The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has started Phases 4 and 5 of the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) under the ₱16.1-billion Philippine Digital Infrastructure Project (PDIP). The launch took place on August 11 in Butuan City.
DICT secretary Henry R. Aguda said the project will add more than 1,000 kilometers of government-owned fiber network connecting cities in Mindanao, including Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, Zamboanga, and Davao.
The initial phase will provide connectivity to government offices, state universities, local government units, and hospitals. Plans include expanding the network to reach barangays.
According to Aguda, the project aims to improve Internet access for schools, businesses, and communities, and to support e-government services.
He also said the rollout is expected to encourage investment in data centers, technology hubs, and rural business process outsourcing facilities in Butuan.
World Bank Group task team leader Jennifer Gui said the initiative is aligned with the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework for 2025–2031 and the administration’s digital connectivity goals.
Approved by the NEDA-ICC Board in June 2024, the PDIP is the first digital infrastructure program in the country to receive World Bank support. It includes extending the NFB to the Visayas and Mindanao, expanding the Free Wi-Fi for All Program in Regions XI and XII, and strengthening national cybersecurity measures.
The Butuan launch begins procurement and mobilization for Phases 4 and 5. The project seeks to expand public broadband, strengthen climate and network resiliency, and provide connectivity to unserved rural communities and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).
The DICT estimates that the project will connect 772 previously unserved public institutions and reduce the digital access gap in Regions XI and XIII from 28% to 20%.
The PDIP’s five components are:
1. Development of the backbone network through NFB Phases 4 and 5
2. Strengthening inter-island and regional middle-mile links
3. Last-mile connectivity deployment in Regions XI and XIII
4. Enhancement of network and cybersecurity capabilities
5. Provision of project management and technical support
The project will activate unused fibers of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and install active equipment along submarine cables in the Visayas to extend the backbone into Mindanao.
