Philippines government tech agency seeks 750 percent budget boost for COVIDigital transformation

The Philippines's Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has sought approval of a PHP46.6bn ($942m) budget for fiscal 2021 to help the country adapt to the "new normal" during the COVID-19 pandemic - a lazy 750 percent higher than the PHP6bn budget it's working with this year. If approved, the upsized …

[Pangasinan Philippines]

There's Free, and there's 'Free'

The Malls are the place to go for free WiFi, (*) but during a weekend evening, a connection that works is almost impossible.

The system cannot cope with the demand from students who crowd the malls after school all using cell phone data.

DICT has been ordered to construct 20,000 common cell towers during the next five years to catch up such advanced countries as Viet Nam.

It takes about 7 months and a fistful of permits before construction can begin.

The National Fiber (fibre) backbone project years ago was abandoned due to alleged corruption in the issuing of contracts to a Chinese firm.

(*) Disconnected at the moment along with reduced air-conditioning to discourage crowds from the malls

[Anonymous Coward]

Good luck to them

[MiguelC]

Digital transformation indeed

They're on the (right?) path, their currency already being PHP

[Anonymous Coward]

Mired in corruption

I can't see this working, considering:

1. Most infrastructure projects and all government departments are, more than ever, hopelessly mired in corruption.

2. We are ruled by a de-facto dictator who didn't blink before shutting down the country's No.1 media organisation because it criticised him.