BACOLOD City – The city government will provide free internet to public elementary and high schools following a meeting of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez with Department of Education (DepEd) Division of Bacolod City heads and representatives.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairman of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) committee on education who was also present at the meeting, said the budget will be sourced out from the special education fund (SEF).
On his Facebook page, Benitez said, “We want our students to be more knowledgeable, with easy access to information, and get used to the digital environment.”
Providing internet access to students is part of the plan to make Bacolod a “global city” with a strong digital infrastructure, the mayor added.
In 2016, the SP passed City Ordinance 09-16-788, which provided accessible and secured wireless internet connections in designated public places and in certain offices of the city government.
It was former councilor Caesar Distrito who authored the ordinance.
The city government allocated a budget of P3.5 million for this.
Espino said they also discussed at the meeting a mobile learning hub, desktop computers for online learning centers and audio systems for schools, among others./PN
