Marcos admin rolls out phases 2 and 3 of National Fiber Backbone project

THE PHILIPPINE government on Monday launched the second and third phases of its National Fiber Backbone project, aiming to provide high-speed internet to underserved and remote areas across the country.

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President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., who led the project's inauguration in Leyte, emphasized that access to fast and reliable internet is no longer a privilege but a necessity, noting its role in education, business, work, and maintaining ties with loved ones.

He acknowledged the stark inequality in internet access nationwide, forcing some Filipinos to travel long distances just to find a signal.

The latest phases will add almost 1,800 kilometers to the country's fiber network, expanding to Regions II (Cagayan Valley), IVA (Calabarzon), V (Bicol), VIII (Eastern Visayas), X (Northern Mindanao), and XI (Davao).

"We are connecting the Philippines through these fiber backbones so that all Filipinos, even those from far away, those on the islands who cannot connect, will still have the internet to help them with their work, to help them with their lives," Mr. Marcos said in Filipino, according to a transcript from his office.