00:00School children at the Doña Remedios Trinidad Elementary School in Bulacan no longer suffer from here on the bane of online learning, slothful internet connectivity.
00:12The DICT's Bayanihan SIM project has provided half a thousand fast SIM card modules with a generous 25GB monthly bandwidth for watching videos and social media communication and education among others.
00:27Our Joshua Garcia reports.
00:30Slow internet connection has long been a problem in Calawakan Elementary School in Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan, especially because of its location.
00:39Thus, the school is delighted to be the initial recipients of the Bayanihan SIM project.
00:44Nakakatuwa po dahil libre na namin magagamit yung internet. Hindi lang po yung aming mga teachers, lalong-lalo na po yung mga learners at saka po yung mga magulang ng mga bata.
00:55Led by the Department of Information and Communications Technology or DICT, 500 Bayanihan SIMs were distributed to students, parents, and teachers.
01:04The Bayanihan SIM project is part of the Free Public Internet Access Program which aims to provide free internet, especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
01:12Instead of access points, instead of Wi-Fi po tayo co-connect, ibigyan po natin kayo ng mga SIM card at from there makaka-access na po kayo ng internet.
01:23Each Bayanihan SIM will have a free 25GB data per month which students and teachers may use in online activities or downloading and watching educational content and tutorial videos.
01:3425GB data is enough for a total of 25 hours viewing time of videos, 5,000 songs in Spotify, or 25,000 minutes usage time on social media apps like Facebook and TikTok.
01:45It can also be utilized for online classes, especially when face-to-face classes are suspended due to weather disturbances.
01:50Inaasahan namin na ang mga estudante, ang mga guru, ang internet na ito ay gagamitin para po sa eskwela, para po sa mga leksyon, paggawa ng lesson plan, para po sa mga guru, at research po, paggawa ng assignment.
02:13The Bayanihan SIM is a huge help for Isabel, a grade 6 student, since she is aiming to remain on top of her class.
02:18Saan namin na gamitin yung 25GB?
02:21Doon po sa pag-aaral ko po, lalo na po sa mga tutorial sa YouTube. Kasi po, misa po, hindi po ako nakaintinded sa sinasabi ni Ma'am.
02:31Master teacher Carol Piedoso meanwhile said that the free internet will ease her daily teaching tasks.
02:36Malaking tulong po ito kasi kapag magda-download po ako ng mga videos, mga lessons na pwede ko pong gamitin para mas mapapadali po yung pangunawa po ng mga mag-aaral ko pagdating po sa pagtuturo.
02:47The handing out of Bayanihan SIMs will continue in other areas to fulfill President Ferdinand R. Marcus Jr.'s directive of achieving 100% internet connection in all schools nationwide.
02:59Joshua Garcia from the National TV Network for a new and better Philippines.