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IP community in Pampanga town to have free internet access

By Zorayda Tecson

May 18, 2022, 4:52 pm

<p><strong>EMPOWERING IPs</strong>. The Department of Information and Communications Technology-Central Luzon, in partnership with the National Commission on Indigenous People-Central Luzon, and other concerned agencies inaugurate the Technology Empowerment for Education, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development (TECH4ED) center for the Aeta community in Porac, Pampanga on Tuesday (May 17, 2022). The TECH4ED center will provide information and communication technology (ICT)-enabled services to indigenous cultural communities that have minimal or no access to the internet and other government services. <em>(Photo courtesy of NCIP-3)</em></p>

EMPOWERING IPs. The Department of Information and Communications Technology-Central Luzon, in partnership with the National Commission on Indigenous People-Central Luzon, and other concerned agencies inaugurate the Technology Empowerment for Education, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development (TECH4ED) center for the Aeta community in Porac, Pampanga on Tuesday (May 17, 2022). The TECH4ED center will provide information and communication technology (ICT)-enabled services to indigenous cultural communities that have minimal or no access to the internet and other government services. (Photo courtesy of NCIP-3)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The indigenous peoples (IPs) in Porac town can expect free internet access following the establishment of the Technology Empowerment for Education, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development (TECH4ED) center.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology-Central Luzon (DICT-3), in partnership with National Commission on Indigenous Peoples-Central Luzon (NCIP-3), NCIP Pampanga Community Service Center, and the Ayta Mag-indi and Ayta Mag-antsi Indigenous Cultural Communities or Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT)123, inaugurated Tuesday the TECH4ED center in Barangay Cangatba.

The center is a part of the government’s effort to provide a venue for studying, work, and availing of online government services in digitally underserved and unserved areas of the country.

DICT-3 Regional Director Reynaldo Sy said on Wednesday the TECH4ED center will provide information and communication technology (ICT)-enabled services to indigenous cultural communities of Porac that have minimal or no access to the internet and other government services.

Sy said the services that the Aetas can access include e-learning on-demand, marketplace, job portal, farming technologies, government services, quality health information, disaster management, and special content.

He committed to continuing the DICT’s full support in enabling the IPs in the region.

NCIP-3 Regional Director Roland Calde, meanwhile, thanked all the development partners who made the project launch a success.

To ensure sustainability, the Office of the Municipal Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) and the Indigenous Political Structure-Indigenous Peoples Organization (IPS-IPO) will closely coordinate with the NCIP Pampanga Community Service Center and DICT Pampanga for the continuation of ICT-related capacity building in five villages covering the Porac ancestral domain.

Sy said the TECH4ED center comes as a pivotal development partnership project as the Ayta Mag-indi and Ayta Mag-antsi ICCs/IPs of CADT 123 continue in their pursuit of resilience, responsiveness, and relevance.

This month, he said the Porac ICCs/IPs are set to receive their long-sought CADT and establish their Ancestral Domain Management Office. (PNA)

 

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