	Sumisip District Hospital	Sumisip	Basilan
	Ediborah P. Yap Memorial Hospital	Lamitan	Basilan
	Basilan State College	Isabela	Basilan
	Municipal Hall of Tipo-Tipo	Tipo-Tipo	Basilan
2	Municipal Hall Jolo	Jolo	Sulu
	Sulu Provincial Hospital	Jolo	Sulu
3	Sulu State College	Patikul	Sulu
	Mindanao State University	Patikul	Sulu
	Provincial Capitol of Sulu	Patikul	Sulu
4	Parang District Hospital	Parang	Sulu
5	Luuk District Hospital	Luuk	Sulu
	Provincial Capitol of Tawi-Tawi,	Bongao	Tawi-Tawi
6	Municipal Hall of Bongao, MDRRMO	Bongao	Tawi-Tawi
	Mindanao State University	Bongao	Tawi-Tawi
7	Panglima Sugala Town Hall	Panglima Sugala	Tawi-Tawi
	Panglima Sugala Rural Health Unit	Panglima Sugala	Tawi-Tawi
	Batu-Batu Nat’l High School	Panglima Sugala	Tawi-Tawi
8	Sitangkai Municipal Police Station	Sitangkai	Tawi-Tawi
	Municipal Hall Sitangkai	Sitangkai	Tawi-Tawi
	Sitangkai Birthing Clinic	Sitangkai	Tawi-Tawi
9	Turtle Islands National High School	Turtle Islands	Tawi-Tawi
	Turtle Islands Municipal Hall	Turtle Islands	Tawi-Tawi
10	Mapun National High School	Mapun	Tawi-Tawi
	Mapun Municipal Hall	Mapun	Tawi-Tawi
12	Languyan Municipal Hospital	Languyan	Tawi-Tawi
13	Municipal Hall of Sibutu	Sibutu	Tawi-Tawi