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DICT Secretary Henry Aguda says the Philippines' growth must first start with good internet connection. Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

DICT says working to bridge 'connectivity divide' to boost competitiveness

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2019225069252403628&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-02-05T04%3A46%3A03.210908%3Aef648b3f-2d10-4851-a72a-03932640f185%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=8041ae76760a5da9f3dd6b3c52b81d17987363d6&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:672px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="2019225069252403628"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Thursday cited progress in internet connectivity in the Philippines, but admitted that more Filipinos still lack access to it in many parts of the country.   </p><p>In his opening remarks at the Philippine Telecom Summit 2026, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said only 7 out of 10 Filipino households in Metro Manila have internet connection, while in the rest of the country in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, only 3 to 4 households out of 10 are connected to the internet, describing this as an “opportunity divide.” </p><p>“Kapag walang koneksyon, wala ring access sa online education, digital jobs, e-commerce, financial services, at kahit basic government services,” Aguda told government officials, telco operators, and technology providers present here in the forum. </p><p>“Let&#x27;s be honest. Progress is not the same as competitiveness. Habang tayo ay umaabante, mas mabilis pa ring umaabante ang iba. We still lag behind several ASEAN neighbors in speed, affordability, and coverage,” he added. </p><p>Aguda noted the importance of the Konektadong Pinoy Act and the National Digital Connectivity Plan, which he said would lead to becoming the “ultimate digital glow-up roadmap of the Philippines.”</p><p>The DICT chief earlier described the Konektadong Pinoy as a program that would cut the cost of internet connectivity by half through increased competition with the entry of new players.</p><p>Today, he said this would also trigger reforms that would remove red tape, lower barriers, and make the use of the spectrum and infrastructure efficient. </p><p>By catching up on Malaysia&#x27;s level of telco infrastructure, he said the sector could add up to 1.1 percent of the GDP. </p><p>“Mas malinaw na rules. Mas mabilis na deployment. Mas bukas na merkado. The goal is simple: mas maraming providers, mas mabilis na rollout, mas maraming Pilipinong makokonekta,” he said. </p><p>“Infrastructure sharing alone means lower costs, faster expansion, and wider coverage. Smart regulation is not anti-business. It allows businesses to scale. But reform alone is not enough,” he added. </p><p>Meanwhile, the DICT is also banking on the National Digital Connectivity Plan– an 11-year framework that seeks to provide fast, reliable, and resilient connectivity to millions of Filipinos. </p><p>The plan, he said, wants to strengthen public-private partnerships, with investors expected to pour P5.6 trillion in the coming years.</p>

<p>The DICT cited progress in internet connectivity in the Philippines, but admitted that more Filipinos still lack access to it in many parts of the country.</p>

The DICT cited progress in internet connectivity in the Philippines, but admitted that more Filipinos still lack access to it in many parts of the country.