Former Secretary of National Defense and senatorial candidate Gilbert (GIBO) Teodoro will push for satellite internet services in rural areas to boost digital transformation in the countryside and further accelerate development in remote parts of the country. This is in line with his ‘connectivity to unite the country’ pillar wherein he cites the need to upgrade digital infrastructure and interconnectivity in the Philippine archipelago.

With only half of the Philippine population connected to the internet in 2020 based on data from the International Telecommunications Union, the former Tarlac representative and 1989 bar top notcher said satellite connectivity can bridge the gap in internet access.

“By connecting to space technology, our countrymen in remote and isolated areas do not have to wait for the installation of telecommunication towers and fiber network infrastructure, which takes a long period to build and set up,” Gibo Teodoro said.

Gibo Teodoro added that providing high-speed and reliable internet access in the countryside will open more opportunities for Filipinos and will attract more investments in rural areas, especially now that the pandemic accelerated digital transformation in businesses, education, health, and government services, among others. This, ultimately, will result to more jobs and livelihood opportunities for Filipinos