Philippines Languishes Behind in Closing the Digital Divide

by Restlessriver    April 07, 2008

In the Philippines, after a decade of talks, bridging the digital divide remains as formidable as establishing the first human settlement in Mars.  This divide, an invisible, virtual line that separates those who have access to information and those who do not— is proving to be the greatest hurdle in the country’s bid to join the ranks of those who made the leap towards full utilization of the new global media.

The government has been widely perceived as sitting on its arse regarding information technology initiatives that are no more than lip service to the public. A deliberate and closely coordinated effort among the government, the private sector and the civil society could have moved towards a solution but is nowhere being truly manifested. The national policy and corresponding political will to compel the players such as local telephone companies, ISPs, NGOs and government agencies is simply not happening.

The profit motive which  is so strong among the private players is not helping towards the goal of establishing an affordable infrastructure. For Third World countries like the Philippines, democratizing internet access remains a dream. It is also reflective of the social reality of the ever widening gap between the rich and poor which has become particularly glaring in the Philippines. Since information is power in today’s knowledge-based era, then those who have access to it stand to have the edge and those who have no means to buy information languish behind. 

By definition, universal access means providing 50 percent plus one of the populace with Internet access, a tall order considering certain studies show only about 2-5 percent of Filipinos are exposed to the Internet. But the inequitable arrangement where information is commercialized is becoming more apparent with nothing more than  sporadic attempts to bridge it.

The problem is not coaxing people on the use or value of technology.  The question is not how to compel people but how to intervene and democratize access and teach them how it can enrich and enhance their lives. It is lamentable how this is also inextricably linked to contradictions that still exist with the advent of the Internet.  Applying the same basics of who has the resources and who has not,   Internet in the global playground is leaning favorably toward the First World countries, with the Third World countries left way behind. Unfortunately, income and education buys Internet access and in the Philippine scenario where socio-economic status is so skewed, the digital age is furthering the gap where equality supposedly is the overriding mission.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

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