The Philippines is a highly communication-dependent country, especially in comparison to other ASEAN nations. Since the late 1990s, it has held the title of being the “world’s texting capital” because of how often we use SMS services to communicate with our loved ones and friends in and out of the country. While time has allowed us to shift towards embracing emerging communication technologies, a significant number of local communities remain disconnected. According to the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), in 2023, roughly 65% of Filipinos remain unconnected to the Internet. Even among those who are connected, bandwidth issues persist. Hence, digital poverty remains a critical issue that needs to be addressed as part of the digital transformation in the Philippines. Despite our current advancements in various sectors like the economy and education, the lack of access to reliable Internet access is a limiting factor. Digitalization is an accelerator towards improvement, yet significant portions of the population do not have adequate access to the crucial tools, hindering overall progress and inclusivity of today’s digital economy. Therefore, strategies should be implemented to reduce digital poverty and foster digital literacy to create a more inclusive and equitable landscape in the Philippines.
Internet Infrastructure
Our current digital landscape has made the Internet a privilege, leaving those without access behind. Narratives of Filipinos traveling to and from neighborhood computer cafes or to areas with Internet access and spending a significant amount of money for an hour or two of connectivity are common experiences for many Filipinos living in rural communities. The pandemic has accelerated our reliance on the Internet. Educators have shifted to hybrid learning, leveraging platforms such as Google Classroom and Canvas for teaching, while users of online shopping and mobile payments via GCash have surged, adding 1.8 new Filipino users online by January 2024. Even after the end of numerous quarantine protocols throughout 2020 and 2021, we are still dependent on these applications and have integrated them as part of our daily activities. This highlights the pressing need to improve our Internet infrastructure to meet growing demands. This situation underscores the urgent need to bridge the digital divide and invest in improving the current Internet infrastructure to enable more Filipinos to access online services conveniently. Typically, areas with higher wealth, such as Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Cebu, benefit from faster Internet speeds, while rural and less affluent regions lag. The complexity of this problem is compounded by the Philippines’ unique geography, as an archipelagic country with numerous mountainous terrains, while advantageous in some ways, presents significant challenges in providing appropriate and necessary technology to all areas within its territory.
Despite the country’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as universal access to safe drinking water and education, broadband internet penetration remains low. Increased efforts and legislative reforms are essential to enhance digital connectivity and achieve our digitalization goals, offering equal opportunities for all. But this is not to say that efforts to address this challenge are not being made. Some initiatives that kickstart the efforts towards greater connectivity and enhanced communication for Filipinos include the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) National Broadband Plan (NBP) and Free Wi-Fi for All (FW4A) Program, which aims to provide widespread Internet access across the country.
Inviting Investors and Competitors
According to the latest Internet Society Pulse Country report, the Philippines’ transit provider diversity was rated poorly. This indicates that the country has limited routes and options to connect to the Internet. This leads to numerous problems such as a lack of resiliency, bandwidth issues, higher costs, and vulnerability to disruptions. Encouraging investments and competition in the telecommunication sectors is important to accelerate further improvements in Internet infrastructure and drive down costs, making Internet access more affordable for all Filipinos. Additionally, collaborative efforts between relevant stakeholders are essential to build a robust and resilient digital infrastructure that can support the digital transformation and economic growth of the country.
Digital Literacy
Digital literacy has been gaining more attention in recent years. Over the past few decades, more and more publications regarding this topic have grown. Many researchers have recognized it as a key factor in economic opportunities and educational attainment, making this an important concern for policymakers and institutions alike, as it eventually leads to poverty reduction.
Quite surprisingly, according to Inquirer News, government representatives have recently disclosed that the Philippines is the world’s first in terms of digital illiteracy. Given the country’s historically high literacy rates and its deep history with the English language, one might have assumed that the Filipino’s digital literacy rate would be similarly high. Despite high mobile penetration due to the widespread use of social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, many Filipinos struggle to navigate an operating system. Their knowledge needs to be extended beyond basic social media use and entertainment.
This issue was exacerbated when Filipinos were forced to digitalize their activities under the community quarantine protocols undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of them use the Internet with little awareness of how to keep themselves safe while online. While individuals coming from middle to upper-middle-income families often receive digital literacy education early in life, either integrated into their school’s curriculum or at home, those from lower-income backgrounds face significant challenges, including the inability to afford mobile devices or an education to learn about digital literacy. This disparity underscores either a lack of comprehensive digital literacy programs or a lack of competent reach toward relevant audiences. On the brighter side, it opens up an opportunity that can be explored by policymakers and relevant organizations as we have identified gaps and areas for improvement. One way to focus initial efforts towards public schools is to build digital literacy knowledge in the population.
Efforts such as the Technology for Education, Employment, Entrepreneurs, and Economic Development Project (Tech4ED), a digital inclusion initiative aimed to provide access to Filipinos living in rural and underserved communities to various communication resources, have been initiated but a significant number of people still lack awareness that such programs like these exist. To sustain and expand their impact, continued engagement and marketing efforts to reach out to a wider audience are necessary.
Conclusion
Our journey towards digital transformation in the Philippines requires a collective effort of the government, private sector, civil society, communities, and individuals themselves. While digital transformation strategies in the Philippines have been explored, there is still a long way to go for the Philippines to grow in terms of digital transformation and keeping up with changing times. By focusing on sustainable, inclusive, and innovative strategies, the Philippines can accelerate its digital transformation journey, ensuring that all Filipinos, regardless of their archipelagic location or socioeconomic status, can participate in and benefit from the digital economy.
Written by Nattaya Jaratruangsaeng (Reviewed and Edited by Jenna Manhau Fung)
Sources:
- Abarca, C. (2023, September 19). Ph is no. 1 in digital illiteracy, no. 2 in online child abuse – execs. INQUIRER.net. Retrieved from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1833725/ph-is-no-1-in-digital-illiteracy-no-2-in-online-child-abuse-execs
- Clapano, J. R. (2023, June 13). DICT: 65% of Philippines not connected to internet. Philstar.com. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/06/14/2273740/dict-65-philippines-not-connected-internet
- Country report: Philippines (the). Internet Society Pulse. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://pulse.internetsociety.org/reports/ph
- Mapping Digital Poverty in the Philippines using AI/Big Data and machine learning. Thinking Machines Data Science. (2021, February 1). Retrieved from https://stories.thinkingmachin.es/mapping-digital-poverty-in-the-philippines/
- We explore the shift towards a digital lifestyle in the Philippines in 2024. Tech Collective. (2024, June 19). Retrieved from https://techcollectivesea.com/2024/06/19/digital-lifestyle-philippines-2024/