public access in the philippines

Public Access in the Philippines Francisco J. Proenza ADB Consultant

For most of the past 15 years the main role of Public Internet Access Centers (PIACs), including telecenters and cybercafés, has been to facilitate communications. The famous center in Malaysia, e-Bario, for example, was a showcase, precisely because it brought communications to a previously isolated community of very poor indigenous people. The same was true all over the world. For many years, Peru’s cabinas públicas (cybercafés) was the place people went to make long distance VoIP calls. They even had numbered cubicles equipped with a phone.

Public Access in the Philippines

As use of the Internet has become popularized, Internet Cafés have begun to deepen their reach to serve smaller towns. And since the middle of the 2006, mobile phones have proliferated rapidly, and the demand for communications through PIACs has subsided, to the point that many Cybercafés have closed down (Proenza 2015). I am often asked: now that mobile phones are everywhere, what is the use of publicly sponsored telecenters? I found the answer in the Philippines.


I am presently conducting a study of Community eCenters (CeCs) in the Philippines for the Asian Development Bank. Over the past month I have visited a total of 12 centers, 6 in South Luzon, and another 6 in Western Visayas These centers were selected in part in search for Centers of Excellence to learn what accounts for success. We also needed to visit clusters of centers to make the conduct of the study manageable and not too expensive.


Centers visited in South Luzon

Centers visited in Western Visayas


In practice, five centers visited qualify as showcases but, for a variety of reasons, the others are not doing as well. This variability facilitates the identification of CeC performance challenges and an appreciation of factors that account for success. The role of government-sponsored telecenters has changed. Two roles have gained prominence: as training centers and as local government service centers and technology hubs. Most of the twelve centers visited provide access to ICTs, but their most common service is to provide digital literacy training, and training out of school youths and adults. Access takes the backstage and is only provided when the computers are not used for training.


Our main finding: The role of government-sponsored telecenters has changed in the Philippines. Two roles have gained prominence: as training centers and as local government service centers and technology hubs. Many of the twelve centers visited provide access to computers and the Internet, but their most common service is to provide digital literacy training, and training out of school youths and adults. Access takes the backstage and is only provided when the computers are not used for training.

CeCs/Tech4ED as Training Centers

Practically all centers visited impart digital literacy (DL) training of some form or another. Many use Intel’s Easy Steps, often with adjustments to expand one part of the content or another. In Tayabas City, DL training takes 4 days/trainee.

In Mauban, 4 days (40 hours).

In Mina, 2 days/trainee (16 hours).

The Carmona program is longer. They want trainees to acquire sufficient skills to acquire the skills needed to get a job, and this requires 2 months of training.


The list of digital literacy trainees is varied. To illustrate, here is the list for Tayabas City Center:

Department of Education (DepEd) personnel Teachers who work in the office Out of School Youths (ALS students) Barangay Health Workers BNS (Barangay Nutrition Scholars, BNS) Persons with disabilities (PWD) Sangguniang Bayan members Members of the boxing team (10 men) Barangay Captains BHS- Barangay Health Workers Teachers


Mauban Center


Carmona Center


Training of Out of School Youths using the Alternative Learning System was another notable activity. It sometimes took place at Centers established in partnership with the DepEd’s ALS system. Interestingly, the most effective implementation of eSkwela was found in the Malvar municipal CeC, not in centers run by the Department of Education.


Innovative use of eSkwela by ALS where a CeC is not working

CeCs/Tech4ED as Local Gov. Service Centers

President Roxas’ eCenter started operating in July 2013. It began with digital literacy training, then, on November 3-11, typhoon Yolanda hit all Capiz province. The eCenter helped the municipality anticipate and get ready for the typhoon. As the storm approached, municipal staff would, on an hourly basis, print, duplicate and distribute photos to barangay captains showing the size and devastating power of the approaching menace, raising awareness and facilitating the evacuation of coastal areas. In the aftermath, the eCenter became the only facility with office equipment serving all the municipality’s needs.

CeCs/Tech4ED as LGU Service Centers

Mina Center training staff on e-procurement system

CeCs/Tech4ED as LGU Service Centers

Mina Agricultural Information System

Mina has also developed an Agricultural Information System to forecast production, and as a marketing tool to help Mina farmers showcase their products and negotiate with traders. The system has comprehensive information on Mina agriculture. It probably has all the information needed by the Tech4ED program to test the Grameen Foundation’s farmer advice application.

CeCs/Tech4ED Connectivity and Maintenance

Viewing learning videos is limited when bandwidth is limited. Successful centers have broadband.


What accounts for a Center’s success? In part it is economic power. Carmona, Mauban, Malvar and Tayabas City are large municipaliBes with significant resources.

Also, Carmona, Malvar and Tayabas City have large urban populaBons. Most people don’t walk large distances to a center, and urban areas are usually beGer serve with public transportaBon.


What accounts for a Center’s success?

But even small municipaliBes like Mina, commiGed to using ICTs for their development, can have successful Centers.



This preeminent role of LGU support is confirmed by successful Center managers.



In most other countries, success requires a dedicated full time manager. In the showcase centers visited the center manager worked only part time for the center, but had important position in LGU administration. Technical staff are LGU staff and maintain both CeC/Tech4ED computers as well as those of the Municipality. These are not traditional telecenters providing access. In all 12 LGUs visited there were cybercafés doing this.

èIn the Philippines, if you want a successful sustainable center that provides training and serves as a technology and innovation hub, work with LGUs.


Elements of a program of support

Work with municipalities interested and committed to using ICTs to service citizens. Not all municipalities are ready (or interested). Work with Barangays through Municipal Governments. (e.g. to extend connectivity using TVWS).


Sensible elements of a support program

Video instruc-on (digital literacy, eSkwela, eTesda, Good Local Governance, Agriculture, SME, BPO) English Language Skills Training Center Establishment/Upgrading Promo-on of Innova-on (e.g. telemedicine in Mauban, agricultural development in Mina, Phil health billing systems, electronic health billing) TV White Space connec-vity from Municipali-es to Barangays Monitoring and Evalua-on


I want to end by thanking the staff of all of the centers visited. I could not have learned much about telecenters in the Philippines without their help.

I also want to acknowledge the presence in our audience of staff from two of the showcase telecenters:

From Mina Center (Iloilo Province):

Dory Emelo From Mauban Center (Quezon Province):

Bal Mirabueno Laurice Reasonda

Please give them a big round of applause.

public access in the philippines

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