Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, a long-time advocate for digital transformation, shared the administration’s push for key digital upgrades in education but stressed the need for reforms to go beyond infrastructure and prioritize meaningful, people-centered legislation.
“Three words — relevance, transformation, and building. It must be part of nation-building. It should be transformative and relevant — ibig sabihin, dama ng mga tao na importante sila,” Cayetano said.
“It should be transformative and relevant — ibig sabihin, dama ng mga tao na importante sila.”
The veteran legislator remarks came shortly after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered the same day, pledged to integrate more digital tools into learning, including providing internet access in all public schools by year-end.
In his address, the President reported that Phases 1 to 3 of the National Fiber Backbone have been completed, 19,000 free Wi-Fi sites are now active, and SIM Cards with free data have been distributed to students nationwide.
“Phases 1 to 3 of the National Fiber Backbone have been completed, 19,000 free Wi-Fi sites are now active, and SIM Cards with free data have been distributed to students nationwide.”
Cayetano, principal author of two key digital reform measures in the 19th Congress — the E-Governance Act and the Konektadong Pinoy Act — is aligned with this digital transformation advocacy, which emphasizes the importance of leveraging digital tools to address the country’s pressing challenges.
“Digitalization is not per se the solution to all of our problems, but it is a tool that, if used effectively and assigned properly to various agencies, can address many of our challenges today,” said the seasoned lawmaker, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education.
In recent years, the senator has sought for the passage of the E-Governance Act, which aims to enhance government efficiency, streamline services, and promote transparency – ensuring that both citizens and businesses benefit from digital transformation.
He also pushed for the Konektadong Pinoy Act, which aims to make it easier for service providers to enter the market, fostering competition, and offering consumers a greater number and more affordable options for internet services – especially for students, those around educational institutions, and in rural areas.
Among other things, Cayetano welcomed the President’s candid tone in his SONA, noting that it set a constructive direction for the remainder of his term.
“The tone of honesty by starting na itong election na ‘to ay may problema kasi kulang ang serbisyo… Y’ung mag-start ka lang ng honesty doon, it’s a good sign kasi sa next 3 years, may time ka para baguhin ito,” he concluded.
