Nelson Morales

Marcos vows to work on 'digital, infrastructure connectivity' during his term

Article (news)

Pia Gutierrez

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751865683251Screenshot 2025-07-07 at 1.20.56 PM.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the launch of a free public wi-fi site at the MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park in Palo, Leyte on July 7, 2025. PCO/Facebook"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the launch of a free public wi-fi site at the MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park in Palo, Leyte on July 7, 2025. PCO/Facebook</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Monday assured that his administration is committed to advance digital and infrastructure connectivity as he led the second and third phases of the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) in a ceremony held in Palo, Leyte.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/26/marcos-oks-plan-to-establish-free-wifi-sites-in-ph-remote-areas-1501">Marcos OKs plan to establish free WiFi sites in PH remote areas</a></div><p>“[K]ahit gaano sila kalayo, yung mga nasa isla na hindi makonekta ay magkakaroon ng internet upang makatulong sa kanilang trabaho, upang makatulong sa kanilang pamumuhay,” Marcos said, adding that internet connection is no longer a privilege, but a necessity.</p><p>The landmark NFB program aims to increase internet connectivity service capacity to various provinces, government offices and data centers in the Philippines.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/technology/2025/6/23/palace-marcos-yet-to-receive-konektadong-pinoy-bill-amid-calls-for-veto-1655">Palace: Marcos yet to receive &#x27;Konektadong Pinoy&#x27; bill amid calls for veto</a></div><p>“Dahil dito mahigit 600 na tanggapan ng gobyerno ang magkakaroon ng mabilis at maaasahang internet. Mapapakinabangan ito ng halos 17 million Filipinos. At kapag buo na ang National Fiber Backbone, maaari nang mabawasan ang gastos ng mga telco at internet provider dahil may sarili na tayong imprastraktura. Mas abot-kayang internet,” he continued.</p><p>According to the DICT, Phases 2 and 3 of the NFB will expand the national fiber backbone by an additional 1,781 kilometers of fiber optic cables in the regions of Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Davao. </p><p>This comes a year after the government launched the NFB Phase 1 spanning 1,245 kilometers from Laoag, Ilocos Norte to Roces, Quezon City in April 2024.</p><div><strong>SAN JUANICO BRIDGE</strong></div><p>The President in his speech also assured that his government is working to address the crisis brought about by the closure of the San Juanico bridge to heavy vehicles. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/6/20/san-juanico-bridge-to-reopen-to-12-ton-vehicles-in-december-marcos-1334">San Juanico bridge to reopen to 12-ton vehicles in December: Marcos</a></div><p>He had set a December deadline for authorities to partially reopen the bridge to vehicles.</p><p>“Mahigit kalahating bilyong piso na pondo ang nakalaan para maibalik sa 12 hanggang 15 metric ton ang load limit sa susunod na Disyembre,” he said. </p><p>“Ngunit kailangan pa nating itaas ang buong kapasidad nito sa 33 metric tons, aabutin natin sa kanyang dati na kaya. Inatasan ko na ang DPWH at DBM na hanapan agad ito ng solusyon. Agaran tayong kumilos at patuloy na kikilos upang maging ligtas at matibay ang ating San Juanico Bridge,&quot; he added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/5/30/pcci-suggests-appointing-san-juanico-bridge-rehab-czar-1848">PCCI suggests appointing San Juanico Bridge rehab czar</a></div><p>Marcos said this was also part of his push for &quot;connectivity.&quot;</p><p>“Mga kababayan, mula digital connectivity hanggang sa ating imprastraktura, patuloy nating binubuo ang mga tulay ng pag-asa. Ito ang mga proyektong nag-uugnay sa atin sa taas ng kabundukan, baybayin ng dagat, o pinakaliblib na lugar,” he said.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7OMj2HsJtOo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The landmark NFB program aims to increase internet connectivity service capacity to various provinces, government offices and data centers in the Philippines.</p>

The landmark NFB program aims to increase internet connectivity service capacity to various provinces, government offices and data centers in the Philippines.