Marcos vows internet access for all public schools by end of 2025
Credit to Author: Cristina Chi| Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 19:38:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed in his fourth State of the Nation Address to equip all public schools with internet connectivity by the end of 2025 — a promise that comes as nearly 12,000 schools across the country remain without access.
The promise sets an ambitious deadline for a problem that has persisted in the Department of Education (DepEd) for years: the chronic lack of infrastructure in schools that would allow students and teachers full access to digital learning tools.
The so-called digital divide was most felt during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be a problem for schools, especially those in remote areas.
During his address on Monday, July 28, Marcos acknowledged the scale of the internet connectivity gap in schools.
"Nearly twelve thousand public schools still lack internet," Marcos said in Filipino. "That's why DICT and DepEd are ensuring that before this year ends, all public schools will have internet connectivity."
Marcos did not state exactly how his administration plans to pull off this goal. But the president mentioned that earlier this year, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) announced plans to distribute one million free SIM cards to teachers and students in remote areas as part of its Bayanihan SIM Project.
The SIM cards — containing 25 gigabytes of free monthly data — are intended to help students and teachers access online learning platforms, stream educational content, and participate in virtual classes, the DICT said in June.
"However, this is not enough," Marcos said, before making his promise to connect 12,000 public schools with free internet.
The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) pointed out last year that complete internet connectivity in schools faces two major roadblocks: lack of electricity and the underutilization of digital infrastructure budgets. Data from 2024 showed that at least 1,700 school sites still lack electricity, a prerequisite for internet access and any form of educational technology.
Meanwhile, implementation of DepEd's computerization program has been sluggish and, in recent years, plagued with inefficiencies in procurement and delivery.
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