DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/ 7 May) – The Davao City Council has approved on second reading an ordinance that will establish public internet centers across the city, starting with a pilot hub at the People’s Park.
Councilor Bonz Andre Militar, chairperson of the Committee on Information Technology, told reporters at the sidelines of the regular session at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday that the pilot internet center would cost about P9 million for the construction and some P7 million for the equipment like computers.
The pilot internet center will commence construction within this year through a supplemental budget, Militar said.
“The [internet] center [at the People’s Park] will serve as a pilot area to provide free public internet and will be replicated in other congressional districts as the case may be,” the ordinance reads.
Militar said the pilot internet center that will be constructed at the People’s Park had been already approved by the Davao City Parks System Management Board.
It would rise in a 746.38-square meter lot within the children’s playground.
The pilot internet center will also offer free WiFi to users with personal devices, following the guidelines set by the Davao City Library and Information Center (DCLIC).
According to the committee report which was read by Militar during the session, each public internet center will be equipped with high-speed internet, computer facilities, and trained personnel, including a librarian and computer technicians.
Militar added these centers will operate as extensions of the DCLIC, and would require a valid library card for access.
A library card costs P100 annually.
The city councilor also assured that to ensure privacy and data protection, the project will adhere to the city’s Data Privacy Ordinance and Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012. The ordinance was approved on July 11, 2023.
Asked if the public Internet centers will be free from online attacks, Militar said that “we have safeguards to that… we have data privacy officers in Davao City.
If there are data breaches, we can count on them to protect the data.” (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
