The Philippines is now well on track to becoming one of the best-connected countries in the world, thanks to many recent developments and improvements in the country’s digital infrastructure. This had been a long time coming. Previously, the country held the distinction of being one of the world’s top users of Facebook, despite the relatively poor state of communications infrastructure at the time. However, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything.
The heavy data requirements demanded by social distancing measures caused the national government to take action and make improvements in the country’s digital infrastructure network. It primarily did so with the help of private sector partners, tasking them with installing common towers and deploying small cell sites and other such components.
These infrastructure improvements were made all over the Philippines, but they made a particularly big impact in the countryside. While these developments were intended primarily to help Filipino students and workers, virtually all of the country’s population benefited both directly and indirectly from them.
These are some of the sectors that reaped the most gains from the country’s digital infrastructure boom:
1.) Office Workers
Improvements in the economy, wider urbanization, and the rise of the service industry have resulted in more Filipinos working in offices in the 2020s than at any other point in time. Additionally, thanks to the ongoing digitization in the private and public sectors, virtually all Filipino office workers now rely on a computer to work—at least part of the time.
These white-collar Filipinos were among the first to benefit from the boom in digital infrastructure. Not only were they already digitally ready, but most had incomes that afforded them access to reliable internet connections. This combination of factors made it possible for many Filipino workers to transition to a work-from-home (WFH) arrangement, something that prevented further deterioration of the economy during the pandemic.
Today, roughly half of all Filipino office workers prefer a WFH arrangement, with this proportion likely to increase as the country’s digital infrastructure continues to improve.
2.) The Education Sector
Improvements in Philippine digital infrastructure also laid the groundwork for resilience in the education sector. Thanks to more accessible broadband internet connectivity, more Filipino students were able to continue their education through online learning sessions. Educators also benefited, as most continued to be employed throughout the pandemic—something that would have been unimaginable just 20 years ago.
3.) Online Entrepreneurs
Virtually all Filipinos are now participating in the digital economy in one way or another at some point in the value chain. The digital economy is such a part of Filipino lives that, according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the boom in digital infrastructure is likely to add PHP 5 trillion in value to the Philippines’ gross domestic product by 2030.
Millions of Filipinos are just now using better broadband connections to snag these new online opportunities and build their first businesses. Many are already leveraging the improvements in digital infrastructure to create new businesses and reach global markets, rivaling more established local companies.
4.) Rural Communities
The expansion of digital infrastructure into the countryside has finally allowed many rural Filipinos the means to uplift their communities in meaningful ways. It is now allowing some farmers to break free from middlemen that control their access to markets. It is also giving rural Filipinos a voice in civic matters and giving them the means to access vital services for their health and productivity.
These connectivity improvements are largely being done through low-cost technologies like small cell sites. The low cost of these digital infrastructure assets has made it feasible for telecom developers to provide broadband coverage in areas with low population densities. Along with the new common tower framework, we’re likely to see close to full coverage of the entire countryside in the near future.
5.) Filipinos with Special Healthcare Needs
For years, the Philippines has had critical shortages of medical specialists, especially outside of Metro Manila. The recent improvements in digital infrastructure development has also helped improve access to specialized healthcare through teleconsultations. This is especially important for the Filipinos in the countryside who need special care.
Before the digital infrastructure boom, the only viable option for these underserved Filipinos was to travel to Metro Manila or to provincial capitals. Thanks to the wider availability of reliable broadband, teleconsultations are now an option for millions of Filipinos with special healthcare needs. In this way, better digital infrastructure has helped democratize healthcare by reducing many of its associated travel costs.
The Philippines’ Digital Transformation Continues
The national government and its private sector partners are continuing to close the digital divide through its low-cost, high-impact communications solutions. Thanks to a unified focus on delivering more digital infrastructure in the countryside and underserved urban areas, millions more Filipinos are finally able to join in the country’s growing digital economy.
With a better, more equitable digital economy, underprivileged Filipinos can have many of the same advantages that were once reserved for the wealthy. With smarter investments in digital communications infrastructure, we can finally realize the dream of a fully connected and digitally ready nation.
