THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), as the lead agency for the emergency telecommunications cluster of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, vowed to execute the marching order of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to deploy satellite internet technology in areas badly hit by Typhoon ‘Egay’.
In his speech during the distribution of government assistance to residents in Bangued, Abra last 29 July 2023, President Marcos Jr. pledged to provide more pieces of satellite equipment to connect far-flung areas affected by the typhoon to the internet, enabling them to report their situation on the ground and relay their needs to concerned government agencies.
“Pati pala ‘yung sa communication, mayroon tayong pinadala rito, ‘yung satellite. Magdadagdag din tayo para maipadala [rin] natin doon sa mga malalayo kasi sila talaga ang nangangailangan ng communication para makapag-report sila sa atin kung ano’ng nangyari sa kanila at ano ‘yung pangangailangan nila,” President Marcos Jr. said.
A day after the President’s pledge, DICT Regional Offices 1 and 2 provided satellite internet technology in the remote areas of Sitio Bucarot, Adams, Ilocos Norte, and in Barangay Balatubat, Camiguin Island, Calayan, Cagayan. At Barangay Balatubat, DICT conducted a Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) in the aftermath of Egay.
Sitio Bucarot, a mountainous area inhabited by Isnag tribe, is the most remote portion of Adams town. Meanwhile, Barangay Balatubat is one of the three barangays of Camiguin Island, which is part of the larger Babuyan Group of Islands situated in Northern Philippines. Per the 2020 Census, Adams and Balatubat have a population of 2,189 and 1,787, respectively.
The DICT also installed Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs) in Bangued, Abra and Calayan, Cagayan to 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,” Secretary Ivan John Uy said.
