MANILA – The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) began the emergency procurement process to repair all relevant infrastructure damaged by Super Typhoon Pepito (Man-yi).
DICT Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs Renato Paraiso said DICT Secretary Ivan Uy made the order on Monday evening.
“Makakaasa ho kayo na serbisyo ng DICT (Rest assured that the services of the DICT), when it comes to emergency responses, would be there,” Paraiso said during the ‘Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas’ hosted by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Quezon City on Tuesday.
To date, the DICT has deployed emergency response vehicles and their recently procured Commsbox in areas affected by the typhoon.
A Commsbox is a portable, all-in-one satellite communications system specifically designed for rapid deployment in disaster zones made by Stellarsat Solutions Inc. and Kacific Broadband Satellites.
Each unit is pre-configured, solar-powered, requires minimal setup, and is sealed in a fire and water-resistant container.
Meanwhile, Paraiso said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is monitoring the services of mobile network operators and tasked them with repairing their affected lines.
“Kung talagang naputulan na services na ‘yun that is when we deploy our emergency Commsbox para naman hindi maputol ‘yung delivery ng basic government services natin (If mobile services are down, that is when we deploy our emergency Commsbox to ensure that basic government services continue),” he said.
Paraiso assured the DICT would support President Ferdinand R. Marcos’ order to government agencies to refrain from lavish Christmas parties in solidarity with those affected by the recent typhoons.
“In fact, DICT is contemplating na imbes na gastusin natin ‘yan para sa Christmas party, make it more meaningful, magkaroon ng donation drive for the victims of the typhoon (In fact, the DICT is contemplating that the funds we’ll use for the Christmas party will instead be spent on a donation drive for the victims of the typhoon),” he added.
Fiber Backbone
Paraiso cited the DICT’s National Fiber Backbone Project, with the project’s phase one —a 1, 245-kilometer cable network from Laoag, Ilocos Norte to Roces, Quezon City— is completed.
“With phase two and three, pinagsabay na ho natin, nakapag-procure na ho tayo (we’ll build them simultaneously, we have already completed procurement) and the implementation of which is at the start of 2025,” he said.
Funding for the project’s phases four and five has also begun, with a loan from the World Bank already secured.
The project’s phases two and three will connect Luzon to Visayas while phases four and five will connect most of the Visayas to Mindanao.
“Tapos yung phase six dun na ho natin talagang ku-kumpletuhin ‘yung connectivity throughout the Philippines (And in phase six that’s when we will complete connectivity throughout the Philippines),” he added.
All six phases of the project are planned to be completed by 2028 by the end of Marcos’ term. (PNA)