GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 11 August) – An ambitious high-speed and secure internet access using terrestrial and satellite technologies is being rolled out in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to address the digital gap in the area.
Bangsamoro interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua said the BARMM-wide Internet Connectivity Project aims to install 1,010 digital towers composed of 10 main nodes, about 250 sub-towers and 740 access points.
“These will deliver reliable, secure internet access across all provinces and the Special Geographic Area,” Macacua said during his “Chief Minister’s Hour: A Report to the Bangsamoro” last Thursday in Cotabato City.
The project is funded under the 2023 Special Development Fund (SDF), he said.
Republic Act 11054, the Organic Law for the BARMM, provides an SDF of five billion pesos a year for 10 years from its ratification “for the rebuilding, rehabilitation, and development of its conflict-affected communities.”
Macacua said the first node was launched last June 2 at the Bangsamoro Government Center in Cotabato City, the seat of government of the Bangsamoro region.
Macacua said the project will also be rolled out in Maguindanao del Norte with three nodes, 70 sub-towers and 210 access points; Maguindanao del Sur with one node, 25 sub-towers, and 75 access points; Lanao del Sur with two nodes, 50 sub-towers and 150 access points; Special Geographic Area with one node, 25 sub-towers and 75 access points; and, one node each for Tawi-Tawi and Basilan with 23 to 25 sub-towers and up to 75 access points per province.
The Bangsamoro Information and Communications Technology Office (BICTO) is spearheading the region-wide internet connectivity project to address the digital disparities existing in the entire autonomous region, especially in its island-provinces.
Jonathan Mantikayan, BICTO executive director, said the initiative will provide underserved and geographically isolated communities in the region with” reliable, high-speed, and secure internet access” via terrestrial and satellite technologies.
He said their agency is coordinating with the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) in finalizing where the remaining nine nodes will be actually placed, noting the connectivity signal will be boosted by the sub-towers.
“This is a manifestation that the Bangsamoro Government is serious in its commitment to address the digital divide and gaps in the region,” Mantikayan said.
He explained that a “main node” refers to the central or primary server that manages and distributes information. It is also a point of connection where data can be sent, received, and processed.
The infrastructure component will be complemented by the BGov Super App, a digital platform that integrates various e-government services designed to reach constituents across the region, Mantikayan said.
This will bring online resources, digital services, and e-governance tools closer to Bangsamoro constituents and support inclusive development, enhance public service delivery, improve digital literacy, and contribute to the region’s long-term socio-economic transformation by improving access for local government units, ministries, schools, and public institutions, he added.
Before 2025 ends, various Bangsamoro communities in the region are expected to experience the impact of this digital leap, Mantikayan said. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
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